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by Rick Mooney
Editor, eHay Weekly
The long-awaited draft of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on
Roundup Ready alfalfa may still be released before the end of this year,
say officials at USDA’s Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service
(APHIS).
“APHIS has made good progress on the document and currently
anticipates releasing a draft EIS later this year,” stated APHIS
officials in an email response to eHay Weekly last week. “USDA
does not have a timeline for when a final EIS and record of decision
will be published. However, completing the EIS is a high priority for
USDA, and we are mindful of the impacts that the timing of our process
could have on alfalfa producers.”
The need for an EIS developed in spring 2007, when a California federal
judge ruled in a lawsuit brought by the Center For Food Safety and a
conventional seed grower that USDA should have completed an EIS before
deregulating the crop. The judge also issued an injunction prohibiting
the sale of Roundup Ready alfalfa seed until the EIS was completed.
Initially, the EIS process was expected to take two years, with the
draft finished by late 2008. But there have been several delays, and
USDA has been criticized for its slow progress.
“It’s frustrating and disappointing,” says alfalfa grower Steve
Rice, Wilsonville, NE. “It’s really unfortunate that we have an
advancement in technology like this and we can’t use it because it’s
tied up in the judicial system.”
Depending on the year, Rice and his brother, Scott, grow alfalfa on
1,500-2,000 acres, producing large square bales for the dairy and beef
feedlot markets. The Rices have their own transport company and have
marketed hay in 21 states.
They planted 250 acres of Roundup Ready alfalfa the first year seed was
available to get better control over hybrid pigweed. “It did exactly
what we wanted it to,” says Rice. “We planted it in the fall and
sprayed with Roundup. That’s the only time we had to spray for the
first two years we had the stand. If it had continued to be available,
we would have planted the whole farm to it. We were thrilled to death
with it.”
Click
here to read the entire story.
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Market uncertainty remains a major challenge for getting the U.S.
cellulosic biofuels industry off the ground, says Wally Tyner, ag
economist and energy policy analyst at Purdue University.
Tyner points out that there are no commercial cellulosic biofuels plants
operating in the U.S. Getting them built will require biofuels companies
to enter into new kinds of contracts with farmers supplying feedstocks
such as switchgrass and Miscanthus.
“These plants cost $400 million to build, and nobody’s going to sink
$400 million into concrete and steel until they’ve got a guaranteed
supply of feedstock,” he says. “And getting a guaranteed supply of
feedstock means convincing farmers that (the plants) are going to be
there 10 years from now to take their Miscanthus or switchgrass. The
plant has to be convinced that the farmer is going to be there 10 years
from now, as well. It’s a whole new ballgame.”
Government subsidy programs for renewable fuels would also need to
change for the biofuels industry to take off, Tyner says. “Right now,
everything in the U.S. is on a per-gallon basis. So, today, for
cellulosic biofuels you get $1.01 per gallon whether you’re producing
ethanol or biogasoline. Biogasoline has 50% more energy than bioethanol,
yet it gets the same subsidy. We could consider moving to the kind of
system Europe has, where everything is based on energy content. That
would level the playing field.”
For more on biofuels, watch for our January issue of Hay & Forage
Grower. Or visit our More Fuel From Forages section
in hayandforage.com, where
news on the biofuels industry is posted regularly.
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Plentiful rainfall in parts of Nebraska this fall has given winter
annual weeds a good start in green alfalfa fields, notes Bruce Anderson,
University of Nebraska extension forage specialist.
“I can almost guarantee that this density and robust start suggests
heavy weed growth next spring,” says Anderson. “Left uncontrolled,
weeds could grow rapidly, reducing alfalfa yield, thinning stands and
lowering forage quality.”
To avoid a weed infestation next spring, Anderson advises spraying
fields now, before soils freeze up. “Probably the three best
herbicides to use right now are Sencor, Sinbar, and Velpar. All three do
an excellent job of controlling pennycress, mustards, and downy brome.
If henbit is your biggest problem, though, Raptor might be a better
choice.”
Anderson says that some producers might opt to wait until early next
spring so they don’t have to spend money on herbicides this fall. The
problem with that approach is that spring spraying must be done before
alfalfa greens up to avoid injuring alfalfa. “Usually, there are only
a few days in spring where alfalfa is dormant, weeds are actively
growing, and it’s not too wet or windy. Most of the time, fields
don’t get sprayed at all or they get sprayed late, and alfalfa suffers
some setback.”
|
 Looking for top quality alfalfa? Syngenta has a complete
line-up of varieties for your needs. From Genoa, the three-time Forage
Superbowl winner to new 6552, a top performer in non-dormant areas. For
more, see your Garst seed advisor, Golden Harvest dealer or NK retailer.
