Progressive Forage

June 1, 2026 Progressive Forage digital magazine

June 1, 2026

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June 2026 new product rollout

May 27, 2026

Check out the latest products from John Deere and Halter.

Forage Market Insights: Early yields define the season’s outlook

Early cuttings show mixed results, with moisture driving quality in some areas and lighter yields tempering confidence elsewhere as markets shift toward second‑cutting signals.

May 14, 2026

Marian Viney

Early yields give the first clear read on new‑crop performance, showing strong quality in some areas and lighter‑than‑expected tonnage in others.

Custom harvesting: Avoid the mistakes that cost producers most

Custom forage harvesting helps producers avoid major equipment costs but only works when roles, liability and payment terms are clearly spelled out. Written agreements keep the arrangement a custom work contract – not an accidental partnership.

May 20, 2026

Heather Smith Thomas

A brief, cautionary rant about soil testing

Agriculture is flooded with disrupters, but not every new tool delivers real progress. Knowing the difference between true innovation and well‑packaged failure helps producers avoid the snakes and keep the grass.

May 15, 2026

Dustin Sawyer

Amid constant promises of reinvention, soil testing remains one of agriculture’s most reliable tools.

Managing hay as a valuable resource

Heavy hay inventories are colliding with deepening drought, wildfire losses and stalled spring pastures across major beef regions. As more cattle move into drylot management, stored forage is becoming a critical lifeline.

May 11, 2026

Rebecca Kern-Lunbery

Heavy hay inventories are colliding with deepening drought, wildfire losses and stalled late-spring pastures across major beef regions. As more cattle move into drylot management, stored forage is becoming a critical lifeline.

Hay acres are increasing again – and so are the pressures on timeliness

Hay acres are increasing again, tightening weather windows and raising the stakes on timely harvest. With more ground to cover, matching equipment capacity to acreage and maintaining steady field efficiency become essential to protecting forage quality.

May 15, 2026

Marian Viney

As acres increase, an equipment specialist explains the signs that it’s time to rethink your equipment lineup.

Silage CSI: Investigating fermentation clues for better silage

Every silage pile reflects the decisions that shaped it, and fermentation reports reveal why a feed performed the way it did. Using a silage CSI lens turns those clues into practical adjustments for the season ahead.

May 21, 2026

Jodie Myers and Deidre Tigue

Last year’s fermentation clues can make this year’s silage more predictable and more productive.

What short corn can mean for a farm’s forage program

Short‑stature corn hybrids are gaining attention as producers look for silage options with better standability and improved fiber digestibility. Their unique characteristics may offer nutritional and agronomic advantages.

May 18, 2026

Cole Diepersloot

Propionic acid effects on bermudagrass silage

Jiggs bermudagrass is a key Southeast forage, yet its composition often weakens fermentation and increases spoilage risk. This summary reviews whether propionic acid and microbial inoculants can improve bermudagrass silage quality.

May 13, 2026

Joao Vendramini

Jiggs bermudagrass delivers strong yields, but its high moisture and low sugars make reliable silage tough to achieve.

Practical grazing innovations for surviving drought conditions

Widespread drought is tightening forage supplies and margins, but improved monitoring tools are giving ranchers earlier insight and more flexibility to manage through dry years.

May 19, 2026

K. Scott Jensen

New forecasting and monitoring tools are helping ranchers stay ahead of forage shortages before they hit.

Does forage quality have an equation?

Yield and quality can increase together with good management. By targeting the nutrients that drive TDN, producers can feed more high‑quality forage, strengthen rumen function and capture economic gains.

May 31, 2026

Katie Raver

Defining forage quality for your operation sets the benchmark needed for ongoing ration improvement.

Don't stop at RFV and RFQ

RFV and RFQ give a fast way to rank forage lots, but both reduce a complex feed to a single number. A full forage analysis is essential for understanding true feeding value.

May 10, 2026

Katelyn Goldsmith and Jackie McCarville

RFV and RFQ give a fast way to rank forage lots, but both reduce a complex feed to a single number. A full forage analysis is essential for understanding true feeding value.

Irons in the Fire: It has a different ring to it

Twenty years with center pivots prove they save labor but still demand the occasional muddy rescue. In a rough grass field, a neighbor boy’s help shows how terrain, technology and community intersect in hay country.

May 29, 2026

Paul Marchant

A simple pivot check proves that even the best “labor‑saving miracles” come with mud, timing and a little chaos.

Tales of a Hay Hauler: The gift rock and crunchy hay

An ordinary hunt for dairy hay turns memorable thanks to unfamiliar country, a dependable ’66 Ford and one stop high enough to see what the land offered.

May 26, 2026

Brad Nelson

A hay‑scouting trip in the early ’70s becomes a snapshot in time, complete with a ’66 Ford, new country and one unexpected rock in the trunk.

Equipment Hub: In transit – shop-to-field and field-to-field safety

Moving wide or slow equipment on public roads is a constant balance between inconsistent escort rules, uneven enforcement and the need to make hazards unmistakable to everyday drivers.

May 8, 2026

Brad Nelson

When rules, risks and traffic collide, the key is knowing what truly makes an escort suitable.

The joys of June …

June Dairy Month brings rural and urban communities together through events like Cows on the Concourse and Breakfast on the Farm – and this year, those celebrations continue as we welcome a daughter-in-law into our family.

May 28, 2026

Marian Viney

June in Wisconsin brings people together – from Cows on the Concourse to a family wedding that closes the month with joy.

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