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Hay & Forage Grower
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Ervin Gara III, Torrington, WY, was back in the winner’s circle
at the World’s Forage Analysis Superbowl last week. Gara captured
first place in the commercial hay category.
This is the second time Gara has notched first-place honors in the
category at the superbowl, held in conjunction with World Dairy Expo in
Madison, WI. He also has an overall championship (2006) as well as a
fifth-place commercial hay award to his credit.
Gara’s 2009 entry, from a fourth alfalfa cutting, had a relative
forage quality (RFQ) score of 302. The entry tested 24.6% crude protein,
23.1% NDF and 53.9% NDF digestibility.
At times this year, Gara was wondering if he would even have an entry.
“It was a terrible year for growing dairy-quality hay in our area,”
he says. “We had rain every cutting. We didn’t even get started
cutting until June 15. Ordinarily we start around May 25.”
Gara was part of a delegation of Wyoming hay growers making the trip to
Madison for the five-day expo. Besides taking part in the superbowl, the
group manned an exhibit booth promoting Wyoming hay throughout the
event. “We’ve been coming to this event for nearly 20 years,” says
Scott Keith, livestock and forage program manager of the Wyoming
Business Council. “It gives us an opportunity to showcase the kind of
hay we can harvest in Wyoming. It’s a great way to put our hay in
front of a large segment of the dairy marketplace. Dairy producers from
every state and all over the world are here.”
From an individual marketing standpoint, Gara says competing in the
superbowl and attending World Dairy Expo are a good use of time. “It
gives you a chance to get your name out there. People see that I grow
good-quality hay that will work well in their dairy programs. Every
year, I meet somebody new looking to buy some hay.”
To see a complete wrap-up of this year’s superbowl results and/or to
get information about entering next year’s contest, go to hayandforage.com.
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Company.
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If you’re planning to return former Conservation Reserve Program
(CRP) acres to pasture or hay production next year, prepare them by
first removing old litter, thickening stands and providing fencing and
water resources, says University of Nebraska extension forage specialist
Bruce Anderson.
The fastest and most effective way to remove dead litter and thicken
grass stands is with prescribed burning in spring. “Obviously, only
use fire where it can be handled safely and legally, and where it won't
cause other potential problems like wind erosion,” says Anderson. For
more information and assistance in planning a prescribed burn, contact
your local extension or NRCS office. “Also, be sure to get a permit
from your local fire department before proceeding.”
While haying can be another option, Anderson advises weighing potential
benefits against possible challenges – running harvest equipment on
rough terrain, dealing with a large amount of dead growth and
sidestepping pocket gopher mounds that can plug equipment.
In some cases, flog grazing might be your best bet. This technique
involves placing a large number of cows on a small area for a brief time
to graze and trample the plant litter. Start flogging as soon as
allowed, before the snow flies and grasses still have some nutrition,
using temporary electric fences as needed.
As a guideline, Anderson advises using at least 100,000 lbs of
cattle/acre (100 cows/acre) when flog grazing. “With this high
stocking density, animals recycle nutrients as they trample dead litter
into the ground and open the soil for new seedlings and tillers. This
increases soil organic matter and hastens the return of nutrients that
were trapped in the dead forage back to the soil. In addition, nutrients
from the forage and cattle feed will be spread back on the ground as
manure and urine to enrich the soil for better grass growth next
year.”
Leave the cattle in an area for only one to seven days, then move them
to another area and repeat the process until all the overgrown CRP acres
have been flogged.
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Cooler evenings and shorter days reduce drying time for late-season
hay, which could result in damaged hay if it’s baled too wet, says
North Dakota State University extension dairy specialist J.W. Schroeder.
He recommends taking a close look at using hay preservatives to head off
potential problems.
“Preservatives inhibit or reduce the growth of aerobic microbes in
moist hay, which eliminates heating and the subsequent loss of
digestibility,” notes Schroeder. “Severe heating can reduce protein
digestibility to almost zero.” Preservatives also allow hay to be
baled at a higher moisture content, reducing the length of time the hay
lies in the field and lowering the risk of rain damage. Baling at higher
moisture reduces the dry-matter and nutrient losses caused by leaf
shatter.
While there are a variety of preservative products available, Schroeder
says propionic acid may be the best fit in most hay-growing operations.
“Propionic acid has been the most effective and most tested
preservative available.”