The Syngenta logo is a trademark of a Syngenta Group
Company.
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Prices for alfalfa hay in the Midwest were all over the map during
late October, according to the Weekly
Hay Market Demand and Prices Report for the Upper Midwest. The
report is compiled by the University of Wisconsin’s Ken Barnett.
As of Oct. 30, Barnett notes, small square bale prices were down 11%
compared to week-earlier prices, while large square bale prices were up
24%. Large round bale prices were down 1%. Overall, he says, sales
activity was “very light to light.”
Prime hay (151-RFV/RFQ or higher) prices for small squares averaged
$146/ton; large squares, $160; and large rounds, $112. Grade 1 (125-150
RFV/RFQ) prices averaged $91 for large squares and $77 for large rounds.
Grade 2 (103-124 RFV/RFQ) average prices were $79 for large squares and
$60/ton for large rounds.
For regional straw prices, small square bales were bringing an average
of $3.13/bale with a range of $2-4. Large square bales of straw were
fetching $37/bale with a range of $35-39.
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A cooler-than-normal growing season and an early frost that
ended crop development earlier than desired has left many Midwestern
farmers with corn crops still high in moisture. University of Wisconsin
Extension’s Farmer To Farmer
Corn and Forage List is designed to help livestock producers in
need of high-moisture corn find farmers who have it for sale. The Web
site also carries listings for corn grain, haylage, hay and straw.
There’s no charge for using the listing service.
Hayandstraw4u.com, a buy/sell listing service for hay and straw, and
ohioagriculture4u.com, a site serving ag interests in Ohio, can now be
accessed at agriculture4u.com. As in the
past, the combined site provides free producer listings that are grouped
by state. For additional information, email listing@agriculture4u.com.
Crop and livestock specialists at the University of Wisconsin and
University of Illinois are reminding dairy producers to be on the
lookout for mold and mycotoxins in corn due to this fall’s record
rainfall and cold weather. Get specifics at hayandforage.com.
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 New from National Alfalfa &
Forage Alliance and Hay & Forage Grower
The Fall Dormancy & Pest Resistance Ratings for Alfalfa Varieties
2010 Edition is now available in print and online. National Alfalfa
& Forage Alliance produced and Hay & Forage Grower published the
2010 Varieties Guide. The 2010 Varieties Guide is well-regarded within
the alfalfa seed industry as the most accurate listing of alfalfa
varieties ratings available. Click here for the
2010 Alfalfa Varieties Guide.
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Florida
Prices for high-quality grass hay destined for the horse market
throughout Florida have dropped off by about 10% from year-ago levels,
reports Mark Randell, Wellborn.
Randell grows 500 acres of coastal bermudagrass hay. Most of his crop is
packaged in net-wrapped, 46” or 54” bales or rolls, but he does put
up “a few small squares” for select customers. “Backyard” horse
owners with one to five animals, along with feed stores and brokers
serving the horse market, are his primary target market. A small share
of his annual production goes to dairies and beef operations in northern
Florida. He also buys and resells hay.
This year’s price slip, says Randell, is due mostly to a shrinking
horse population. “A lot of the market has gone away. With money
tightening up, a lot of people have gotten rid of their animals because
they can’t afford to feed them. I have customers who used to own five
or six horses but are now down to just one or two. Some don’t have any
animals anymore.”
That means customer service is more important than ever, he says. “The
big thing for most people is knowing they can depend on what they’re
going to get and when they’re going to get it. For the feed-store
guys, if they tell their customers they’re going to have hay on a
certain day, it had better be there. Dairy farmers want to know
they’ll be able to get the hay they need to keep their rations
properly balanced at all times.”
Randell also offers a guarantee. “It doesn’t happen very often, but
if a reliable customer isn’t happy with a bale, I tell them to bring
it back. I tell the feed-store owners to do the same thing. It’s all
about word of mouth. There are a lot of people out here selling hay. If
you have a good reputation for dealing fairly with people, customers
will come to you first.”
To contact Randell, call 386-208-2758 or email mrandell@windstream.net.
West Virginia
Making use of free Internet hay-listing sites can be a great way to
attract new customers and boost sales, say part-time growers Richard and
Natasha Bleigh, Summersville, WV.
Prior to this year, the Bleighs relied mostly on word-of-mouth
advertising to generate local sales. The couple grow timothy, clover and
orchardgrass hay on 40 acres, putting up two cuttings in a typical
growing season. They package the hay in round bales and small squares.
