The 22nd annual GrassWorks (GW) Grazing Conference is scheduled for Jan. 16-18 at The Patriot Center in Wausau, Wisconsin. The event will highlight successful on-farm management practices to inspire you to make small changes now in order to remain competitive in the future of grazing and agriculture.

You’ve probably read that alfalfa is the nation’s fourth-largest crop. But did you know that total U.S. alfalfa acreage has been in decline for the past decade? The National Ag Statistics Service (NASS) reports 2012 harvested alfalfa at just more than 20 million acres, a 22 percent decline from a decade prior.

Three out of four growers who participated in a recent survey by BASF suspect that glyphosate resistance is a cause of their tough-to-control weeds. As a result, a staggering 76 percent of these growers have already changed their weed management program to address resistance.

The USDA's Risk Management Agency (RMA) plans to solicit a contract for determining the feasibility of developing a crop insurance product(s) to cover quality and revenue for forage production, according to an information memorandum by the USDA.

The 2013 planting season was one of the longest ever recorded in Wisconsin, according to a corn evaluation program conducted by the University of Wisconsin – Extension and the University of Wisconsin – Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. The purpose of the program is to provide unbiased performance comparisons of hybrid seed corn for both grain and silage available in Wisconsin.

Even though Wisconsin farm fields may look dormant this time of year, do not let the lack of green growing fool you. This can be the busiest time for farmers and the difference in making the year a profitable one. The Wisconsin Farm Center is available to help farmers bring the 2013 books to a close.

After five years as manager of communications for the National Corn Growers Association, Janice Tolley Walters has left the organization to become the new director of communications for the seed industry, according to Andrew W. LaVigne, president and CEO of the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA).

The Montana Stockgrowers Association (MSGA) says Ryan Goodman, MSGA manager of communications, is the inaugural recipient of the 2013 Communicator of the Year award, presented by Alliance to Feed the Future and CropLife America. The award recognizes effective and innovative new voices that are enhancing the public dialogue about modern food production through multi-channel communications, including social media.

Forage Genetics International (FGI) acquired the sorghum genetics brand Sudax earlier this year in a move that strengthens the position of FGI as a leader in the forage industry. Having marketed the three most popular Sudax products for years, FGI is now not only offering the quality hybrids producers are familiar with, but also introducing new technologies.