What is the most important part of alfalfa production?
“The harvest because that is when most things go wrong.

As long-time stewards of the environment, farmers have always worked to produce quality products while taking care to preserve the quality of their resources for the next year and next generation.

Fundamentally, the goal of hay production is to provide an inexpensive feedstuff that meets the nutritional needs (i.e., energy, protein, mineral, etc.) of the livestock.

The last few years have been difficult ones for hay producers. Regardless if someone is producing hay to feed to their own stock or producing it for sale to the public, the economics of hay production have changed drastically in the last several years. As a result, many producers are now taking a long-overdue look at the economics of hay production.

Irrigation water is essential for profitable crop production in most of the arid West. Proper irrigation management is key for high yields and to avoid stress from too much or too little water. Improper irrigation management limits yields more often and to a greater degree than any other production factor.

The main purpose for irrigating is to supply needed water for crops. Plant growth is dependent on photosynthesis. While the plant exchanges gases with the air for photosynthesis, some water evaporates. Water is taken up from the soil by plant roots to replace this water. The water leaving the plant is called transpiration.

Although established alfalfa can access deep subsoil water, dry topsoils limit the availability of many nutrients.

An interview with Glenn Shewmaker, Forage Extension Specialist, University of Idaho Q. What is your background in forages?

I have food on my mind more than usual lately. About two months ago I started “The FAT BOYS’ Club”. The upside is that my weight is down almost twenty pounds – to where it was when I should have started the club.

List the more memorable “firsts” in your life. You know, like first date, first fistfight, first speeding ticket, first child, first day of school, first home run or first job.