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Hay & Forage Grower
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Almost as much hay was stored on U.S. farms going into this winter
as at the start of the previous one, despite fewer acres harvested in
2008. More hay was on hand at the start of the growing season, plus
yields were up in much of the country. Those factors apparently offset
the acreage reduction and higher summertime usage, resulting in Dec. 1
hay stocks that were less than 1% lower than the year-earlier amount.
In its Jan. 12 Crop Production report, USDA estimated Dec. 1, 2008, hay
stocks at 103.6 million tons, down from 104 million tons on Dec. 1,
2007. Stocks increased in most areas east of the Mississippi River and
portions of the Southwest and declined in Rocky Mountain and northern
Great Plains states. The biggest declines were in Texas and Oklahoma,
down 37% and 25%, respectively.
May 1, 2008, hay stocks totaled 21.6 million tons, up from 15 million
tons on that date in 2007. Disappearance of hay from May to December
last year was put at 63.6 million tons compared with 57.8 million during
the same period the previous year.
USDA’s final estimate of the 2008 hay crop shows production of alfalfa
and alfalfa mixtures at 69.6 million tons, down from 72.6 million tons
in 2007. Acreage, estimated at 20.98 million, was down from 21.67
million the previous year, but the 3.32-ton/acre average yield was up
almost a ton. Production of other hay totaled 76 million tons, down
from 77.7 million tons in 2007. The average yield was 1.95 tons/acre
from 39 million acres harvested.
For an ag economist’s analysis of the USDA report and his forecast for
2009 hay production and prices, watch for the February issue of Hay &
Forage Grower.
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the new T6000 Series tractors from New Holland are built for you. T6000
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work. To learn more, see your local New Holland dealer or call
1-888-290-7377. www.newholland.com/na
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Agricultural equipment maker Kuhn North America of Broadhead, WI,
has acquired the crop packaging division of Kverneland Group with a
factory located in Geldrop, Netherlands. The Kverneland facility
specializes in the design and manufacturing of fixed- and
variable-chamber round balers, big-square balers, bale wrappers, rotary
drum mowers, tedder-rake combinations and corn choppers.
The transaction is expected to be completed in the first quarter of
2009. There will be a two-year transition period.
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After increasing for six consecutive years, U.S. fertilizer prices
are finally beginning to fall at the wholesale level, according to a
recent report by the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF). “Up until
very recently, fertilizer prices were astronomical at both the wholesale
and retail levels,” says AFBF senior economist Terry Francl.
“Fertilizer producers were clearly reacting to record commodity
prices, and companies priced their products accordingly.”
Click
here to read the rest of this story.
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by Bret Kealy, Publisher, eHay
Weekly and Hay & Forage Grower
Surveys can be a pain for readers to fill out but offer a wealth of
information to editors asking the questions. A case in point: a recent
survey to readers of eHay Weekly. It’s helping us know what’s
working and what’s lacking.
The frustration is that we can’t please everyone. Some readers want
more information pertaining to the West, Southeast or the East Coast.
Others feel there’s too much Western copy. Many commented that
Midwestern growers get the most coverage – and the editors agree. The
newsletter and Hay & Forage Grower are working to cover all
regions with state reports, attending meetings and talking with growers
from around the country.
Some readers want more marketing information; others want more on forage
production. We’re working to provide a balance of both. A number of
readers want news on teff grass and some think our coverage on it was
overblown. Read Hay & Forage Grower’s January story,
“Tracking Teff,” where growers around the country tell how teff
performed – or didn’t – for them.
Others want more equine-related stories, or more on the skyrocketing
costs of potash or hay prices, trends, bermudagrass production, export
markets, working with brokers, etc.
Essentially, reader comments give us ideas for stories to come and help
us focus on what readers say is important. For example, one person who
answered our survey suggested a story on how to successfully market
mediocre hay. We’d certainly like to talk with him or others who do a
good job of that. Just email your contact information to hfg@hayandforage.com and one of
our editors will call you. Several readers also would like hay prices
for their region of the country. We welcome their hay price insight and
the names of others they feel could provide that information. Again,
just email hfg@hayandforage.com.
