|
|
In Today's eHay
Weekly
August 18, 2009
|
|
|
Hay & Forage Grower
USDA
Hay Prices
Weather
Send Questions & Comments To...
Rick Mooney, Editor, eHay Weekly, at
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.
|
|
|
|
U.S. hay production is up from year-ago levels, according to last
week’s Crop Production report from USDA’s National Agricultural
Statistics Service (NASS).
For alfalfa and alfalfa mixtures, NASS forecasts national production of
73 million tons in 2009, up 5% from last year’s figure. The average
expected yield, at 3.48 tons/acre, is up from 3.32 tons/acre in 2008,
with the majority of states showing an increase or no change. Yields are
down in only six of the major alfalfa-producing states – Arizona,
California, Illinois, New York, Utah and Wisconsin. Harvested area is
forecast at 21 million acres, 2,000 fewer than in 2008.
Other hay: Production is forecast at 79.0 million tons, up 4%. Based on
Aug. 1 conditions, yields are expected to average 2.01 tons/acre, up
0.06 ton from last year’s yield. Harvested area, at 39.2 million
acres, is up 113,000 acres. Higher moisture levels in the eastern U.S.
and Pacific Northwest increased yields from last year’s levels.
Moisture deficiencies have reduced yields in several central states,
including Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Texas.
To see the entire USDA report,
click
here.
|
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
|
USDA’s Feed Outlook report, also released last week, estimates
roughage-consuming animal units (RCAUs) in 2009/10 will be down slightly
from the 2008/09 number. With hay production up and RCAUs down, hay
supply per RCAU is 2.48 tons compared to 2.36 tons in 2008/09.
The average all-hay price received by farmers in the first three months
of the 2009/10 marketing year (May-July) was just over $123/ton,
compared to $164 during the same period last year. The alfalfa hay price
for those months averaged $129/ton vs. $176/ton last year. The average
other hay price was $108/ton, down from $132/ton.
The report’s bottom line: “With plentiful supplies and lower input
costs as compared to last year, farmers should expect lower prices for
hay in 2009/10 in comparison to 2008/09.”
See the Feed Outlook by clicking
here.
|
 Enter Forage Superbowl, Win Cash
Cash prizes totaling more than $17,000 will be awarded in the 2009
World’s Forage Analysis Superbowl at the World Dairy Expo in Madison,
WI, Sept. 29-Oct. 3. The winners of six hay, haylage and corn silage
categories, two new quality categories, plus the grand champion forage
producer and top first-time entrant all will receive cash. Sept. 3 is
the contest entry deadline. For rules and entry forms, go to www.foragesuperbowl.org. or
call 715-758-2178.
|
An Iron, MN, dairy farmer is finding out if alfalfa can be grown
economically on top of a 150’-high taconite tailings basin seven miles
from his farm. Jim Takala has 180 acres of it on a 500-acre basin at
United Taconite’s iron ore processing plant at Forbes. In this, the
first production year, he expects to harvest about 4 tons/acre from
three cuttings, despite an early summer dry spell. That’s about the
same yield he’ll get from his other fields.
Taconite tailings basins are disposal sites for waste rocks that are a
byproduct of iron ore production. The ground rocks have a high pH and
plenty of potassium and sulfur. The phosphorus and organic matter needed
by Takala’s alfalfa are in biosolids from a municipal waste treatment
facility.
There are six tailings basins on Minnesota’s Iron Range, and none of
the others are used for agricultural purposes, says Kendall Dykhuis, St.
Louis County extension educator. He’s providing technical assistance
on the project, and the Western Lake Superior Sanitary District, Duluth,
is spreading the biosolids.
For more on Takala, watch for the August issue of Hay & Forage
Grower.
|
The Kentucky Forage and Grassland Council (KFGC) is accepting
nominations for its 2009 awards program. The program recognizes
deserving individuals representing producers, industry and the public
sector (state and county).
KFGC is also seeking nominations for its Forage Spokesman Contest held
in conjunction with the 10th Kentucky Grazing Conference in Princeton on
Oct. 29.
To learn more about these programs and/or to submit nominations, email
University of Kentucky extension forage specialist Ray Smith at raysmith1@uky.edu.
|
21 Percent drop in Wyoming’s beef
cattle population over the last decade, according to the 2009 Wyoming
Agricultural Statistics report. The report is produced by USDA, the
Wyoming Business Council and the University of Wyoming. A
moderate-to-severe drought that gripped the state from early 1999 to
mid-2008 was a major cause of the decline. The state cattle herd has
started to rebound. According to last January’s USDA inventory, cattle
numbers in the state were up 3% over year-earlier levels.