To use propionic acid – a liquid – tanks and a spray application
system will need to be added to your baler. Space spray nozzles so the
chemical distributes over all the forage as it enters the baling
chamber. The hay’s moisture content will determine the amount of
active ingredient applied. Small bales with 20-25% moisture should be
treated with about 0.5% propionic acid. Increase the application rate to
1% for hay with 25-30% moisture. “Researchers have not found a
consistent response to any preservative used on hay containing more than
30% moisture,” Schroeder says. For adequate coverage, he recommends
using a 50% solution and applying twice as much of the diluted acid.
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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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Researchers at North Dakota State University (NDSU) have developed
an Excel spreadsheet to help farmers and ranchers evaluate the
profitability of supplying biomass to be used for co-firing in
electrical power plants.
Called Producer Model for Biomass Comparison, the spreadsheet compares
the profitability of raising a new biomass crop with existing crops
already on a producer’s farm or ranch. NDSU biofuels economist Cole
Gustafson says the program is flexible enough to handle estimates for
harvesting biomass residues from existing crops as well as from new
annuals and perennials strictly raised for biomass harvesting, such as
switchgrass.
To use the program, producers either enter existing data or their own
production costs for the biomass crop they are interested in producing.
Next, expected yields and prices for the biomass crop are entered. The
program then calculates prices the user would have to receive for
traditional crops grown on his farm to be competitive. “If the biomass
crop is more profitable than traditional cropping opportunities, the
user might want to obtain more information about the biomass
opportunity,” Gustafson explains.
He notes that the program is still under refinement and comments and
suggestions from users are welcome. To check it out, go to
www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu.
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- The results of 26 independent research projects involving
switchgrass have been summarized in a new technical bulletin gathered by
researchers at North Carolina State University and USDA’s Agricultural
Research Service. The research covers everything from switchgrass
establishment and management challenges to the crop’s potential as a
livestock feed and biofuels feedstock. Copies of Switchgrass –
Research Bulletin TB-326 can be ordered online using the
downloadable order form at www.cals.ncsu.edu.
The cost is $8/copy.
- University of Wisconsin extension educator Ken Barnett has updated
the Alfalfa Profitability by Year and Fertilizer Cost Calculator. The
spreadsheet estimates yields and profits for alfalfa stands from
establishment to the fourth year of production based on alfalfa base
yield and fertilizer costs. Check out the spreadsheet and other papers
and bulletins from the University of Wisconsin’s Team Forage Web site
at www.uwex.edu.
- RanchTV is a new Web site developed by the Texas AgriLife Extension
Service. The site offers more than 150 short videos on beef cattle
industry topics. To access the site, go to ranchtv.org.
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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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California
“The phone’s been ringing off the hook with calls from people
looking to sell hay,” says John Bellandi, owner of Alamo Hay and
Grain, a retail feed outlet in Alamo, CA. “People are desperate.
I’ve been selling hay for more than 30 years, and I’ve never seen it
this bad. It’s a mess.”
Depending on quality, Bellandi reports that mixed grass-alfalfa horse
hay, packaged in 115-lb, three-string bales, is currently selling for
$10-14/bale in his area. A year ago, the same kind of hay was bringing
$16-17/bale. Hay sales at Alamo are off at least 30% this year.
“It’s that way throughout the whole area,” he says. “When the
economy got out of control in February and March, people started getting
rid of their horses. They just can’t afford to feed them anymore. It
costs as much to feed a horse every month as it does a kid.”
Top-of-the-line orchardgrass is about the only kind of hay holding up on
price. “It will still bring $180-200/ton,” he says. “Even a year
ago, it was bringing $260/ton.”
Dairy-quality alfalfa prices have dropped off by at least $100/ton from
year-ago levels. Currently, tested alfalfa is selling for around
$135/ton. “Dairy farmers are out of money,” he says.
Hay supplies are backed up throughout California’s Central Valley.
“If you drive up and down Interstate 5, you’ll see stack after stack
of second-, third-, fourth- cutting alfalfa sitting there with ‘for
sale’ signs on them. That hay should have been sold and put in the
barn long ago. We’re only five or six weeks away from winter and the
rain.”
Pennsylvania
It’s been a tough year for making quality hay in western Pennsylvania,
reports commercial grower John Bennett of Kittanning. “We had way too
much rain all summer long,” he says. “We just couldn’t catch a
break.”
