With the low hay prices of 2016, some producers may be thinking of trying to get into the organic hay market. Organic farming systems rely on practices such as cultural and biological pest management, and virtually prohibit synthetic chemicals in crop production and antibiotics or hormones in livestock production.

Given the tenor of the soil health buzz, however, one could not be blamed for assuming that with proper management, one could turn a compacted clay soil into something with the color, consistency and taste of chocolate cake, and the productivity of the Nile River Delta.

I don’t care who you are, standing at farm auctions has to rate in the top ten in a list of coldest jobs, especially when they’re auctioning all the household junk off first.

In the upper transition zone, most of our pastures consist of cool-season forage species. There are some natives that have been reintroduced; however, the vast majority of the forage acres are improved with Kentucky 31 tall fescue.

Milk price has a significant impact on agriculture across the U.S. Lower prices in the past year has dairy farmers asking, “What inputs can I cut back on to reduce my cost of production and not greatly reduce my yield?”

Some years you make money; some years you don’t – that’s the nature of agriculture, right? Not so, says Nate Riggan, certified public accountant and owner of Pointguard Financial.

It is hard to reach your destination if you don’t know where you are going. This statement is certainly valid for a vacation or business trip, but it also applies to operation of an agricultural enterprise.

No matter what a farmer may be growing – whether it is grasses, or legumes that will become animal feed, or cereal grains, or fruits and vegetables that will be consumed by humans – none of these crops would be possible to grow were it not for healthy soils.