Farmers and ranchers are foraging for hay on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, reports USA Today. They're also hitting up Craigslist and other similar sites.  

Nebraska cattleman Gary Hanz told USA Today that he's looked all over the Internet for hay.

"Nobody's letting go of anything they've got because they're not going to have enough to support their own livestock," he said. "For what little there is, there's such a high price."

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced a two-month extension for emergency grazing on Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres. USDA is permitting farmers and ranchers in drought-stricken states that have been approved for emergency grazing to extend grazing on CRP land through Nov. 30, 2012, without incurring an additional CRP rental payment reduction. The period normally allowed for emergency grazing lasts through Sept. 30.

The Guinness World Record for a parade of classic tractors is now 964 tractors/drivers, thanks to a determined group of tractor owners at the Nebraska State Fair.  The parade took place around the Fonner Park Racetrack after a morning thunderstorm as part of the opening weekend of events at the fair, organized and sponsored by RFD-TV/RURAL TV.  

In order to qualify, each tractor owner had to provide the VIN/Serial number of the tractor, which had to be at least 30 years old.

A Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service soil fertility expert advised beef producers to get a soil test as residual nutrients from previous fertilizer applications may still be in reserve.

“We are still facing drought conditions as we did last year, and if producers applied fertilizer last year or this year, they didn’t grow much of a forage crop,” said Mark McFarland, AgriLife Extension soil fertility specialist, at the recent Beef and Forage Expo in Bryan, Texas. “As a result, there can be a substantial amount of that fertilizer remaining in the soil for next year.”

Too hot, too dry, too wet, too cool – this growing season has had it all. As expected, drought and weather-related problems were top-of-mind for growers surveyed at the Bayer CropScience exhibit during the Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa, the first week of September. In fact, 73 percent of respondents to Bayer CropScience’s daily survey noted climate and weather problems as the biggest challenge experienced on their farm this year.

New studies showing production costs for alfalfa hay and oat hay are now available from the University of California Cooperative Extension. Analysis for each crop is based upon hypothetical farm operations using practices common in the region. Input and reviews were provided by UC Cooperative Extension farm advisors, researchers, growers, farm accountants, pest control advisers, consultants and other agricultural associates.

  Erin Lyons
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Marketing Coordinator
Lallemand Animal Nutrition  

  Eugene Rodberg
Des Moines, Iowa
Product Manager
Kemin

The USDA has created an industry alert titled "Questions and Answers for Producers, Sellers, and Buyers of Baled Hay Moving from Areas under Quarantine for Imported Fire Ant."  This publication contains useful information to answer questions from farmers, ranchers, hay growers and suppliers as they work to respond to adverse weather conditions and find important feed sources for livestock. 

The Saskatchewan Forage Council (SFC) presented the 2012 Forage Industry Innovation Award to Chris Nykoluk at the SFC Annual Meeting held June 28 near Lestock, Saskatchewan. This award recognizes exemplary innovation, leadership, service and stewardship in Saskatchewan's forage industry.

Nykoluk has been employed with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) since 1991 and recently retired from her position as range management specialist.