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Hay & Forage Grower
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Don’t be timid when it comes to asking customers to fill out
credit applications, advises George Twohig, a Chilton, WI, attorney
specializing in agricultural law.
Twohig, who heads up the firm of Twohig, Rietbrock, Schneider & Halbach,
says custom operators and hay growers often shy away from asking
customers for financial information even when they are concerned about
the customer’s ability to pay. “That’s especially true if the
customer happens to be a friend or neighbor,” he says.
But that misses the point of what a credit application is all about.
“The goal is to get a more complete picture of the potential
customer’s overall financial condition so you can assess his ability
to pay you for the products and/or services you’re providing,” he
says.
“Once you’ve sold the hay to someone or completed custom work for
them, you become dependent on their business success. Full negotiations
and clear understandings are essential to reduce the possibility that
you’ll become part of a customer’s cash flow and other financial
problems.”
Twohig’s bottom line: “Farmers routinely fill out credit
applications when dealing with other businesses – equipment dealers,
co-ops, feed suppliers, lenders, etc. Why should it be any different
when they're dealing with a hay grower or custom operator? Really,
payment for custom services and feed should be committed as part of the
farmer’s operating loans or line of credit.”
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Nitrogen has a job to do, and
NutriSphere-N® Nitrogen Fertilizer
Manager makes sure it gets done. By blocking unwanted enzyme
reactions and denitrification, NutriSphere-N reduces leaching and
volatilization to keep nitrogen in its more usable ammonium form.
More nitrogen efficiency means higher yield potential. Visit NutriSphere-N.com for more
information.
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Ordering information for Irrigated Alfalfa Management For
Mediterranean And Desert Zones is available at the University of
California alfalfa and forage Web site. The 24-chapter, 372-page
publication is designed to provide detailed, scientifically based
information about the growth, production, management and utilization of
alfalfa grown under irrigation. Cost is $65 each. Go to alfalfa.ucdavis.edu.
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Before trying to add new alfalfa to older alfalfa stands, ask
yourself if you really have anything to gain, advises University of
Nebraska extension forage specialist Bruce Anderson.
He points out that older, dryland alfalfa stands need only two to three
healthy plants with 25-35 shoots/square foot to achieve top production.
“More plants won't help because rainfall won't provide enough moisture
for more growth,” he says. “Irrigated or sub-irrigated alfalfa,
though, can use four to six plants with 40-55 shoots. With the extra
moisture, more plants can be productive.”
While thinner stands sometimes can be thickened, problems can occur.
“Diseases common in older fields can infect new seedlings, causing the
new stand to decline quickly,” says Anderson. “Also, existing
alfalfa plants and weeds will compete with your new seedlings and might
prevent them from establishing. This competition must be controlled.”
Also, alfalfa itself can produce chemicals that inhibit seedling growth
of new alfalfa plants (autotoxicity). “We can't predict when this will
happen or its severity,” he says. “But it is less of a problem on
irrigated sites, especially on light-textured soils.”
If you do try to thicken your alfalfa, make sure you minimize
competition. Herbicides like Roundup and Gramoxone can help. “Also,
get your seed in the soil, and do it early,” Anderson advises. “Use
a drill that will place seed about ½” deep.”
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 Silencer®
insecticide maximizes your return on investment in alfalfa with the
premier pyrethroid. Silencer® provides highly advanced chemistry for
immediate knockdown and effective control of a wide spectrum of
yield-robbing pests. Dual action activity, by contact and ingestion,
strengthens performance. Protect alfalfa from competitive insects with
long-lasting Silencer from MANA.
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If you don’t want to invest in a commercial probe or meter to
measure hay moisture, consider the microwave method, advises Dennis
Hancock, University of Georgia extension forage specialist.
Start with a small scale (a cheap food scale will work) and a
hand-me-down microwave. “There’s no need to spend much money on
these,” says Hancock. “Between a yard sale and your favorite
discount department store, you should be able to get what you need at
about half the cost of a new hay moisture meter.”
Once you have the materials on hand, dry about ¼ lb of the forage in
the microwave until it reaches a stable weight. Hancock suggests doing
this in increments of one to two minutes. He also advises putting a cup
of water in the microwave with the hay sample to keep the forage from
catching fire.
