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Seed Company Will Turn Waste Into Power
by Rick Mooney, Editor, eHay
Weekly
A producer-owned grass seed company in northwestern
Minnesota is on schedule with plans to begin generating electricity
using byproducts from the seed cleaning process and the straw from
harvest. Northern Excellence Seed, Williams, MN, markets perennial
ryegrass, Kentucky bluegrass and timothy seed. Its 29 farmer-owners also
produce big bluestem, indiangrass, switchgrass and Canada wild rye seed.
Click
here to read the rest of this story.
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CRP Haying, Grazing Still In Limbo
A temporary restraining order halting emergency haying
and grazing on Conversation Reservation Program (CRP) lands (see “CRP
Restraining Order Frustrates Cattlemen,” eHay Weekly, July 15)
remains in place following a federal court hearing in Seattle last
Thursday. The Seattle Times reports U.S. District Judge John
Coughenour gave USDA and the National Wildlife Federation until noon
today (Tuesday) to work out a compromise in their dispute over the
Critical Feeds Use program announced by USDA in May.
According to the newspaper report, the elements of the compromise may
include limiting the acres eligible for haying and grazing to no more
than 2.5 million nationally (24 million acres are eligible under
USDA’s original plan), forbidding further use of the program without
first conducting an environmental review, and prohibiting use of the
program on lands that have already been recently hayed or grazed. If
the two sides can reach an agreement, Coughenour says he’ll issue an
order for a new version of the program by the end of the week.
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Forage Testing Numbers Up In Arkansas
With feed and other input costs jolting upward, the
value of having forages analyzed for nutrient composition is becoming
more apparent to livestock producers in Arkansas, says Shane Gadberry,
Arkansas extension beef cattle nutritionist.
Underpinning Gadberry’s conclusion: The number of hay samples
submitted to the University of Arkansas Diagnostic Laboratory between
May 2007 and April 2008 jumped by 51% over the number submitted during a
similar time frame in 2006-07.
Gadberry reports the lab analyzed nearly 1,000 hay samples during the
2007-08 hay production and feeding seasons, up from the previous
nine-year average of 554 samples annually. “High feed prices and other
input costs are causing livestock producers to rethink forage production
and supplemental feeding practices,” says Gadberry. “Hopefully, the
value of forage testing is being realized. Not only does forage testing
help identify where nutrient shortfalls occur and the type of
supplemental feed needed to compensate for deficiencies, it is also a
valuable tool to help determine if preharvest forage management
practices need adjusting so reliance on purchased concentrate feeds can
be minimized.”
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button simplicity, the new T6000 Series tractors from New Holland are
built for you. T6000 tractors are a natural choice for haying operations
and heavy loader work. To learn more, see your local New Holland dealer
or call 1-888-290-7377. www.newholland.com/na
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Mulch Hay For Sale? Look To ‘Shroomers’
Looking to develop a market for mature grass hay or
last year’s grass hay? Mushroom composters might fit the bill, says
Mena Hautau, Penn State University extension educator in Berks County,
PA.
Hautau says the mushroom industry uses so-called “mulch” hay to
create high-quality compost to grow the tasty fungi. According to
Hautau, mushroom composters want grass hay at any stage of growth,
preferably mature hay or last year’s hay. “They don’t want
alfalfa, hay infested with broadleaf weeds, wet and moldy hay or hay
bales that are collapsed,” says Hautau.
While some mushroom growers will accept round bales, large square bales
usually fetch higher prices. Some will also accept small square bales.
“It just means more work for the seller when unloading,” says
Hautau.
To find mushroom growers, he advises hay growers to check the classified
section of local farm newspapers or check out the American Mushroom
Institute Web site at www.americanmushroom.org/comp.htm.
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Tips For Reseeding Flooded Forage Acres
While most forage-producing areas affected by flooding
in the Midwest earlier this year will likely recover, areas that were
eroded or silt- or sand-covered may require reseeding, says Steve
Barnhart, extension forage agronomist at Iowa State University. He
advises producers to consider weather patterns and soil moisture
conditions as they mull over reseeding options for those areas.
“Midsummer can be a challenging time for establishing shallowly
placed, small-seeded forage grasses and legumes,” says Barnhart. “If
soil moisture is not adequate and if timely rainfall for the remainder
of the summer is uncertain, it would be best to delay planting until
mid- to late August or the first week of September.”
On the flip side, though, there’s a risk to reseeding too late.
“Late-emerging seedlings may not have enough time to establish
sufficiently to survive the winter,” he says.
Weeds growing on flood-killed areas before new seedings are accomplished
present another challenge. Mowing closely before no-till seeding may
be adequate in some fields/pastures. In other cases, mowing and tilling
may be necessary for seedbed preparation.
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within 250 miles of either Lincoln, NE or Rapid City, SD, we haul with
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Continue Scouting For Leafhoppers In
Alfalfa
With feed supplies tight and prices pushing skyward,
this isn’t the year to fall behind on potato leafhopper scouting, says
Eileen Cullen, field crops extension entomologist, University of
Wisconsin.
Obtaining accurate leafhopper population estimates requires a blend of
timing and technique, according to Cullen. She recommends sampling when
alfalfa is dry and avoiding field edges. “Cold, wet or windy
conditions may temporarily knock adults and nymphs from plants,
resulting in an inaccurate sweep count,” she says.
Cullen advises using a standard 15”-diameter insect sweep net to take
a total of 100 sweeps through the field. Work in an “M” shape to
obtain 20 consecutive sweeps in each of five randomly selected areas.
