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Hay & Forage Grower
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Hay Prices
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A farm Web site is one of the tools Michigan hay grower Gary
Carmichael is using to link up with potential buyers. "We've used a
variety of traditional advertising tools over the years with varying
degrees of success," says Carmichael, of Evart. "Now, as a society,
we're gradually moving to a new generation of people who go to the Web
first for their communication needs."
His son, Kevin, designed the farm Web site – www.carmichaelfarms.com –
eight years ago. "We had been in the dairy business up until 1999," says
Carmichael, who puts up alfalfa and alfalfa-grass hay on 2,000 acres.
"We had to find a way to let more people know about us and what we were
doing. Kevin had a strong interest in computers, so we turned him loose
on a project to design a Web site for us."
Key to an effective Web site is getting a prominent listing on search
engines. "If someone goes to a search engine like Google and types in
'hay for sale,' you want to make sure your site is one of the first 10
or so listings that pop up," says Carmichael. "If you're not in that
first tier, chances are the people will never get to your page because
they will have already found what they were looking for. A good web
designer will know how to make sure you're in the top group."
An eye-catching design is another essential, he says. "If people aren't
captivated or enthralled the moment they get to your site, they'll click
and move on to the next one. The site should also be easy to navigate
and easy to read."
The cost of developing a site can be a moving target. But Carmichael
estimates that, for $1,500 or less, you can get a professionally
designed page, an exclusive domain name and a year's worth of hosting.
"Not every hay grower needs a Web site," he says. "If you're
well-established in an area and have built up a good group of customers
over 20 years, maybe you don't need it. But if you're a newcomer in the
business and/or trying to let people from a little farther away know
about your product, it can be worthwhile. We've had sales from as far
away as Missouri, New Jersey and Florida because someone discovered our
site on the Internet."
To contact Carmichael, call 231-734-3364 or email gary@carmichaelfarms.com.
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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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University of Illinois (UI) Extension is using digital imaging
equipment to help crop growers and other landowners get quick answers
about plant disease and pest problems.
In the Distance Diagnostics System program, local extension office
staffers go to farms to take high-quality digital images of plant/pest
problems, then email the images, along with background information, to
an appropriate UI extension crop specialist. “No matter where they
are, if these experts can get email, they can make a diagnosis,”
explains Dennis Bowman, a UI crop systems educator who oversees the
system. "Last year, 22% of the samples were diagnosed within two hours
of submission and 77% within 48 hours."
Since the system was launched in 1999, Bowman says, nearly 8,000 plant
and pest samples have been processed. The system connects 95 local UI
extension field offices with more than 50 campus and field-based
experts. He says internal studies indicate the potential economic impact
of distance diagnostics in 2008 alone was $500,000. To learn more, go to
web.extension.uiuc.edu/distancediagnostics/.
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Profitability of Spring Hayfield Nitrogen Applications, 2009
Guide is a University of Kentucky publication aimed at helping hay
growers identify specific situations where applying nitrogen to spring
hayfields in 2009 will prove profitable.
One section of the publication provides basic guidance and information
for applying nitrogen to spring hayfields. A second section describes
the methods used in the profitability analysis, discusses assumptions
and provides a summary of the potential profitability given various
scenarios. Three prices for nitrogen and five prices for hay are
evaluated as well as multiple nitrogen response rates for tall fescue
and orchardgrass hayfields. Click
here to access the publication online.
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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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Arizona
A steep decline in hay prices has David and Clyde Sharp, Roll, AZ,
pushing the pencil hard to reduce input costs. “The hay price is off
50% from last year’s highs,” reports David Sharp. “Our goal this
year is to lower our production costs so we’ll still be in business a
year from now.”
In a typical year, the Sharp brothers, owners of Lyreedale Farms, take
10-11 cuttings of high-quality alfalfa off 1,500 irrigated acres. The
hay is packaged in 4 x 4 x 8’ square bales. The brothers market their
product to dairies and beef feedlots in Arizona and California.
Staying on top of routine equipment maintenance is part of their
strategy for shaving costs. “Breakdowns cost time, and time is
money,” says Sharp.
Recent upgrades in equipment should also help them hold a tighter rein
to input expenses. “We’ve switched from two sickle-type swathers to
one MacDon M200 rotary swather,” he explains. “This allows us to cut
the same amount of acres each day, but with only one machine and one
operator. We’ve done a complete cost analysis of both fuel and labor,
and we definitely have seen a reduction in operation cost.”
On another level, the brothers are also using soil and tissue analysis
to make the best use of nutrients applied to their alfalfa.
The Sharps and other Yuma County growers are gearing up for their third
cutting of the season. Farther north and east, the production season is
getting off to a bit of a slow start, reports Erin Taylor, extension
area assistant ag agent for Maricopa, Pinal and northern Pima counties
(Phoenix area).
