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Proposed License Rule Concerns Custom
Harvesters
A proposed rule mandating classroom and
behind-the-wheel training for workers seeking new commercial driver’s
licenses has drawn fire from U.S. Custom Harvesters, Inc. “If the
proposed rule is allowed to become a final rule and then a law, it will
force the custom harvesters in the U.S. out of business,” the
organization wrote in a letter to its members. “It will destroy every
small trucking company in the U.S., and give the large trucking
companies an unfair advantage.”
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which proposed the
rule, says it would give truck drivers additional skills needed to keep
roads safe. It would require all applicants for a commercial driver’s
license or upgraded commercial license to provide a certificate from a
truck driving program or institution accredited by the U.S. Department
of Education or the Council on Higher Education Accreditation. For a
Class A license, it would require a minimum of 76 hours of classroom
instruction and 44 hours of behind-the-wheel training. For Class B and C
licenses, at least 58 hours of classroom instruction and 32 hours of
behind-the-wheel training would be required. It would be implemented
three years after the effective date of a final rule, and would not
affect current commercial driver’s license holders.
The public is invited to comment. Instructions are available at
www.regulations.gov, docket No. FMCSA-2007-27748.
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Wanted: Custom Harvesters For 60,000 Tons Of Corn
Stover
A large-scale St. Paul, MN, biomass energy project is
planning to generate heat and electricity for an industrial facility.
The project is scheduled to begin operations in 2011, but the fuel
supply system must be developed now to justify project financing. “We
will need custom harvesters to chop, rake, bale and roadside up to
60,000 tons of corn stover, which will be the primary agricultural
biomass fuel,” says Ken Campbell of Campbell Consulting, LLC,
Shoreview, MN. “Large square bales are preferred, but large round
bales are acceptable. The biomass energy facility will also accept
soybean straw, grasses, ditch hay and other agricultural co-products and
residues.”
Interested harvesters can contact Campbell at 651-483-4643 or campbell.ken@comcast.net.
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Crooked Hay Dealer Gets Jail Time
A California hay dealer whose license was revoked in
2005 recently was convicted of grand theft and sentenced to 90 days in
jail. Dale McMihelk also was ordered to pay restitution of $3,550 per
month for five years, an amount that covers the value of stolen hay plus
additional losses. According to the California Department of
Agriculture’s Market Enforcement Branch, “Mr. McMihelk continued to
operate in a manner requiring a license under the Produce Dealers Act,
and failed to pay handlers or growers for their products.”
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Conservation Security Program Sign-Up Begins April
18
Growers of more than 23.7 million acres are eligible to
sign up for the Conservation Security Program (CSP) from April 18
through May 16. The voluntary program, which provides payments to
growers who practice good conservation methods, is administered by the
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
To apply, growers must complete CSP self-assessment workbooks, then meet
with NRCS personnel to find out if they qualify. About 64,000 farms and
ranches in 51 watersheds are potentially eligible for CSP.
Visit www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/csp
to download a workbook (also available from local NRCS offices), and get
additional information on CSP and eligible watersheds.
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Feed Supply Challenge Hits Dairy, Beef
Sectors
U.S. hay and other feedstuff prices should continue
rising for the rest of 2008, according to USDA’s March Livestock,
Dairy and Poultry Outlook. Milk production is forecast to rise 2.7
percent this year over last year’s numbers, reaching 190.7 billion
pounds and reflecting an estimated 1 percent increase in cow numbers.
According to the Livestock Slaughter report, January dairy cow slaughter
was very near last year’s level.
Because of higher feed prices, feed intensity will likely be reduced and
milk production per cow is projected to rise by less than 1 percent on a
daily basis. That’s well below the trend of the previous two years.
Milk-feed price ratios may weaken and lower returns in mid-year may
point toward herd contraction by late 2008. Commercial use of dairy
products, however, is expected to increase by more than 3%.
Many Upper Midwestern farmers, who produce much of their own feed, are
somewhat insulated from rising feed prices. Dairy herd expansion
continues in the West in part because of the lengthy process of
obtaining permits. Once current expansion is complete, the process may
slow because permits are becoming difficult to obtain, especially in
California.
Although the Jan. 1 beef cow inventory is lower than last year’s,
first-quarter cow slaughter could exceed first-quarter 2007’s. And
that was 15% above first-quarter 2006’s slaughter numbers. Commercial
slaughter levels are relatively high, in part because Alabama, North
Carolina and Tennessee growers face dry conditions and high feed costs.
