It’s been over five years since we covered the topic of cool-season grass management in this column. Specifying “cool-season” is important since there are warm-season grasses such as...
Cropland value takes uncharacteristic dip The recently released USDA "Land Values 2016 Summary Report" announced an average $40-per-acre decline in cropland values across the nation. That only represents...
Great silage takes great planning Corn silage harvest is just around the corner and could even be started in some parts of the country. Harvesting corn for silage may be one of the most important activities...
How long can corn farmers hold on? Low corn prices the last two years have been a relief for dairy and other livestock producers. Now, however, it may be time to start worrying about how much longer corn...
The good kind of cover-up. While a criminal trying to "cover up" a crime is a bad thing, crops used to "cover up" fields between cropping seasons are just the opposite. And even though cover crops are...
Manure restores soil with nutrients needed by crops. One method of application is manure irrigation, in which manure is applied to fields using equipment that can move liquids. Although this practice is...
Once it's harvested, it's all you have to work with. That's the story with forage quality. At last week's Tri-State Dairy Conference, Dan Undersander, University of Wisconsin-Madison forage specialist,...
Pictured (L to R): Tyler Gaddie, David, Martha and Roger Corbin. "We added more BMR (brown midrib) corn silage to our diets and use fungicide on it," said David Corbin when discussing ways to take full...
On the road to preservation, silage goes through four phases: aerobic, fermentation, storage and, finally, feedout. During the anaerobic phase, the crop uses up sugars and protein while it respires. At...
"We have a very detail-oriented nutritionist who monitors processing scores throughout the harvest. This year, the processing scores were in the upper 70s," explained James Coble. "That number is constantly...
A unique partnership was born in 1999 when Jake and Saskia Zwemmer approached a group of crop farmers in the thumb of Michigan. The Zwemmers wanted to focus their talents on cow care and buy forages from...
"The grid sampling was quite interesting. Some farmers have fields that do better in some areas than other areas," explained Les Danielson. "You may have suspicions as to those fields; however, the grid...
All plastics aren't created equal by Amanda Smith, Associate Editor Plastic covers are a convenient and effective method to help preserve our silage piles. When silos are not promptly sealed, fewer sugars...
It's our most crucial decision of the year. By incorporating a blend of homegrown forages and those raised by Gene Baumgardner, Teun Verhoeven fills the bunkers for his 1,400-cow dairy. On his South Solon,...
Select the cream of next year's corn crop. As one corn harvest season comes to a close, plans are already underway for the next growing season. Many critical agronomic conversations happen around the kitchen...
"Too wet, too dry and just right," Goldilocks would say when evaluating corn silage, with just right being our goal! Growing high-yielding, high-quality corn is only half the battle when it comes to silage...
Calculating manure's price tag Manure is no doubt a useful by-product, but one must realize the time and money it takes to get it from the cow to the field. Funding for the project was provided by a USDA-RME...