Forage Harvest
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How to safely succeed in custom harvesting

July 9, 2021

Becky Arnold

There’s a lot of pressure on custom harvesters. In a small window of time, they are rushing to get multiple clients’ forages ensiled – often across many states with a dog-tired crew by the end of the season.

Lean on me

July 9, 2021

Joy Hendrix

There is no adrenaline rush quite like trying to get a field harvested before a storm hits or the anticipation of waiting for a field to dry out so you can run an implement through.

Managing silage losses at feedout

July 9, 2021

Kimberley Morrill and Jim Turner

It’s well known that some loss of dry matter (DM) and nutrients during the ensiling process is unavoidable. However, during the process of harvesting and ensiling, there are choices to make and management practices to utilize that may minimize those losses.

Beat the weather and keep your leaves

April 30, 2021

Jessica Williamson

Baled silage, or baleage, is forage baled at a higher moisture content than dry hay and then stored in sealed plastic wrap. The high moisture level and air-tight environment create favorable conditions for anaerobic fermentation and production of lactic and acetic acids that preserve the forage.

Economics of remoisturizing alfalfa

April 30, 2021

Ryan Larsen

Having the correct amount of moisture in harvested alfalfa at the time of baling is critical to maximizing economic return. In many of the areas of the western U.S., moisture levels of alfalfa hay in the windrow can dry to the point that leaves and stems will shatter during the baling process.

Don’t focus on pin-up forages

February 1, 2021

Lynn Jaynes

“Many variables require many plans but only a few basic principles,” said Alltech representative John Winchell at an Ontario Forage Council 2020 webinar.

Wheatlage becoming popular in the Texas High Plains

December 1, 2020

Robert Fears

The Texas High Plains cover the Panhandle and consist of relatively flat land except for dissection by canyons of various depths and widths. There is a significant amount of native grass rangeland used by cattle and wildlife.

5 strategies for silage success

August 18, 2020

Karen Lee

North American farmers can show impressive year-over-year gains in corn and alfalfa yields, but if silage isn’t managed correctly, it could just mean more and more feed loss each year.

5 adverse silage scenarios and how to deal with them

August 18, 2020

Emma Ohirko

When weather and growing conditions are less than ideal, it can be hard to know what steps to take to make the most of a subpar forage crop.

Harvest logistics panel shares their pinch points

July 14, 2020

Lynn Jaynes

Double KS Farms LLC “Every minute counts,” said Jim Schmidt. Schmidt and his family run Double KS Farms LLC, an 8,000-acre no-till grain farm near Manhattan, Kansas.