Dry conditions are also seen southward from Canada through the Northern
Plains states and northward from Mexico through New Mexico and Texas,
possibly contributing to increased numbers of cows in the slaughter mix.
Some cows are also being imported from Canada, adding to the total U.S.
commercial cow slaughter.
For details on the report, visit: usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/current/LDP-M/LDP-M-03-19-2008.pdf.
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Consider Alfalfa Yield Vs. Quality Before
Harvesting
The trade-off between alfalfa yield and quality is
greatest early in the growing season when the crop is growing rapidly,
while later-season harvests are less influenced by maturity, according
to Geoff Brink, U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center agronomist. Brink
conducted research trials using three alfalfa varieties grown in central
Pennsylvania, south-central Wisconsin and south-central Idaho. The
Affinity, Standfast and WL-346 varieties used in the study all had fall
dormancy ratings between 4 and 5 and recover fast following harvest, he
says. Plots of each variety were harvested in spring, early summer, late
summer or fall, beginning at the late vegetative stage at each location.
Different plots were harvested at five-day intervals to check quality
and yield as the stands matured. The studies were conducted under
natural rainfall conditions in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania; the Idaho
location was irrigated.
The research showed yield and quality are both highest during spring,
but quality declines most rapidly during spring harvest. Cell-wall
digestibility (NDFD) was highest in spring and declined from spring to
early summer, and then showed a large decline into fall. “If you are
looking for high-quality alfalfa, spring is the time to pay attention to
alfalfa maturity,” Brink says. “That is also the time when it rains
most frequently. In early summer, yield and quality are both less than
they are in the spring. At the same time, quality is declining
relatively slowly, so the recommendation would be to harvest about 30-35
days after the first cutting.”
Although yields in late summer are much lower than they are in spring or
early summer, quality declines more slowly then than at any other time
of year. “If you wait too long in late summer to harvest alfalfa,
there is a good chance you may have a lot of leaf drop right near the
end of that growth period. Then quality declines very rapidly,” Brink
cautions. He recommends waiting until 25% bloom in a normal year, but be
aware of leaf drop.
Fall yields, often lower than at any other time of year, can change
quickly or slowly depending on weather. “Wait to harvest alfalfa at a
time when regrowth cannot occur,” Brink suggests. “Recommendations
for this harvest period should be based on giving alfalfa the best
chance to survive winter.”
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Iowa
Hay acres in northwestern Iowa are disappearing as
producers switch to corn and soybeans, reports Joel DeJong, Iowa State
University extension field agronomist, LeMars. “I see more marginal
pasture acres being removed and put into crop production, too. We are
seeing a lot more corn and soybean stalks being baled and incorporated
into rations with distiller’s grains in local beef feedlots.” Local
dairies bring most of their hay in from areas such as southeastern South
Dakota.
DeJong says there haven’t seemed to be any big spikes in prices at
northwestern Iowa hay auctions recently. The Rock Valley Hay Auction
reported supreme small square alfalfa bales selling for $190/ton at the
March 20 auction. Premium small squares were selling for $122.50/ton.
Large squares of premium hay were selling for $117.50-130/ton, while
good hay was bringing $95-110/ton. Ten loads of large round alfalfa
bales brought between $120 and $127.50/ton for premium quality, and
$92.50-107.50 for good quality.
Contact DeJong at 712-546-7835. Visit the Rock Valley Hay Auction site
online at www.rockvalleyhay.com/.
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North Dakota
Dennis Brown of Brown Farm Alfalfa, Milton, ND, is
crossing his fingers for good hay production in 2008. Hay demand has
been steady this winter, but he still has some dairy hay left, he says.
He sells 3 x 3 x 8’ alfalfa bales to dairy customers in Minnesota,
Iowa and Wisconsin and hopes hay will bring at least $150/ton this year.
Brown is one of the few hay producers left in his area, he says. “Most
people have planted their hay acres into wheat or grain crops around
here.”
The grower plans to increase alfalfa acres this year from the nearly 400
acres raised last year. “With the high prices for other commodities, I
expect there may be a shortage of good alfalfa.” He’s somewhat
concerned about moisture going into spring, though. “We don’t have
an overabundance of subsoil moisture, so we are going to need at least
average or above rainfall this year,” he states. He’s not concerned
about winterkill; snow cover has been adequate, even though it melted
quickly.
