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Hay & Forage Grower
USDA
Hay Prices
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Rick Mooney, Editor, eHay Weekly, at
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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
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By Neil Tietz, Editor, Hay & Forage
Grower
Commercial hay grower Barclay Lutz recently bought a Visa and MasterCard
payment terminal for his office. From now on, new customers and existing
clients who’ve had payment difficulties will have to pay him in
advance via credit card, wire transfer or something similar. He’ll pay
a 2-3% fee for each credit card transaction, “but you’re better off
losing that 2% right up front than 100% six months after you sell the
hay,” says Lutz, of Lethbridge, Alberta.
He says he’s owed $55,000 by a Texas hay dealer, and wants to help
prevent other growers from getting stung. According to Lutz, the dealer
contacted him in late winter, wanting to buy 1,000 tons. The dealer
agreed to make biweekly payments, and Lutz began making deliveries.
Click
here to read the entire story.
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By Fae Holin, Managing Editor, Hay & Forage
Grower
Despite an overflowing Grand River and flash flood warnings, American
Forage and Grassland Council members toured facilities and farms,
learned about new research from around the country and literally
compared notes on management techniques at their June 21-23 annual
meeting in Grand Rapids, MI.
Most of the 250 conference attendees listened to eight growers
participating in the annual Forage Spokesperson contest its second day.
Robert Shoemaker, a beef-cattle grazier from Delaplane,VA, took first
place after telling how he works to graze his 350-head Angus-based
crossbred herd 365 days a year – on little hay or other
supplementation.
The forage tour visited the farm of young farmers Terri and Rick
Hawbaker, Grazeway Dairy, Pewamo, MI. The couple analyzed the potential
of using grazing to build their dairy’s capital and income, finding
that grassed-based farming is profitable and can generate herd growth.
They have 85 milking cows, 28 yearling heifers and 35 calves for
replacements. Dried off in February, cows freshen when grass is at its
peak, says Terri Hawbaker. Each cow gets 5 lbs of grain per milking,
then is turned out to new grass after milking. They raise turnips to be
grazed during summer slump.
Michigan State University’s campus was another stop on that tour,
where research results on teff and falcata alfalfa were presented. Weed
scientist Wes Everman also asked the advice of tour participants on a
weed new to the middle and thumb regions of Michigan, called roughstalk
bluegrass. He said he’s received a number of calls about the problem
perennial that’s taking over alfalfa-timothy fields. For more on
Everman’s talk, visit hayandforage.com.
As AFGC members found time to talk on buses, between seminar sessions
and at meals, Roundup Ready alfalfa was often discussed. Industry people
said a public review of the environmental impact statement, which needs
to be completed and approved before the transgenic crop can again be put
on the market, is still likely in July or August. They’re hopeful that
the seed will be allowed for sale by spring 2010.
During much of the three days, scientists presented findings on a
variety of forage topics. Watch for coming issues of Hay & Forage
Grower and eHay Weekly for details on not only the subjects
and growers mentioned above, but on much of the research presented.
AFGC is made up of members of the academic community, producers, private
industry, institutes and foundations to promote and develop the forage
industry. For more on the organization, visit www.afgc.org. Next year’s annual
meeting will be June 20-22 in Springfield, MO.
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Determining if forage quality is too high can be a challenge for
dairy producers, says University of Minnesota extension dairy educator
Jim Paulson. “It depends on what we are feeding it to, how much we are
feeding and what else we are feeding along with it,” he says.
For high-producing dairy cows fed a balanced ration with adequate
amounts of NDF from forage, Paulson notes forage quality needs to be
high in order to support high production. On most dairy farms, without a
concentrated effort to put up high-quality forage, the forage can often
fall below optimum.
On the other hand, matching the right forage to other classes of dairy
animals may mean utilizing forage that wasn’t harvested at top quality
due to weather or other factors. “It may also mean designating older
stands for dry cows and bred heifers or specifically planting a mix that
will be higher in fiber and lower in protein, such as a grass mix that
is left to mature,” he says.
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 Use
our site to search for forage production tips! Plus, read what other
growers are doing to stay profitable.
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Only one-fourth of the 147 bunker silos monitored in a Pennsylvania
study of packing density are meeting the recommended density target of
14 lbs of dry matter/cubic foot, reports Paul Craig, Penn State
University extension educator in Dauphin County.
A likely factor in the shortfall, says Craig, is that with larger forage
harvesters being used, delivery rates to bunkers often exceed packing
capacities. As a general rule, he notes, producers need 800 lbs of
packing weight per ton of forage delivered to the bunker in an hour.
Example: Harvesting alfalfa haylage at 60 tons/hour requires 60 x 800 =
48,000 lbs or 24 tons of packing equipment.
To achieve adequate density, he recommends the following management
practices:- Add as much weight to the packing equipment as
possible. “Many managers have made concrete blocks to hang on the back
of the tractor,” he says.
- Over-inflate tires on packing tractors. That creates a smaller
footprint which benefits surface compaction.
- Pack in thin layers. Layers less than 6” result in better packing
than thicker layers.
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- Pat Guinan, state climatologist with University of Missouri
Extension, is continuing to update his list of Internet weather
resources. Along with information specific to Missouri, Guinan provides
links to many national sites. Go to agebb.missouri.edu/weather/wealinks.htm.
- Social networking types can now follow Iowa State University
extension meteorologist Elwynn Taylor’s comments on Twitter. Taylor
reports a growing list of more than 200 direct subscribers and 800
secondary viewers daily. The weather commentary includes clickable
graphics. To learn more, go to twitter.com/elwynntaylor.