To come up with the percent moisture, divide the change in weight
(before and after) by the beginning weight, then multiple by 100. For
more detailed instructions, go to www.caes.uga.edu/commodities/.
Under Hot Topics, download the pdf for Measuring the Moisture Content
of Forage Using a Microwave Oven.
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University of Maine Cooperative Extension and state equipment
dealers are teaming up in a program to increase awareness of
slow-moving-vehicle (SMV) signs on farm equipment among farmers and the
general public.
In the program, farmers can request coupons for up to two free SMV signs
from extension. The coupons are redeemed at cooperating farm implement
dealerships. Along with the coupons, farmers also each receive an
informational packet with materials describing how to use the signs
correctly and safety tips on moving tractors and other farm equipment on
public roads.
To increase awareness on the part of non-farmers, extension has
developed posters explaining the signs and their purpose. The posters
have been distributed to all town offices and motor-vehicle department
stations in the state. “The SMV sign is often misused by individuals
and misunderstood by the general public,” says Richard Brzozowski,
extension educator in Portland. “The purpose of this program is to
encourage farmers to use the signs properly and to make non-farm
motorists more aware of the signs. Farmers and farm workers are like
sitting ducks when they’re on public roads with farm
equipment.”
The SMV sign program has been up and running for three years. Over that
time, Brzozowski says, more than 200 farmers have participated. He also
notes that 17 farm equipment dealerships throughout the state are
partnering in the program this year. “They’re really keen on the
program,” says Brzozowski. “They’re the ones who make it work
effectively.”
Maine farmers interested in participating in the SMV sign program can
learn more by phoning 207-780-4205. To contact Brzozowski, email rbrz@umext.maine.edu.
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Whether you’re looking for proven
performance in a package that offers exceptional value or a tractor that
gives you the latest electronic conveniences and push 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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- Guidelines and entry forms for the 2009 Southeastern Hay
Contest, held in conjunction with the Sunbelt Ag Expo in Moultrie, GA,
during October, are available online. Go to www.georgiaforages.com and
click on Upcoming Events.
- After investigating dangers associated with farm equipment on public
roads, USDA’s Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension
Service has recommended that guidelines be established for farm
equipment manufacturers, standard-setting organizations and government
agencies. To see a 48-page report, go to www.agsafety.psu.edu. Click on
Agricultural Equipment on Public Roads.
- Web Biz, Inc., of St. Paul, MN, has combined its five rural commerce
Web sites – RuralAds.com, BullShop.com, GoatAds.com, RuralCalendar.com
and SheepAds.com – under one roof. Visit the new, consolidated site at
www.ruralclassifieds.com.
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Arkansas
Whether the topic is production or marketing, staying flexible is the
key to remaining competitive in the commercial hay business, says Bobby
Umberson, Cane Hill, AR.
Umberson, who at one time grew high-quality bermudagrass on more than
1,000 acres, is in the process of scaling back his hay acreage to pursue
other business interests. He currently has 200 acres devoted to mostly
irrigated hay ground and is shifting to more alfalfa production. Last
year, he had 120 acres in alfalfa and will add 60 acres this year. The
remaining acreage will be in bermudagrass to supply a sprig-selling
business. “Just about every bit of the alfalfa fed in this part of
Arkansas is brought in from somewhere else,” says Umberson, who
operates under the business name Grassworks Haybarn, LLC. “We see an
opportunity in diversifying into alfalfa.”
When it comes to markets, his focus is maximizing revenue. “It
doesn’t matter if it’s dairy, beef cattle, horse or sheep and goat
owners. We’ve sold to all of them. Our goal is to sell to whoever will
pay us the most for the quality we produce.”
While Umberson packages most of his hay in 3 x 3 x 8’ square bales,
he’s considering putting up a larger percentage of his crop in small
square bales. The medium squares are favored by dairy and beef cattle
owners. “But those markets are pretty soft right now,” he says.
“The small squares will give us more flexibility. One market that may
have some potential is local feed stores. Small squares would be a
better fit for them.”
Quality testing is one area where he remains inflexible. “We test
every cutting and every field, using a lab in Fulton, IL. Everything is
just talk if you don’t have the numbers to back it up.”