41 Number of Wisconsin counties declared to
be in a state of emergency due to drought. Last week’s declaration,
from Gov. Jim Doyle, allows the Wisconsin Department of Natural
Resources to expedite farmers’ requests for temporary irrigation
permits to divert stream or lake water to irrigate crops.
100 Approximate number of hay growers who
have already submitted entries in this year’s Southeastern Hay
Contest. The contest will be held in conjunction with the Sunbelt
Agriculture Exposition in Moultrie, GA, in October. The entry deadline
is Sept. 30. For more information on the contest, open to growers in 13
states, go to www.georgiaforages.com/ and
click on Upcoming Events.
1,600 Acres of Illinois farmland to be
auctioned by VeraSun Energy Corp. on Sept. 10 pending the approval of a
court overseeing the company’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The company had
acquired the land over the years in support of its ethanol-related
businesses. The auction is being managed by Schrader Real Estate and
Auction Co., Inc. For more information, go to www.schraderauction.com or
phone 800-451-2709.
$6.3 million Amount of joint funding for
fundamental genomics research that may lead to improved use of plant
feedstocks – including miscanthus, switchgrass, purple false brome and
sweet sorghum – for biofuel production. The U.S. Department of Energy
will provide $4 million for four projects, while USDA is awarding $2.3
million to three projects. Source: www.renewableenergyworld.com.
|
 Use
our site to search for forage production tips! Plus, read what other
growers are doing to stay profitable.
|
Indiana
After a slow start to the growing season due to cool, wet weather, the
hay crop has been coming on nicely at Dennis Heaton’s Agri Venture Hay
Farms near Russiaville.
“We were just a shade below average on yield for first crop,” says
Heaton, who puts up small square bales of alfalfa-grass hay on 160
acres. “But it’s been getting better and better with each cutting.
It’s been an unusual year.”
While growers in many areas of the state have struggled with alfalfa
weevils and other insects, Heaton has been able to avoid problems. “We
do foliar feeding and use an insecticide, and that really seems to help
in a year like this,” he says.
Heaton markets his hay to horse owners throughout the U.S. For the past
five or six years, he’s relied more and more on Internet hay marketing
sites like the Internet Hay
Exchange and the Hay Barn to
link up with customers. He also recently launched his own farm Web site
at www.agriventurehayfarms.com.
Heaton’s daughter-in-law designed the site. He pays $10/month for Web
hosting.
He’s also getting set up to accept credit card payments from
customers. “We’ve been stuck with some bad checks on sales out of
state. Hopefully, going this route will solve that problem.”
Heaton, who does his own trucking, is also considering going back to
farm license plates and getting away from commercial licensing. “With
the economy the way it is, it’s getting tougher all the time to line
up backhauls. And it’s gotten so expensive to haul commercially.
Between the (commercial) plates and the insurance, we’re paying out
$10,000-12,000/year.”
With farm plates, he can still move his hay to customers in other states
and look to buy products that he can sell locally after the return trip.
“These days, you have to figure all the angles,” he says.
Heaton can be contacted by phone at 765-883-5033 or via email at hayman5033@aol.com.
Texas
Rainfall amounts of four-tenths of an inch to three inches last week
kicked off a round of haymaking activity in East Texas, reports Aaron
Low, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension agent in Cherokee County. “Prior to
last week, we were hurting for rainfall pretty bad,” says Low. “But
this week, there’s hay on the ground everywhere you look.”
Even so, Low says, the lack of early season precipitation has put area
growers behind schedule. He points out that the bermudagrass and
bahiagrass now being baled is second cutting. “Ordinarily, people
would be between second and third cuttings at this point. Usually
we’ll get three to four cuttings a year. But this year I don’t think
anybody is even thinking about a fourth cutting unless they’re doing
some kind of irrigating.”
Other parts of the state – most notably central and southern Texas –
remain locked up in an extreme drought. “We’re getting several calls
a week from people looking to buy any hay that might be available,”
says Low.
By far, conditions are most dire in counties south of Interstate Highway
10, according to a report last week from AgriLife Extension. "Range and
pastures remain in very poor condition with forage supply and livestock
water from stock tanks at critically low levels," says Isaac Cavazos,
Low’s counterpart in McMullen County. "Low forage supply conditions,
coupled with high feed prices and low stock-tank water levels, are
forcing ranchers to further cull their herds and in some cases liquidate
the entire herd.”