Bennett puts up grass hay in small square, large square and round bales.
His target markets are horse owners – stables and individuals – and
beef cow operations. He also has a contract with a mushroom grower.
“It gives us another outlet for some of our hay,” Bennett says of
the sales to the mushroomer. “It’s steady and it’s convenient.”
While rain was the major hurdle through most of the growing season,
other weather glitches came early on. “We had a late frost (late
April) that knocked the tops right off the orchardgrass. It never caught
up, never got tall. Overall, grass yields in this area were off by 30%
from normal.”
Prices in Bennett’s area are trending downward from year-ago levels.
He says good-quality horse hay is selling for around $100/ton. “A year
ago, it was bringing about $150, while fancy hay was bringing around
$200/ton.”
Bennett doesn’t rely solely on market reports to establish price. “I
deal mostly with repeat customers I’ve been working with for a long
time. I try to set my prices based on what it costs me to produce the
hay. It comes down to what’s fair.”
Getting a handle on where demand for horse hay in his area might be
headed is difficult. “I suspect it will be down some. The people at
the stables tell me their boarding numbers are holding about the same,
but riding lessons and trail rides have dropped off a little. People
don’t have the discretionary income. At the same time, people still
have to feed their horses.”
Bennett emphasizes service in his business. He would prefer not to put
up small square bales (about a fourth of his business), but still has
several horse-owner customers with barns that can’t accommodate large
square delivery. Long-term, though, he believes more and more horse
owners will come to appreciate the benefits of large square bales.
“It’s a matter of educating people,” he says. “The small square
bales are just so much work. You have to line up people to handle them,
drag the elevator out and then stack them in the barn. With the large
square bales, you deliver them, place them in the barn, cut the strings
and feed them. They’re a lot more efficient for seller and buyer
alike.”
To contact Bennett, call 724-664-5515 or email lbennett@windstream.net.
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The University of Wisconsin’s Integrated Pest and Crop Management
Program is turning to the video-sharing Web site YouTube to get out
educational materials to crop growers. “Scouting Alfalfa For Potato
Leafhopper” is a seven-minute video featuring IPM’s Bryan Jensen. In
the video, Jensen explains how to use scouting to determine if
leafhopper numbers in freshly cut alfalfa have reached the economic
threshold justifying treatment. To see the video, go to
www.youtube.com.
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This year’s Kentucky Grazing Conference will take place at the
University of Kentucky Research and Education Center in Princeton on
Oct. 29.
Topics at the morning educational sessions will include new developments
in grazing species and varieties, controlling weeds in pasture, tall
fescue grazing research and more. The afternoon session will feature the
Kentucky Forage and Grassland Council (KFGC) business meeting, KFGC
awards and the Forage Spokesman Contest.
Registration fee for the event is $15. Included are proceedings, a meal
and refreshments. For more information, contact Christi Forsythe at
270-365-7541, ext. 221, or cforsyth@uky.edu. Additional
information is available at www.uky.edu/Ag/Forage.
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Oct. 9 -- Cover Crop Field Day, Smith Oak Farm,
Reynoldsville, PA. Contact the Jefferson Conservation District at
814-849-7463 or go to jeffersonconservation.com/.
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.
Oct. 29 -- LSU AgCenter Calhoun Research Station Field Day,
Calhoun, LA. Innovative uses for forest and forage biomass will be
featured. Contact Michael Blazier at 318-927-2578 or mblazier@agcenter.lsu.edu.
Nov. 4-6 -- DHI-Provo 55th-Annual Herd Management Training
Conference, Provo, UT. Details at www.dhiprovo.com.
Nov. 18-19 -- McCook Farm And Ranch Expo, Red Willow County
Fairgrounds, McCook, NE. Visit mccookfarmandranchexpo.net
or call 866-685-0989.
Dec. 1-2 – Manitoba Grazing School, Victoria Inn, Brandon. Call
204-622-2006.
Dec. 2-4 -- Western Alfalfa And Forage Conference, Grand Sierra
Resort & Casino, Reno, NV. Go to alfalfa.ucdavis.edu/+symposium/2009/.
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.
April 8-9, 2010 -- Hay Production School, Spence Field, Moultrie,
GA. Details at www.georgiaforages.com.
June 20-22, 2010 -- American Forage And Grassland Council Annual
Conference, University Plaza Hotel, Springfield, MO. Details to come
at www.afgc.org.
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