An ongoing forage project conducted by Ohio State University Extension offers livestock producers detailed information on how fast pastures are growing statewide to help them make better management decisions.

The Ohio Pasture Measurement Project uses weekly pasture growth reports from more than 32 producers statewide to create a database that can help graziers estimate the amount of forage in their pastures, said Jeff McCutcheon, an OSU Extension educator and co-creator of the project.

The goal is to measure pasture growth to provide producers more detailed and accurate information during the grazing season. This can help them make better feed and pasture management decisions, he said.

Little rain and unseasonably hot weather in May left part of northern and southwest Indiana in drought just a few weeks after farmers got off to a fast start by planting their crops earlier than normal. Most of northern Indiana except for the far northwestern counties was abnormally dry, and 11 counties were worse off – either entirely or partly in moderate drought, according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor released May 31 by the USDA. Seven counties in extreme southwest Indiana were in moderate drought, and others in the area were abnormally dry.

Sarah Dinsdale of Grants Pass, Oregon, is the first president of the Southwest Oregon Hay Growers Association (SWHGA). Dinsdale was elected during an April 16 organizational meeting that was facilitated by Shelby Filley of Oregon State University. In addition, Richard Lounsberry became the new vice president, Jerry May is the secretary and Mel Ashland will serve as treasurer.

A new video series produced by Ohio State University educators (OSU) offers livestock producers detailed information about a wide variety of grazing management techniques taught by OSU Extension livestock and forage experts.

The videos, which were produced this spring as part of OSU Extensions' "Pastures for Profit" grazing school, offer an in-depth look at ways livestock producers can improve their management of their pastures.

Many eastern Corn Belt fields planted in mid-April when farmers got off to an early start have started to show symptoms of seedling blights. Symptoms include uneven stands, stunted seedlings or reduced plant vigor. They can be caused by a number of scenarios, such as damage from cold temperatures, nutrient deficiencies, herbicide or anhydrous ammonia injury, wireworms or "wet feet," but also could be caused by seedling blights from fungi or fungal-like organisms. "Seedling blights are prevalent when cool, wet soil conditions persist after planting," said Kiersten Wise, an associate professor of plant pathology at Purdue University.

Twenty-six teams from universities across North America will vie for prizes and global recognition for their design innovations in American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers' (ASABE) 15th Annual International ¼-Scale Tractor Student Design Competition. The competition will be held May 31 – June 3 at the Expo Gardens in Peoria, Illinois. The event is free and open to the public.

The teams have spent the 2011-2012 academic year designing and building utility or recreational pulling tractors that they will present and demonstrate at the competition.

The Farm Progress Hay Expo, the nation's largest two-day hay event, will take place June 20 and 21 at the Central Iowa Expo site near Boone, Iowa. (The Central Iowa Expo facility is where the Farm Progress Show is held in Iowa, as well.)

Indiana's forage crop is thriving after an extremely mild winter. A new Purdue University website offers growers and livestock producers a place to buy and sell it.

Forage Finder can help growers sell – and buyers take advantage of – what has the potential to be a high-yielding crop. The site is free to use.