While things have “perked up a little” in Cherokee County with the
recent rains, many pastures remain stressed, Low reports. “A lot of
livestock producers are still having to feed hay,” he says.
Low can be contacted at 903-683-5416 or arlow@ag.tamu.edu.
|
August can be a great time to start a new alfalfa field, but be
careful to protect your investment with proper grasshopper control,
advises Bruce Anderson, University of Nebraska extension forage
specialist.
“Few things are more frustrating or more costly than when these
tender, young seedlings are devoured by grasshoppers,” he says.
“While grasshoppers are a threat somewhere every year, reports are
particularly high in western Nebraska this year.”
Anderson advises scouting for grasshoppers before planting. “If you
find more than two or three grasshoppers per square yard (in the field)
or more than 10 grasshoppers per square yard in field margins, apply an
insecticide.”
Treat field margins before new alfalfa seedlings emerge, advises
Anderson. Orthene has worked well in field margins, but is not labeled
for use directly on alfalfa. Other options for field margins include the
pyrethroids Asana, Proaxis, Warrior and Mustang Max, which also could be
used in the field after crop emergence. Use the highest rate allowed on
the label.
|
The Kansas Forage and Grassland Council is planning a field trip of
agricultural businesses in the Dodge City area on Aug. 26. Stops will
include the Prairie Fire BioEnergy Cooperative plant in Healy; the Sharp
Bros. Seed Company and test plots, also in Healy; and Royal Farms Dairy
near Garden City.
The bus will leave Dodge City at 7:30 a.m. The cost is $35 (lunch
included). For registration or more details, phone 620-431-1530.
|
Aug. 25 -- Regional Clover Meeting, Tommy Shealy’s T & S
Farm, Leesville, SC. To register, phone 864-445-8117, ext. 416, or email
prperry@clemson.edu by Friday,
Aug. 21.
Aug. 27 -- 2009 Arlington Agronomy And Soils Field Day,
University of Wisconsin Agricultural Research Station, Arlington.
Download the program at ipcm.wisc.edu.
Sept. 2 -- Wisconsin Forage And Tillage Expo, D and D Hawkins
Farm, Chippewa Falls. Phone the Chippewa County UW-Extension office at
715-726-7950.
Sept. 3-5 -- Stockman’s School For Profit, Rockin H Ranch,
Norwood, MO. Phone 417-259-2333 or email cdholmes@hughes.net.
Sept. 14-16 -- South Dakota Grazing School, Oacoma. Sponsored by
South Dakota Grass Coalition. Phone 605-688-6623 or 605-280-0127 or
visit www.sdgrass.org.
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. 22-23 -- Georgia Grazing School, University of Georgia
Livestock Instruction Arena, Athens. Go to www.georgiaforages.com/.
Sept. 29-Oct. 3 -- World Dairy Expo, Alliant Energy Center,
Madison, WI. Visit www.worlddairyexpo.com.
Oct. 20-22 -- 2009 Southeast Hay Contest/Sunbelt Ag Expo,
Moultrie, GA. Contact University of Georgia extension forage specialist
Dennis Hancock at 706-542-1529 or dhancock@uga.edu.
Oct. 23-24 -- Virginia Tech University’s 2009 Mid-Atlantic
Grass-Finished Livestock Conference, Holiday Inn Conference Center,
Staunton, VA. Contact Margaret Kenny at 434-292-5331 or makenny@vt.edu.
Oct. 29 -- Kentucky Grazing Conference, University of Kentucky
Research and Education Center, Princeton. Visit www.uky.edu/Ag/Forage.
For a complete list of upcoming events, click here.
|
|
|
To unsubscribe from this newsletter go to: Unsubscribe
To subscribe to this newsletter, go to: Subscribe
You are subscribed to this newsletter as #email#
To get this newsletter in a different format (Text or HTML),
or to change your e-mail address, please visit your profile
page to change your delivery preferences.
For questions concerning delivery of this newsletter, please contact our
Customer Service Department at:
Hay and Forage Grower
A Penton Media publication
US Toll Free: 866-505-7173
International: 847-763-9504
Email:hayandforage@pbinews.com
Penton Media | 249 W. 17th Street | New York, NY 10011
Copyright 2009, Penton Media. All rights reserved. This article is
protected by United States copyright and other intellectual property
laws and may not be reproduced, rewritten, distributed, re-disseminated,
transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast, directly or indirectly,
in any medium without the prior written permission of Penton Media.
|
|
|