- The University of Nebraska-Lincoln's National Drought Mitigation
Center has expanded its Vegetation Drought Response Index (VegDRI)
across the 48 states of the continental U.S. Produced every two weeks,
VegDRI maps combine satellite-based observations of vegetation
conditions with climate information to detail drought’s effect on
vegetation in specific areas. To see the maps and learn more about
VegDRI, go to drought.unl.edu/vegdri/VegDRI_Main.htm.
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California
The alfalfa growing and selling season is off to a relatively slow start
in north-central California, reports hay grower Mike Robinson, Stockton.
“There’s a pretty good supply stacking up in the field,” says
Robinson. “Dairy producers just aren’t buying.”
In a typical year, Robinson harvests 800-1,000 acres of alfalfa. Most
of that is put up as large square bales destined for the dairy market.
Robinson also produces 350 acres of oats, beardless wheat and forage
mixes for hay. The majority of that hay is marketed through Robinson
Farms Feed Co., an animal feed manufacturing business. Robinson does put
up about 100 acres in small squares for sale to horse owners in retail
feed stores.
Quality issues played a role in crimping sales to dairy customers early
in the season, Robinson reports. “We had some rain during our first
and second cuttings that delayed the harvest in this area. Quite a bit
of that hay was overmature when it was cut.”
Another important factor: Dairy producers are finding it difficult to
secure the credit needed to build feed inventories. “We’ve heard
reports some lenders have been advising dairy producers to buy load to
load. Traditionally, with our first and second cuttings, they’ve tried
to lock in supplies for about half their needs for the upcoming year.
This year, that’s not the case.”
Net result, the price of top-quality dairy hay (56% or higher TDN and
20-21% protein) has dropped to $120/ton. “That’s about half of what
it was a year ago,” says Robinson. “The off-quality stuff (54% TDN
or lower) is really tough to move. There’s almost no market for it.”
Robinson notes that horse-hay sales have also been slower than normal.
“The number of horses in this area is dropping off. Part of that is
due to the weak economy. People just can’t afford to feed them. Also,
with more urban pressure, some areas aren’t allowing people to keep
horses on small acreages anymore.” Even so, the price for good-quality
horse hay has been holding steady at $130-140/ton, Robinson says. He can
be contacted at 209-466-7915 or mrob3808@aol.com.
Wisconsin
After a good start to the season, hay growers in eastern Wisconsin are
starting to gear up for second-crop harvest, reports Scott Gunderson,
dairy agent for University of Wisconsin Extension in Manitowoc County.
A dry spring allowed many growers to get first crop off the field a
little earlier than normal. “Overall there were some pretty decent
yields and good-quality forages put up,” he says.
Precipitation will be the key to how second cutting progresses. Some
producers could begin harvesting this week. “We don’t have a lot in
the way of reserve moisture. We’ve been drier than normal here going
back to last fall. We’ll need some timely rains for the crop to come
on.”
A major bright spot for local growers this year: Winterkill was limited.
“Thank goodness,” says Gunderson. “If people would have had to
re-establish stands with the milk price situation the way it is,
they’d be in a world of hurt.”
Gunderson can be contacted at 920-683-4168 or scottgunderson@co.manitowoc.wi.us.
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Extended periods of high temperatures have led to a population
explosion of potato leafhoppers in Indiana alfalfa fields, report
Christian Krupke and John Obermeyer of the Integrated Pest Management
program at Purdue University.
They encourage producers to inspect new growth soon after cutting.
That’s when alfalfa is most susceptible to leafhopper feeding, which
leads to reduced yields and protein levels. Once yellowing or “hopper
burn” is seen, the damage has already been done.
For more information, refer to Purdue publication E-220-W Alfalfa
Insect Control Recommendations – 2009, available at extension.entm.purdue.edu/publications/E-220.pdf.
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Equipment demonstrations, educational speakers and a free lunch
will all be part of an Alfalfa Field Day, July 9 at the Vaughn Svoboda
farm near Ord, NE.
Focus of the field day will be on how growers can improve alfalfa
productivity and their bottom lines. Speakers include: Bruce Anderson,
University of Nebraska extension forage specialist; Jim Girardin, Arrow
Seed Co., Broken Bow; and Steve Niemeyer, extension educator in
Garfield, Loup and Wheeler counties. Local equipment dealers will also
be on hand to conduct mowing, baling and packing demonstrations.
To reserve a spot for lunch and/or get more information, contact the
Garfield-Loup-Wheeler extension office in Burwell at 308-346-4200 by
July 6.
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July 2 -- Switchgrass Biofuel And Forage Field Day, 6:30-8
p.m., Washington State University Irrigated Agriculture Research and
Extension Center, Prosser. Contact June Trimble at 509-786-9232 or Steve
Fransen at 509-786-9266.
July 8-10 -- Missouri Dairy Grazing Conference, Holiday Inn,
Joplin. Go to agebb.missouri.edu/
or phone 573-882-9551.
July 9 -- Organic Field Day, University of Minnesota Southwest
Research and Outreach Center, Lamberton. Phone 507-752-7372 or visit swroc.cfans.umn.edu and scroll to
2009 Events under General Information.
July 23 -- University Of Kentucky All Commodity Field Day, UK
Research and Education Center, Princeton. Visit ces.ca.uky.edu/wkrec.
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/.
July 31 -- 2009 Illinois Forage Expo, Meier Farms, Ridott. Go to
web.extension.uiuc.edu/
or contact Dale Baird, University of Illinois extension educator, at dlbaird@illinois.edu.
Aug. 1-2 -- Florida Small Farms And Alternative Enterprises
Conference, Osceola County Heritage Park, Kissimmee. Go to smallfarms.ifas.ufl.edu/.
Aug. 27 -- 2009 Arlington Agronomy And Soils Field Day,
University of Wisconsin Agricultural Research Station, Arlington.
Download the program at ipcm.wisc.edu/.
For a complete list of upcoming events, click here.
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