Why can’t a forage be like a car? If I want to buy a car, I scan the catalogs, go to car dealers, search the internet and read Consumer Reports.

Healthy roots, stems and leaves lead to higher alfalfa yield potential. Aboveground, stems and leaves produce and transport plant energy to make valuable forage.

Fertilizer prices have gone up tremendously recently. Anhydrous nitrogen is $1,250 to $1,400 per ton as of Dec. 1, 2021, and many dealers are not taking orders for spring, expecting the price to increase even further.

It always pays to plan ahead for the next crop season. Steven Hines, University of Idaho extension educator for Jerome County, says things a producer needs to think about during winter include maintaining machinery, such as the corn planter.