As livestock producers begin to examine this year’s harvest and prepare to feed the less than up-to-par crop to their animals, many questions are starting to come up in the field. Is this mold? Should I be worried about aflatoxins, DON or other toxins? What steps should I take to protect my herd?

Alltech has re-opened its tollfree mycotoxin hotline to answer questions like these. Besides answering questions from the field, the hotline also provides a centralized point of access to references and industry experts on the topic.

Growers conducting soil tests this fall may be surprised at unexpectedly low potassium (K) levels. It’s likely, however, that fields tested in drought-stricken areas have plenty of nutrients waiting to move back into the soil, according to DuPont Pioneer agronomy experts.

“The K is actually quite safe in the plant residues, so growers shouldn’t be alarmed if soil test levels of this nutrient are lower than expected. Just be aware that more nutrients will be released into the soil with precipitation,” says Andy Heggenstaller, DuPont Pioneer agronomy research manager.

FMC Agricultural Products Group announces Lexi Sistrunk from Oak Grove, Louisiana, as the grand prize winner in the “Stand & Be Heard Anthem Contest.” After two voting phases, Sistrunk will receive the grand prize of a $10,000 college scholarship. The three runners-up were Allison Nohre from De Pere, Wisconsin; Jessica Smith from Picayune, Mississippi; and Katie Wesler from Birmingham, Alabama. They will each receive a $5,000 college scholarship.

Betty Crocker, Aunt Jemima and Quaker Oats are common household names. In the 1950s, there was another popular name among rural families: Irma Harding.

Irma served as the spokeswoman for International Harvester refrigerators and freezers and promoted the products to U.S. farm women.

“Irma Harding is a wonderful part of our International Harvester history,” says Sarah Pickett, Case IH licensing and merchandising manager.

In the most recent FG poll, we asked readers whether they would be investing in any new forage equipment in the coming year.

The Oregon Cover Crop and Forage Seed group presents this 10-minute video on profitable keys for a livestock forage program:    

Tractor Supply Company, the largest retail farm and ranch supply store chain in the U.S., has entered into an agreement to purchase an undeveloped parcel of land in the Maryland Farms area of Brentwood, Tennessee.  The company will build a new corporate headquarters, referred to as its store support center, and expects to move to the new location in mid-2014. Tractor Supply Company has been headquartered in leased facilities in the same Maryland Farms area since 2004. Due to unprecedented growth, however, the company leases space in three separate buildings.