Obviously, we get a lot from the time readers took to answer our survey
and thank all who did.
FYI: Ehay Weekly is email-published 50 times a year, gathering
the latest in forage information and providing state reports from
growers across the country. Hay & Forage Grower magazine,
published eight times a year, offers annual features on new equipment,
alfalfa and grass varieties, how to increase hay or corn silage
production, and special issues on custom harvesting and dairy nutrition.
Rick Mooney is editor of eHay Weekly and Neil Tietz and Fae Holin
are editor and managing editor, respectively, of Hay & Forage
Grower. All three veteran writers know how to gather information,
ask forage experts the right questions to get the right answers and all
three write for both publications.
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If you’re planning to attend the Midwest Forage Association’s
(MFA) 2009 Symposium and Annual Meeting, you’ll need to hurry. The
preregistration deadline is tomorrow, Jan. 14.
Scheduled for Jan. 27-28 at Chula Vista Resort in Wisconsin Dells, WI,
this year’s symposium offers more than 20 educational sessions
featuring renowned university, USDA-ARS, industry, agency and producer
speakers from throughout the north-central U.S.
As in past years, this year’s MFA meeting will be held in conjunction
with the annual meetings of the Wisconsin Custom Operators and the
Professional Nutrient Applicators Association of Wisconsin. For a
registration form, go to MFA’s Web site at www.midwestforage.org/.
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Washington
Les Wentworth’s assessment of 2008? “It was a great year to be a
hay farmer,” says this producer from Ephrata, WA. “We’ve been
waiting for a year like this to come along for a long time.”
Extremely high prices are the reason for Wentworth’s good cheer.
Top-quality alfalfa hay in his area was bringing $285/ton at the farm
throughout fall. “Last year at this time, we were looking at
$175-185/ton,” he says.
Wentworth packages the hay taken off 500 irrigated acres in 16 x 18 x
46” bales weighing around 100 lbs. He markets most of it through
export firms selling to Pacific Rim countries. Dairies and horse
stables in western Washington are his secondary market.
Wentworth’s hunch is that prices will remain strong in 2009. “We saw
a lot of hay ground in our area go into wheat and other crops this past
year,” he says. “Some of that might come back, but there’s no way
we will get it all back this year. It’s all about supply and demand.
There won’t be enough high-quality hay to go around.”
Even with prices remaining high, Wentworth won’t be ignoring the
expense side of the ledger in 2009. “We don’t spend a lot of money
on new equipment,” he says, noting four used tractors and four rebuilt
balers make up the bulk of his equipment inventory. “We keep on top of
maintenance and repairs for our swathers and rakes, and we contract with
local potato growers to do any tillage work we need done. We only buy
what we have to have, nothing more. We feel like we make money by
keeping our equipment in tip-top shape.”
Contact Wentworth at 509-398-1409 or leski42@yahoo.com.
Wisconsin
A long-time tested hay auction in southern Wisconsin begins the 2009
season at a new location today (Tuesday). After more than a decade in
Lomira, WI, the Dodge County Forage Council/University of Wisconsin
Extension tested hay auction will now be held at the Beaver Dam Auction
Market near Beaver Dam.
The auction will be held on the second Tuesday of each month through
April. Forage testing on each auction date will run from 10 a.m.-noon.
Auctions will begin at 1 p.m. Results from each of the auctions will be
posted on the forage council’s Web site at www.widcfc.com. “Posting the results
will give people throughout the region a great starting point for
establishing prices when they’re buying or selling hay this winter,”
says Matt Hanson, Dodge County extension crops and soils agent.
While this year’s auction schedule is just getting under way, Hanson
says forage council members are already planning to make adjustments for
next winter. Among the changes he anticipates are a December starting
date and a twice-a-month auction schedule. “We’re also thinking
about doing the testing the day before the auction and posting the
results on line immediately,” he explains. “That way, people who
have to travel longer distances to get here could check out the Web site
to see what we have to offer.”
