His name is Henry. He is a seasoned dairyman who knows his nearly 120 cows by name. He always greets you with a smile and a strong handshake. He has four children, three of whom are off to college or pursuing careers outside of farming. One son works on the farm. This son just plowed down 150 acres of alfalfa, which is 70 percent of all alfalfa acres on the farm.

Warmer spring weather soon will green up your alfalfa. Before that happens, though, maybe you should do a little weed control.

Weeds like pennycress, downy brome, mustards, cheatgrass, dandelion and shepherd's purse are common in first-cut alfalfa. They lower alfalfa yields, reduce quality, lessen palatability and slow hay drydown. Walk over your fields during the next few weeks once snow is gone, especially in areas where these weeds grew last year. They probably will be there again this spring. You should be able to see their small, green, over-wintering growth.

Four-hundred livestock producers from four states attended the 30th annual Southwest Missouri Spring Forage Conference, held Feb. 25. Farmers and ranchers traveled from Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas and Oklahoma to Springfield, Missouri, to learn more about management strategies for forages and livestock.