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Programs
To Help Pay Hay-Hauling Costs
Drought-stricken North Carolina will help finance the
costs of getting hay hauled to its livestock producers, announced Steve
Troxler, state ag commissioner. Two programs are in the works: the
Golden Hay Relief Program, designed to finance some of the costs to move
hay and alternative forages within the state, and the Ag Partners Hay
Relief Program, which will help pay to bring in out-of-state hay.
"The drought has caused an estimated $80 million in losses of hay,
pasture and forage in our state," Troxler says. "We are working
feverishly to cope with this hay emergency and prevent a mass exodus of
livestock farmers."
The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services,
using a $500,000 grant from the Golden Leaf Foundation, will help truck
hay and alternative feeds such as cornstalks and soybean hay, bought
within the state. Livestock producers must submit applications to the
department, which will divide the $500,000 by the amount requested by
farmers in approved applications. Farmers will be reimbursed for up to
50% of their transportation costs. To download an application and
eligibility criteria, click on www.ncagr.com/HayAlert or call
866-506-6222. Application deadline is Dec. 31. Reimbursement checks are
expected to be mailed beginning in February.
The Ag Partners Hay Relief Program, funded by $11,000 in donations from
farm credit associations across the state, will reimburse farmers 50
cents per mile, up to $300, for a load of hay moved from out of state.
Reimbursements will be made on a first-come, first-served basis as long
as funding is available. For information, call the Hay Alert hotline at
866-506-6222 or go to www.ncagr.com/HayAlert/AgPartners.htm.
Farmers can apply for both relief programs.
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Take
Special Care With Flooded Fields
Recent heavy rainfall in some parts of the U.S. may
lead to special concerns for hay producers who have been dealing with
standing or flowing water and waterlogged soils, says Steve Barnhart,
Iowa State University agronomist. He says it's important to avoid moving
in to the hay fields or pastures too soon. Wet soils are susceptible to
wheel traffic and compaction damage that can limit future productivity.
Barnhart recommends delaying harvest for a week to 10 days to allow the
plants to recover. In addition, he says it's important to schedule a
five- to six-week fall rest period for these stands.
Alfalfa, clovers and most forage grasses cannot live for very long under
water. Most can tolerate a few days up to one week of flowing water.
Standing water that "heats" in the sun and "cooks" the submerged forage
plants is more of a concern and can kill or severely damage most plants
within hours, according to Barnhart.
After the water recedes, an extended period of saturated soils continues
to be reason for concern. Most forage plants can live for a week or two
in saturated soils, but the lack of oxygen in the root zone will
adversely affect their growth. These plants do not take up soil
nutrients normally. Consequently, the root system deteriorates and
legumes stop fixing nitrogen. They appear stunted and yellowish-green in
color. If the soils drain quickly, plants begin to recover.
Barnhart urges producers to dig random plants in several areas and
evaluate the condition of the root systems. The chances of survival are
best for legume plants with a firm, creamy white taproot with no
evidence of root rot. Green, healthy-looking crowns and crown buds are
also positive signs. These plants need a week or more of sunshine and
drying soils. Legume or grass plants with watery, mushy roots that
appear yellowish or tannish in color, and those with no evidence of
active crown buds, will be the least likely to survive.
Flooded forage may be silt-covered, which will add to plant disease
potential, detract from the palatability of the harvested hay, and
possibly affect silage fermentation. Pasture plants are affected much
the same as alfalfa when under standing or flowing water and growing in
water-logged soils. Grasses, however, are slightly more tolerant of
these conditions than are legumes.
Source: Iowa State University.
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Determining
Land Rental Rates
Determining Land Rental Rates An outline of several
strategies, put together by Don Hofstrand and William Edwards from Iowa
State University, is available online at www.extension.iastate.edu/AgDM/wholefarm/html/c2-20.html.
Another resource is the "Fair Rent" software program created by the
Center for Farm Financial Management at the University of Minnesota.
Contact the center at 800-234-1111, 612-625-1964 or cffm@umn.edu. Many extension offices
carry information about these programs.
Source: Ohio State University.
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California
California is very short of hay, helping to drive
record-setting prices, says Dan Putnam, University of California alfalfa
and forage extension specialist. "We've really never seen such high
prices for alfalfa hay," he reports. "It's been a good summer for
producing alfalfa hay, with high yields, but we're still short of hay."
He says producers in the Central Valley are baling cornstalks to help
feed dry cows and heifers. The state's 1.8 million dairy cows, as well
as the beef cow and horse populations, create a relentless demand for
forages. Putnam says there is a lot more interest in small grain and
corn silage than in previous years, but high prices for corn and wheat
grain have caused competition for forage acres. Dairies are looking for
all types of forages. Hay is coming into the state from Nevada, Utah and
Oregon to help meet demand.
"The negative in this decent production year has been high fuel costs
for transportation," Putnam says. California hay producers have also
been struggling with the extra labor demands that come with the Roundup
Ready alfalfa bale tagging requirements.
Contact Putnam at 530-752-8982.
