Forage Production
RSS

Three steps to overcome family dysfunction

September 29, 2021

Rena Striegel

Succession planning is often delayed or derailed due to dysfunction or disharmony in the family. When a group struggles to work effectively together, there are three options:

Keeping milk-quality forage coming throughout harvest season

September 29, 2021

Ian Gallacher and Jerome Magnuson

God’s given us 54 organic acres to work with on a grazing system and 110 cows to milk. Four years ago, we put up 55 bales of baleage. Last year, we stacked 400.

Weeds are coming for their pound of milk

September 29, 2021

Albert Adjesiwor

If you have ever driven through southern Idaho in the summer, you will notice there is alfalfa and corn everywhere. Knowing weeds would almost always be present in crops, the question hay producers often ask is: Should we harvest the weeds? How much weed biomass is too much? We know weeds are bad for farm animals, but is there a tipping point? The short answer is: I don’t know.

From field to finish: Transitioning to certified organic

September 29, 2021

Kelli Boylen

If you are interested in becoming an organic operation, good records are essential, says Kristen Adams, certification service director at Midwest Organic Services Association (MOSA) Certified Organic.

Going to college (without ever leaving home)

September 13, 2021

Patrick Keyser

In this internet age, it seems that you can learn to do just about anything online.

How to handle prepaid supplies

September 1, 2021

Mark Wilsdorf

If you file taxes on a cash basis, as most farmers and ranchers do, and you’ve had a good income year, late-in-the-year tax planning may suggest you should increase deductible expenses for the year to keep from paying an excessive amount of income tax.

Hay feeding to manage soil fertility

September 1, 2021

Edward B. Rayburn

Livestock often need to be fed hay during the winter and during droughts. Hay, pasture and supplemental feeds contain nutrients needed by both plants and animals.

Enhancing your carbon soil storage

August 31, 2021

Robert Fears

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is a greenhouse gas with a lifespan of approximately 1,000 years. CO₂ emissions are part of the global carbon cycle in which carbon in various forms is exchanged between the atmosphere, soil and water.

Why alfalfa survives the winter (or not)

August 31, 2021

Dan Undersander

Summer alfalfa is different in structure than hardened or winterized alfalfa. Summer alfalfa will freeze and die at 32ºF, while winterized alfalfa can survive temperatures (in the root zone) of as low as 13ºF and even colder air temperatures (Figure 1).

Don’t get caught with your pants down

July 30, 2021

A proactive man will never get caught with his pants down in the bathroom. Why? A proactive man would take the step of locking the door to make sure any future problems would not occur, while the reactive man will go through an embarrassing moment that might set his initial goal back a little.