Contact Brown at 701-496-3565.
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Corn Silage, Forage Field Day Scheduled May 29 In
Florida
The 2008 University of Florida/University of Georgia
Corn Silage and Forage Field Day will be held May 29 at the Plant
Science and Research Unit, Citra, FL. Efficient fertilization and crop
alternatives for reduced fertilizer needs will figure prominently in the
program. Speakers will also address alternative summer-annual forage
crops, managing fields during drought and improving animal performance
with warm-season legumes, among other topics.
Contact Jerry Wasdin at jwas@ufl.edu,
or call 352-392-1120. Visit www.animal.ifas.ufl.edu/extension/CSFD/index.shtml.
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Calendar
March 28-29 -- 2008 Northeast Grasstravaganza,
Holiday Inn, Binghamton, NY. Visit www.cnyrcd.org or call 877-384-8829 or
607-334-3231, ext. 4.
March 29-30 -- Connecticut Horse Symposium, Ratcliffe Hicks Arena
and Horsebarn Hill Arena, University of Connecticut, Storrs. Morning
seminars and afternoon demonstrations, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.
Vendors welcome. Call 860-486-4471 or email jenifer.nadeau@uconn.edu.
Learn more at www.canr.uconn.edu/ansci/equine/horsesymp.htm.
April 1-3 -- Dairy Calf And Heifer Conference, Mayo Civic Center,
Rochester, MN. Learn more at www.calfandheifer.org.
April 4-6 -- Hoosier Horse Fair & Expo, Indiana State
Fairgrounds, Indianapolis. Learn more at www.indianahorsecouncil.org/horse_fair.htm.
April 10-13 -- Ohio Equine Affaire, Ohio Expo Center, Columbus.
Visit www.equineaffaire.com.
April 18-20 -- Midwest Horse Fair, Alliant Energy Center,
Madison, WI. Visit midwesthorsefair.com.
April 22-23 -- Tri-State Dairy Nutrition Conference, Grand Wayne
Center, Fort Wayne, IN. Featuring information for Indiana, Michigan and
Ohio. Learn more at tristatedairy.osu.edu/agenda.htm.
April 25-27 -- Minnesota Horse Expo, Minnesota State Fairgrounds,
St. Paul. Visit www.mnhorseexpo.org.
May 16 -- North Carolina State University Horse Forage Management
Short Course, Ramada Inn Blue Ridge, Raleigh, NC. Special emphasis
on maximizing use of forages and hay or pasture to economically meet
horses' nutrient requirements. Learn more at www.cals.ncsu.edu/an_sci/extension/horse/SC_Clinic/SCmain.htm.
June 6-8 -- Western States Horse Expo, Cal Expo Fairgrounds,
Sacramento, CA. Call 800-352-2411 or visit www.horsexpo.com.
June 11-12 -- Four-State Dairy Nutrition And Management
Conference,
Grand Harbor Conference Center, Dubuque, IA. Covering dairy industry
topics for Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois and Minnesota. Contact Evonne
Hausman at ehausman@uiuc.edu.
July 11-13 -- North Carolina Equine Extravaganza, North Carolina
State Fairgrounds, Raleigh. Learn more at www.equineextravaganza.com.
Sept. 17-20 -- National Hay Association Convention, Oak Brook
Hills Marriott, Oak Brook, IL. Contact Don Kieffer at 800-707-0014, or
visit www.nationalhay.org.
Sept. 30-Oct. 4 -- World Dairy Expo, Alliant Energy Center,
Madison, WI. Visit www.worlddairyexpo.com.
Oct. 31-Nov. 2 -- Virginia Equine Extravaganza, Richmond Raceway,
Richmond. Learn more at www.equineextravaganza.com.
Nov. 6-7 -- 2008 Beef Quality Summit, sponsored by BEEF
magazine, Antlers Hilton Hotel, Colorado Springs, CO. Visit beefconference.com/?cid=resources.
Nov. 13-16 -- Massachusetts Equine Affaire, Eastern States
Exposition Center, West Springfield. Visit www.equineaffaire.com.
Feb. 15-16, 2009 -- Southwest Hay And Forage Conference, Ruidoso,
NM. Contact Gina Sterrett at 575-626-5677 or Justin Boswell at
575-840-9908.
June 21-23, 2009 -- American Forage & Grassland Council Annual
Conference, Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, Grand Rapids, MI. Call
800-944-2342 or email info@afgc.org.
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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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