Most is sold directly to horse owners with one to five animals, although
they do have one regular customer with 40 horses. Richard’s parents,
Larry and Anita, are also involved in the operation. The 140-acre farm
has been in the family since 1946.
The Bleighs listed their hay on the West Virginia Department of
Agriculture’s Market
Bulletin and West Virginia University’s Hay Sales
site. Neither site charges for listings.
Their listings generated more than 50 calls from potential buyers. While
most of the calls were in-state, the Bleighs also had inquiries from as
far away as Texas. “For the most part, we had at least one call every
day,” says Richard. “The only downside was that we didn’t have
near enough hay to fill everybody’s order. We had to put people on a
waiting list.”
The Bleighs used a two-tier approach for pricing their hay this year.
For first-cutting small squares weighing 40-45 lbs, they charged $3/bale
in the field. Second-cutting small squares brought $4/bale. For round
bales (4 x 5’ weighing around 900 lbs), they charged $35/bale for
first cutting, $40/bale for second cutting.
To expand their operation next year, the Bleighs plan to get another
50-acre field ready for production. “A lot will depend on what kind of
weather we have,” says Richard.
They’re also planning to increase the percentage of hay they put up in
the small square packages.
The Bleighs bought their first square baler this year. “There’s kind
of a niche developing around here for the small squares,” Richard
says. Many horse owners prefer them because they don’t require
handling equipment. At the same time, more growers in the area have
switched to large rounds because labor is getting tougher to find.
To contact the Bleighs, call 304-742-5774 or email rbleigh1@verizon.net.
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The 13th Annual University of Wisconsin Arlington Dairy Day will be
held at the Arlington Agricultural Research Station on Dec. 9.
The event will showcase the latest dairy-related research findings from
various departments of the UW-Madison College of Agriculture and Life
Sciences. Breakout sessions will focus on dairy enterprise trends and
returns, Wisconsin alfalfa yields, energy efficiencies and carbon
footprint of dairy production systems, and more.
The registration fee is $25/person if sent by Nov. 25. After that date,
the fee is $35/person. For more information, call 608-263-3308.
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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.
Visit www.mbforagecouncil.mb.ca, call 204-622-2006 or register
online.
Dec. 2-4 -- Western Alfalfa And Forage Conference, Grand Sierra
Resort & Casino, Reno, NV. Go to alfalfa.ucdavis.edu.
Dec. 4-5: Missouri Livestock Symposium, Kirksville Middle School,
Kirksville. Visit www.missourilivestock.com.
Dec. 10 -- 2009 Alabama Forage And Grassland Conference,
University of West Alabama, Livingston. Contact Don Ball at
334-844-5491 or dball@aces.edu.
Dec. 13-16 -- Fourth National Conference On Grazing Lands, Reno,
NV. Presented by the Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative. Visit www.glci.org.
Dec. 15 -- Mid-Missouri Grazing Conference, Boone County
Fairgrounds, Columbia. For more information, contact Ed Gillmore or
Peggy Lemons at 573-893-5188, ext. 3.
Jan. 13-14 -- Washington State Hay Growers Association (WSHGA) Annual
Convention and Trade Show, Three Rivers Convention Center,
Kennewick. Details to come at www.wa-hay.org/convention.
Jan. 14-15 -- 2010 New Mexico Hay And Forage Conference, Ruidoso
Convention Center, Ruidoso, NM. Visit www.nmhay.com or call 575-626-5677.
Jan. 26-27 -- Midwest Forage Association, Wisconsin Custom Operators
and Professional Nutrient Applicators Symposium And Annual Meetings,
Chula Vista Resort, Wisconsin Dells, WI. For details, contact the
Midwest Forage Association.
Feb. 2-3 -- 2010 Mid-America Alfalfa Expo, Buffalo County
Fairgrounds, Kearney, NE. For details, visit www.alfalfaexpo.com, call Barb
Kinnan at 800-743-1649 or email her at nebalf@cozadtel.net.
Feb 8-12 -- Minnesota Forage Days, held at various locations
throughout the state. Call 651-484-3888 or visit the University of Minnesota
forage Web site for specific locations, dates and times.
Feb. 16-17 -- Idaho Hay And Forage Conference, Best Western
Burley Inn, Burley. Contact Glenn Shewmaker at 208-736-3608 or gshew@uidaho.edu.
April 8-9 -- Hay Production School, Spence Field, Moultrie, GA.
Details at www.georgiaforages.com.
June 20-22 -- American Forage And Grassland Council Annual
Conference, University Plaza Hotel, Springfield, MO. Details to come
at www.afgc.org.
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