Planning ahead is the key to accurate forage inventories and minimizing costly waste. Universities offer checklists and calculators to guide dairy and cattle producers, while extension specialists and feed company representatives provide practical advice on storage, sampling and shrink calculations.

As the crop year winds down and uncertainty looms for 2026, one thing remains clear: Informed farmers make better decisions.

The Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) announced in July that its Animal Health Laboratory has officially been accepted as a member of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN), becoming the first laboratory in Idaho to earn this designation.

Illness and death of animals is frustrating, no doubt. It has been said, “If you’re going to have livestock, you’re going to have deadstock.” While it may be a cliché, it is an unfortunate reality.

While drones and imagery are flying along, the evolution of soil testing seems to be moving at an earthworm's pace.