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Nebraska
Drought, a spring freeze, potato leafhoppers and
persistent rain are all contributing to a strong market for high-quality
hay in Nebraska, reports Bruce Anderson, University of Nebraska
extension forage specialist. He urges growers to capture some of those
high prices. "Hay cut in September and October usually is the
best-quality hay of the year," he states. "If you put up this hay
correctly, it should bring $125-150 per ton, maybe even more. It will
need to be baled without rain damage in heavy, square, transportable
packages with most of the leaves intact. It should be stored under cover
to prevent weather damage and then marketed to get its true value. Take
advantage of good prices when you can. It doesn't happen every day."
Contact Anderson at 402-472-6237.
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Conference
Will Promote Alfalfa Co-Existence
The National Alfalfa and Forage Alliance (NAFA) is
sponsoring a conference to address the management of Roundup Ready
alfalfa seed production. Entitled "Peaceful Coexistence: Creating a
Strategy for Harmony Among GM, Organic and Conventional Alfalfa
Producers," it's scheduled for Oct. 20 at the Radisson Hotel, Stapleton
Plaza, Denver, CO. An official from USDA's Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service will cover current regulations and a panel will
present the organic, hay export and seed export industry perspectives.
Another panel will discuss gene movement and adventitious presence,
followed by breakout sessions and reports.
To learn more, contact NAFA at 651-484-3888 or nafa@comcast.net.
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Calendar
Sept. 20-22 -- National Hay Association Annual
Convention, Easton Town Center Hilton, Columbus, OH. Call
727-367-9702 or visit www.nationalhay.org/Index.html.
Sept. 25-26 -- Georgia Grazing School, Northwest Georgia Research
and Education Center, Calhoun. Visit www.georgiaforages.com or call
Dennis Hancock at 706-542-1529.
Sept. 26 -- Forage-Based Beef Production Strategies Field Day,
Manning Ranch Headquarters, 22 miles north of Dickinson on Highway 22
and 3 miles west. Contact Doug Landblom at 701-483-2348, ext. 109, or
email Douglas.landblom@ndsu.edu.
Oct. 2-6 -- World Dairy Expo, Madison, WI. Learn more at www.worlddairyexpo.com/gen.home.cfm.
Oct. 6 -- Oklahoma State University Horse Owner's Symposium,
McElroy Hall Auditorium, Stillwater, OK. Visit www.cvm.okstate.edu/conference/HorseSymposium/Default.asp.
Oct. 16-18 -- Southeastern Hay Contest at the SunBelt Ag Expo,
Moultrie, GA. Refer to www.georgiaforages.com for
rules and entry forms or call Dennis Hancock at 706-542-1529.
Oct. 30 -- Kentucky Grazing Conference, WKU Expo Center, Bowling
Green. Learn more at www.uky.edu/Ag/Forage.
Nov. 7-8 -- Beef Quality Summit, Holiday Inn Centre, Omaha, NE.
Visit beefconference.com/.
Dec. 9-11 -- 28th International Irrigation Show, Convention
Center, San Diego, CA. Classes and exams will be held Dec. 6-11. Contact
Beth Casteel, Irrigation Association, 6540 Arlington Blvd., Falls
Church, VA 22042 or call 703-536-7080, ext. 11. Visit www.irrigation.org.
Dec. 13 -- Alabama Forage Conference, Troy. Contact Don Ball at
334-844-5491 or Eddie Jolley at 334-887-4564.
Dec. 18-19 -- 2007 California Alfalfa & Forage Symposium, Portola
Plaza Hotel, Monterey. Contact Dan Putnam, 530-752-8982 or dhputnam@ucdavis.edu.
Jan. 16-17 -- Washington State Hay Growers Association Conference and
Trade Show, Three Rivers Convention Center, Kennewick. Call
509-585-5460 or visit www.wa-hay.org/.
Jan. 17-18 -- Southwest Hay and Forage Conference, Ruidoso
Convention Center, Ruidoso, NM. Contact Gina Sterrett at 505-626-5677 or
Justin Boswell at 505-840-9908. Visit www.nmhay.com.
Jan. 27-Feb. 1 -- Joint Society for Range Management and American
Forage and Grassland Council Conference, Louisville, KY. Visit www.rangelands.org/events.shtml.
Feb. 4-6 -- 2008 National Alfalfa Symposium and Mid-America Alfalfa
Expo, Kearney, NE, sponsored by Hay & Forage Grower and the Nebraska
Alfalfa Marketing Association. Visit www.hayandforage.com for details.
Feb. 26-27 -- Idaho Hay and Forage Conference, Burley Inn,
Burley, ID. Learn more at www.idahohay.com/, or call Glenn
Shewmaker at 208-736-3608.
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Send Questions & Comments
To...
Lora Berg,
Editor, eHay Weekly,
hfg@hayandforage.com
For information on Hay & Forage Grower, contact:
Neil Tietz, Editor, ntietz@hayandforage.com
or
Fae Holin, Managing Editor, fholin@hayandforage.com
For specific information from past issues of eHay Weekly and Hay &
Forage Grower, click on hayandforage.com, and use the search
function in the upper right-hand corner of the homepage.
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