For Wisconsin dairy farmer Ken Ihlenfeld, applying gypsum on all of his alfalfa ground provides sulfur that’s key to increasing alfalfa yields and quality.

This time of year when the corn planter is parked and hay is nearing optimum maturity, we get calls asking, “What do I pay or charge for a field of standing hay?”

Several considerations should be evaluated prior to making the decision to renovate an existing pasture. In some cases, there may not be an alternative.

We have turned the page on 2015, which was known as the International Year of Soils. Each state has designated a soil with special significance, whether designated for historical, forestry or agricultural prominence.

Bernie Erven, professor emeritus at Ohio State University and owner of Erven HR Services LLC, was a keynote presenter at the annual symposium hosted by the Midwest Forage Association in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, earlier this year.

Sometimes, I wonder if reacting to Mother Nature or man-made errors in judgment are not the most stressful part of choosing a career in farming. While waiting for the rain to stop is fretful enough when the hay is ready, the worry over what to do when it stops raining is even more so. One of those worries is the effect of heat stress on grazing systems.

As most dairymen know, the dairy industry is coming under increasing pressure to address comprehensive environmental concerns.