To contact Umberson, call 479-790-1091. Check his company Web site at www.grassworks.net.
Iowa
Agricultural interests in the northeastern part of the state are
scrambling to find new funding sources for forage research at the
Northeast Research Farm at Nashua.
Iowa State University officials announced recently that a decision by
Congress to discontinue $200 million in annual funding for production on
ag research farms nationwide will make it impossible for the university
to fund new research on forages and small grains at Nashua. “They’ve
basically told us the public funding well for alfalfa research is
dry,” says Mark Mueller, a Waverly farmer and president of the
Northeast Iowa Agricultural Experiment Association, the group that owns
the Nashua research farm.
Discontinuing the research would have major consequences for
northeastern Iowa agriculture, Mueller says. “Statewide, alfalfa is
our third-largest crop (in acres planted and dollar value). And a lot of
that alfalfa production is concentrated in the northeastern part of the
state. It seems absurd we won’t fund research for a crop that is this
important.”
His group is in the process of contacting other groups with a vested
interest in alfalfa research to explore ideas for alternative funding.
“This is a critical issue for anyone who sells hay or has livestock
that eats hay,” he says. “We have to find a way to keep it going.”
To contact Mueller, call 319-352-2568 or email mmueller@sbtek.net.
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This year’s Southern Pasture and Forage Crop Improvement
Conference is slated for May 10-12 at the Hilton Suites Lexington Green
in Lexington, KY. Along with an overview of University of Kentucky and
USDA-ARS forage research programs, there will be presentations on horses
in Kentucky and the USDA-ARS Animal Waste Management Research Unit. The
conference will also feature tours of area farms and the university’s
Animal Research Center in Woodford County.
Conference registration fee is $130 ($50 additional for spouse) before
May 5 and $150 ($50 additional for spouse) after that date. For a
complete program, registration form and hotel information, go to www.uky.edu/Ag/Forage/.
For more information, contact Ray Smith at 859-257-3358 or raysmith1@uky.edu.
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April 17-19 -- Midwest Horse Fair, Alliant Energy Center,
Madison, WI. Go to midwesthorsefair.com/.
April 21 -- Georgia 2009 Hay Production School, Stuckey
Auditorium, University of Georgia Griffin Campus. Go to www.georgiaforages.com.
April 24-26 -- 2009 Minnesota Horse Expo, Minnesota State
Fairgrounds, St. Paul. Go to www.mnhorseexpo.org/.
May 8 -- Southwest Dairy Day, Sierra Dairy, Dublin TX. Visit texasdairymatters.org or email
c-holley@tamu.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.
June 27 -- 2009 Equine Field Day, University of Kentucky’s
Maine Chance Equine Campus, Lexington. Phone 859-257-2226 or go to www.ca.uky.edu/equine.
July 23 -- University Of Kentucky All Commodity Field Day, UK
Research and Education Center, Princeton. Details forthcoming at www.uky.edu/Ag/Forage/.
July 29-30 -- U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center Getting More From
Forages Conference, Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center,
Madison, WI. Visit www.dfrc.ars.usda.gov/forages/Program.html
for more details.
Aug. 27 -- 2009 Arlington Agronomy And Soils Field Day,
University of Wisconsin Agricultural Research Station, Arlington.
(Agenda will be available in early May.)
Sept. 17-19 -- National Hay Association Convention, Cadillac
Jack’s Gaming Resort, Deadwood, SD. Contact Don Kieffer at
800-707-0014 or visit www.nationalhay.org.
Sept. 29-Oct. 3 -- World Dairy Expo, Alliant Energy Center,
Madison, WI. Visit www.worlddairyexpo.com.
Nov. 10- 11 -- BEEF Quality Summit, Stoney Creek Inn, St.
Joseph, MO, hosted by BEEF magazine. Visit beefconference.com.
Nov 18-19 -- McCook Farm And Ranch Expo, Red Willow County
Fairgrounds, McCook, NE. Visit mccookfarmandranchexpo.net
or call 866-685-0989.
Feb 16-17, 2010 -- Idaho Hay And Forage Conference, Best Western
Burley Inn, Burley, ID. Contact Glenn Shewmaker at 208-736-3608 or gshew@uidaho.edu.
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