For more information on the auction, call Hanson at 920-386-3790 or
auctioneer Dan Ritger at 414-333-8625.
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The 2009 Idaho Alfalfa and Forage Conference will take place Feb.
3-4 at the Best Western Burley Inn and Convention Center in Burley.
Sponsored by the Idaho Hay and Forage Association (IHFA) and University
of Idaho College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, this year’s
conference will feature a full slate of educational presentations and a
trade show. For more details on presentation topics and times and/or to
register, visit the IHFA Web site at www.idahohay.com or phone
208-888-0088.
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Jan. 14 -- Kansas Hay And Grazing Conference, Kansas Farm
Bureau Building, Manhattan. Contact Karen Walters at 620-431-1530 or kwalters@oznet.ksu.edu.
Jan. 14-15 -- Washington State Hay Growers Convention, Three
Rivers Convention Center, Kennewick. Visit www.wa-hay.org/convention/.
Jan. 15-16 -- Southwest Hay And Forage Conference, Ruidoso, NM.
Contact Gina Sterrett at 575-626-5677 or Justin Boswell at 575-840-9908.
Jan.16 -- Sheboygan County (WI) Forage Council Annual Meeting,
Chrissy’s Restaurant, Waldo. Phone Sheboygan County Extension at
920-459-5904.
Jan. 21-22 -- Heart Of America Grazing Conference, Columbus, IN.
Contact Jason Tower at 812-678-4427 or towerj@purdue.edu.
Feb. 3-4 -- Idaho Hay And Forage Conference, Burley. Call Glenn
Shewmaker at 208-736-3608.
Feb. 3-4 -- Mid-America Alfalfa Expo, hosted by the Nebraska
Alfalfa Marketing Assn., Buffalo County Fairgrounds, Kearney, NE.
Contact Barb Kinnan at 800-743-1649 or nebalf@cozadtel.net.
Feb. 9-13 -- Minnesota Forage Days, tentative dates/locations.
Feb. 9 – Lamberton; Feb. 10 – Grand Rapids; Feb.
11 – Detroit Lakes; Feb. 12 – St. Cloud area; Feb.
13 – Rochester. For general information, email peter072@umn.edu or krishona@umn.edu. For updates, visit
www.extension.umn.edu/forages.
Feb. 12-13 -- Clemson University Conference, “Profitable Approaches
For Managing Forage Based Operations in the 21st Century,” Radison
Inn, Columbia, SC. Go to www.clemson.edu/.
Feb. 17-18 -- Pennsylvania’s Professional Crop Producers
Conference, Penn Stater Conference Center, State College. To
register, call 877-778-2937.
Feb. 18 -- Manitoba Forage Symposium, Southern Manitoba
Convention Centre, Morris. Contact Dwayne Summach at 204-268-6014.
Feb. 19 -- Kentucky Alfalfa Conference, Cave City Convention
Center. Email glacefie@uky.edu or
raysmith1@uky.edu.
Feb. 21 -- Horse Education Day, University of Wisconsin-River
Falls Agriculture Building. (Jointly sponsored by University of
Wisconsin Extension and University of Minnesota Extension.) Contact
Krishona Martinson at 612-625-6776 or krishona@umn.edu.
Feb. 24 -- Southwest Missouri Spring Forage Conference,
University Plaza Hotel, Springfield. Contact the Greene County SWCD at
417-831-5246, ext. 3.
Feb. 27-28 -- Indiana Cattle And Forage Symposium, Hilton
Indianapolis North, Indianapolis. Call 800-515-2333 or go to www.indianabeef.org.
March 6-7 -- Appalachian Grazing Conference, Morgantown, WV.
Phone 304-293-6131 (ext. 4231) or email becky.casteel@mail.wvu.edu.
March 6-7 -- Joint Maryland Cattlemen's Convention/Central Maryland
Hay & Pasture Conference, Four Points Sheraton, Hagerstown. Contact
Scott Barao at 410-795-5309 or sbarao@marylandcattle.org or
Les Vough, 301-405-1322 or vough@umd.edu.
June 21-23 -- 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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