“The days have been warming up, but the nights have been pretty cool,
with temperatures dropping into the low 40s or, in some places, even the
high 30s,” she says. “That’s slowed down growth after first
cutting and yields could be off some.”
Hay prices in the area have dropped considerably from last year's highs.
Top-quality dairy hay is currently fetching around $100/ton. “A year
ago, the price topped $200/ton,” says Taylor.
On the upside, most growers should have enough water. “Right now it
looks like we’re in good shape. Most growers should be able to take
eight or nine cuttings this year. That’s typical for our area.”
To contact Taylor, call 602-827-8200, ext. 313, or email etaylor@cals.arizona.edu.
David Sharp can be contacted by phone at 928-785-9338 or by email at davidsharp@hughes.net.
Colorado
A major snowstorm at the end of last week brought headaches for
travelers in many parts of the state. But there was a silver lining for
hay growers, says Merlin Dillon, area extension agronomist for Colorado
State University San Luis Valley (SLV) Research Center in Center, CO.
“We got about 6” of snow here on the valley floor, but there was a
lot more up in the mountains,” says Dillon. “Before the snow, we
were about average for snowpack for the season. Now we’re a little
above at about 111%. All of the alfalfa here in the valley is irrigated.
So the snow was welcome.”
The storm, which struck on Friday, dropped as much as 52” of snow in
the foothills west of Denver and 10” in the metropolitan area. An
80-mile stretch of Interstate 70 was closed on Friday and Saturday.
Dillon also reports that cold weather so far this spring has slowed
alfalfa growth in his area. “We’re probably about a week or so
behind schedule,” he says. “If that keeps up and delays our first
cutting, it could impact total yields for the season.” Typically, SLV
growers take three cuttings of alfalfa/year.
But there’s an upside to the cold temperatures, too. “It’s kept
the snowpack up in the mountains,” he says. “We’ll need that snow
for irrigation as the season goes along.”
Dillon can be contacted at 719-754-3494, ext. 12, or merlin.dillon@colostate.edu.
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 Silencer®
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immediate knockdown and effective control of a wide spectrum of
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long-lasting Silencer from MANA.
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Timothy growers should be on guard for timothy mite feeding, says
Penn State University entomologist John Tooker. “Feeding by this
cool-season pest causes the leaf blades to roll up tightly, but the
mites are microscopic and challenging to see even with good
magnification.”
He recommends treatment if 25% of tillers show the leaf curling within
several weeks of green-up. He notes that chemical options are limited,
but Sevin XLR has a supplemental label allowing its use against mites on
timothy in Pennsylvania.
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With spring temperatures beginning to climb, it’s time to start
scouting for alfalfa weevils, says Jay Chism, University of Missouri
agronomy specialist.
Chism notes that adult weevils will deposit eggs on new growth anytime
temperatures rise above 50 degrees for several consecutive days.
"Normally, alfalfa weevil larvae hatch in April, May and June. The
larvae then embed themselves in the growing tips of alfalfa stems,
removing leaf tissue as they feed."
Small feeding holes in the leaflets growing out of the terminals of
plant stems are one of the first indicators that weevils may be present.
As larvae grow larger, more plant tissue is consumed, which may cause
economic loss.
To scout for alfalfa weevils, Chism recommends collecting 50 alfalfa
stems (10 stems from each of five locations) and tapping them into a
bucket. The economic threshold for alfalfa weevil larvae is one or more
per stem. "When a farmer finds one or more per stem early in the season,
an insecticide application is the main management option," says
Chism.
For more information, call Chism at 417-682-3579.
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Bermudagrass variety selection, pasture weed and brush control and
hay storage systems are among the topics that will be discussed at a
Kansas State University (KSU) Beef Cattle and Forage Crops Field Day on
May 7. The field day will be held at the KSU Southeast Agricultural
Research Center near Mound Valley.
Along with presentations by K-State researchers and extension
specialists, the field day will feature displays by companies marketing
products and services of interest to forage producers. For more
information, call the research center at 620-421-4826.
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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.
May 26 -- University of Tennessee Forage Conference, West
Tennessee Research and Education Center, Jackson. Sponsored by
University of Tennessee Extension and Tennessee Forage and Grassland
Council. Conference starts at 3:30 p.m. Contact Brian White at
731-968-5266 or dwhite3@tennessee.edu, or Gary
Bates at 865-974-7208 or gbates@utk.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.uky.edu/Ag/Forage/EquineFieldDayFlieremail.pdf.
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 details 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.
Dec. 13-16 -- Fourth National Conference on Grazing Lands, Reno,
NV. Presented by the Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative. Visit www.glci.org.
Feb 16-17, 2010 -- Idaho Hay And Forage Conference, Best Western
Burley Inn, Burley. Contact Glenn Shewmaker at 208-736-3608 or gshew@uidaho.edu.
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