Keep a running total of leafhoppers caught (both adults and nymphs) and
divide by 100 to determine if infestation levels have passed economic
thresholds that justify treatment. Cullen notes nymphs are not generally
recovered in the bottom of the sweep net with adults. Instead, they’re
typically found along the collar of the net. “Nymphs move quickly,
typically sideways, when disturbed,” she says.
For a more detailed discussion of the scouting method, check out “Cut,
Bale, Scout!”, a one-page publication available from the University of
Wisconsin’s IPM program. Download the handout at ipcm.wisc.edu/Publications/tabid/54/Default.aspx.
Click on New Publications!
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Idaho
Demand is sizzling for high-quality hay throughout
Idaho, reports Don Hale, owner of Hale Farms in Blackfoot and president
of the Idaho Hay and Forage Association. “If you have it, it’s
sold,” he says. “I’ve never seen anything like it. It almost
scares you.”
Prices are responding accordingly. Hale says $220/ton is the floor for
quality dairy hay prices. That’s up $20-40/ton over year-ago levels.
“A month ago, I was predicting price would settle in somewhere around
$200-220/ton,” he says. “But we’ve run right past that. The big
fear for a lot of people is that prices this high could kill the
market.”
Horse owners are Hale’s primary market. He puts up grass and alfalfa
hay in 16” x 18” x 4’ bales weighing 100 lbs. A cool, wet spring
put him about a month behind on first cutting. “We ordinarily start
baling in mid-May,” he says. “But this year we didn’t get started
until mid-June. Once we did get going, we had near-perfect haymaking
weather with hot days and cool nights. Our second crop has been coming
on like gangbusters. It’s some of the most beautiful hay I’ve ever
seen.”
Hale is confident he’ll take three “very good” cuttings this
year. “With a break from the weather, we could get a fourth,” he
says. “It just depends on what kind of fall we have.”
Contact Hale at 208-680-4525 or halefarms@msn.com.
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Oklahoma
Alfalfa hay prices in the state were holding in the
steady-to-strong range through the first two weeks of July, according to
Glen Schickedanz, Oklahoma Department of Agriculture and USDA Market
News reporter in Oklahoma City.
Premium-quality alfalfa packaged in large square bales is selling for
$135-155/ton, while small square bales have been fetching $145-165/ton.
“Overall, alfalfa prices are about $10-15/ton higher than a year
ago,” says Schickedanz.
Wet conditions slowed grass hay cutting in early July. Schickedanz says
grass hay prices have been steady, with premium large round bales
bringing $70-90/ton. Movement of grass hay has been slow to moderate.
“We made a lot of grass hay last year in the state and had a hard time
getting rid of it,” says Schickedanz. “So we had a lot of
carryover.”
Producers looking to buy hay or with hay to sell can access the Oklahoma
Department of Agriculture's Web site at www.oda.state.ok.us or call the
state’s Hay Hotline at 800-580-6543. Schickedanz can be contacted at
405-521-3881.
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Field Days Scheduled In Eastern
Wisconsin
Like the weather, the summer meeting season is starting
to heat up for hay growers and local forage councils in eastern
Wisconsin. On Thursday, July 31, the Calumet County Forage Council will
host a summer field day at Holsum Irish Dairy near Chilton. Featured
activities for the event, scheduled for 10 a.m.-2:45 p.m., include an
overview of forage and nutrient management protocols at the host dairy,
a presentation on the future of hay crops with current commodity price
and input cost concerns, and a field demonstration of irrigating
anaerobic digester leachate on recently harvested grass and legume sod.
For more information, contact the Calumet County extension office at
920-849-1450.
On Tuesday, Aug. 5, the scene shifts to a hay field day sponsored by the
Manitowoc County Forage Council. The event will take place from 11 a.m.
to 3:30 p.m. at the Larson Farm near Reedsville. Featured morning
sessions will include a discussion of the new federal farm bill and a
presentation on milk insurance. The afternoon will be devoted to
haymaking equipment demonstrations. For more information, contact Scott
Gunderson, University of Wisconsin-Extension, at 715-683-4168.
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Calendar
Aug. 19-20 -- Wisconsin Grazing School, Richland
Center. Call 715-425-3345.
Aug. 19-21-- Pennsylvania Ag Progress Days, Russell E. Larson
Agricultural Research Center, Rock Springs, PA. Visit apd.psu.edu/ for details.
Aug. 28 -- Hay & Farm Field Day, WW Ranch, Jacksonville, FL. For
more information, phone 386-362-6447.
Sept. 4 -- Kentucky Forage & Grassland Council Field Day,
Christian County. Learn more at www.uky.edu/Ag/Forage/.
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. 23 -- Kentucky Grazing Conference, Fayette County extension
office, Lexington. Learn more at www.uky.edu/Ag/Forage/.
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/.
Nov. 13-16 -- Massachusetts Equine Affaire, Eastern States
Exposition Center, West Springfield. Visit www.equineaffaire.com.
Dec. 2-4 -- California Alfalfa & Forage Symposium, Town & Country
Resort and Hotel, San Diego. Learn more at alfalfa.ucdavis.edu/2008AlfalfaConference/.
Dec. 5-6 -- 2008 Missouri Livestock Symposium, Kirksville.
Programs for horse, beef cattle, sheep, meat goat and forage producers,
and trade show. Details at missourilivestock.com, or call Bruce Lane at
660-665-9866 or Garry Mathes at 660-341-6625.
Jan. 15-16, 2009 -- Southwest Hay And Forage Conference, Ruidoso,
NM. Contact Gina Sterrett at 575-626-5677 or Justin Boswell at
575-840-9908.
Jan. 21-22, 2009 – Heart of America Grazing Conference,
Columbus, IN. Contact Jason Tower at 812-678-4427 or towerj@purdue.edu.
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.Calendar.
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Send Questions & Comments
To...
Rick Mooney, 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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