I know just enough about social media to be dangerous. I don’t spend a lot of time online, but I do belong to some forage groups, and I enjoy following some of the questions and debates. Recently, a fertilizer discussion caught my eye.

Winter is a good time for reflection. The year 2020 has given us quite a bit to reflect on. As we think about the year and try to learn from it, resist the urge to look over the fence and be jealous of your neighbor who is doing “better than you.”

“I want to plant more alfalfa so I don’t have to fertilize as much.” If I had a nickel for every time I have heard that, I would have a lot of nickels!

The 2019 crop year was a challenging one. Planting and harvesting conditions were tough across most of the country. Hay supplies are tight, and supplies of premium hay are very short.

Winter is a great time to review forage plans for the upcoming growing season and to fine-tune any areas that might have changed since you first developed your plan.

One can hardly read an article about forage management without encountering some variation of the “3-inch rule.” If you have somehow escaped it, the rule states that 3 inches of residue is required after harvest to maintain a healthy stand of grass.

2019 has been quite a year for forage production!