|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
by Rick Mooney
Editor, eHay Weekly
Developing a logo design for your marketing program is sound business
strategy, says Kevin Carmichael, founder of the online hay marketing Web
site AgriHayExchange.
“A logo projects an image of professionalism,” he says. “People
see it and think, ‘This business is established and takes a
professional approach to what it's doing.’ They feel better about
doing business with you.”
If you have a talent or knack for graphic design, you can design a logo
yourself. Carmichael opted to turn the chore over to an online design
firm. “I fiddled with a couple of designs, but I just couldn't come up
with something I really liked,” he says. “The company I worked with
took my suggestions, then had three different designers draw something
up. We went back and forth and eventually came up with a design we
thought would work.”
Carmichael uses the logo on his Web site, business stationary, invoices,
business cards and in print ads in newspapers and magazines. “A logo
sticks in people's minds. It's nice to have one on any printed material
– business cards, brochures, etc. – you hand out at a trade show or
leave with customers. People tend to forget a company name, but they'll
remember a simple, well-designed logo.”
His logo consists of two silhouetted alfalfa plants set against a plain
tan background. “For colors, I wanted to stick with those that you see
in agriculture and that would also work in with the colors on my Web
site. You also want to avoid going overboard on the design itself. Think
of something simple. It certainly worked for Nike and its Swoosh.”
The cost of having the design done will vary by company. Carmichael says
to figure on a minimum price of $150 or so. “It's like anything else;
you get what you pay for. You really can't go wrong for a couple hundred
dollars."
Hay grower Andy Stock also used an online design service to create a
logo for his Stock Hay Co. in
Murdock, NE. Stock puts up alfalfa, teff and bromegrass hay in 3 x 4 x
8' bales on 400 acres. He markets top-quality alfalfa to dairies in
Nebraska and as far away as Mississippi and Indiana. For beef-quality
hay, local feedlots are his best customers. He's also considering
branching out and marketing to horse owners.
“I took a few marketing classes in college where we spent a fair
amount of time talking about the importance of creating a brand for
yourself,” says Stock. “The logo is part of that. It's something
that people can identify your company with. And it sends a subtle
message that you approach your business in a professional way. You're
not just another person out in the country with a few bales of hay to
sell.”
Like Carmichael, Stock uses the logo – which is tied into his company
slogan, “We put the pro in protein” – on a variety of business
materials. Those include invoices, monthly statements, fax cover pages,
business cards and the thank-you notes he sends to customers several
times a year.
“It makes those things stand out a little more from the competition.
For example, my dairy customers get quite a few different business cards
from other hay growers. By taking a little more time and investing a
little more money in those materials to project an organized,
professional image, I'll be in a little better position to get their
business.”
Stock paid under $300 for the design. “I considered it pretty
inexpensive when you consider what other companies spend on logo design.
Some corporations spend thousands and thousands of dollars to develop a
logo.”
To contact Carmichael, call 215-853-2538 or email kcarmichael@KC-web.com. Stock
can be reached at 402-867-3341 or andy@stockhay.com.
|
 Looking for top quality alfalfa seed? Syngenta
has a complete line-up of varieties for your needs. From Genoa, the
three-time Forage Superbowl winner to new 6552, with excellent winter
survival and persistence. To learn more, see your Garst seed advisor,
Golden Harvest dealer or NK retailer.
The Syngenta logo is a trademark of a Syngenta Group
Company.
|
Wet weather early last week made it difficult for growers in parts
of California to get going on early season hay harvests, according to a
USDA Market News report issued Friday, April 16.
In Northern California, “the forecast of more rain next week has hay
producers wondering what to do,” read the report. “Most are waiting
for the weather to clear and the fields to dry more.”
Rain showers and the threat of rain were also slowing down growers in
much of the state’s Central Valley. “The weather has most hay
producers stalled out. The southern half of the valley has pretty much
finished first cutting and is waiting to start second, while the
northern half is still trying to get first cutting started or finished
up. Some hay recently put up (is) not testing as high as one would have
thought.”
|
Wet soils and weather delays have producers in many parts of the
country under the gun to get alfalfa planting and other field work
completed on schedule this spring.
University of Nebraska Extension forage specialist Bruce Anderson sees
air-seeding alfalfa as one option for saving time. Conventional alfalfa
planting requires several tillage operations to prepare a seedbed and is
followed up by drilling the seed. “By using a floater or air seeder
rather than a drill, you can reduce the number of tillage trips, as it's
best to leave the field a little rough,” says Anderson.
While planting is usually faster with this option, you’ll want to make
sure your custom applicator is experienced at spreading seed evenly.
“After broadcasting the seed, incorporate it just a little. Two quick
passes with a flat drag harrow or a roller seem to work best.”
No-till or reduced-tillage seeding is another option if you’re
crunched for time. Planting into bean stubble might be best, but small
grain and even corn and sorghum stubble can be used. If residue is
heavy, shred or chop stalks first so they’re uniformly spread across
the ground. After they dry, the drill will be able to cut through them
more easily. If the field has much ridging from previous crop rows, disk
lightly to level the ground so future trips across the field will not be
so rough.
If weeds are already present, Anderson recommends spraying a burndown
herbicide like glyphosate or Gramoxone before planting. “Then seed
no-till, and be ready to use a postemergence herbicide like Poast Plus,
Select, Buctril, Raptor or Pursuit,” he says.
|
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
|
12 Regional Extension centers to be
closed by University of Illinois Extension as part of a state
budget-cutting measure. Five of the centers will close at the end of
June. The others will close as office leases expire.
42 People following Hay & Forage Grower
on Twitter since the magazine started using this form of social
media last month. Check out the latest Hay and Forage Grower
tweets.
58 Members of the new Piedmont Forage and
Grassland Council following a recent organizational meeting in
Pendleton, SC. The organization will serve the forage community in the
northern halves of Georgia and South Carolina. Get more details at hayandforage.com.
79 Tons of hay sold at the Beaver Dam, WI,
Tested Hay Auction on April 6. For the entire season, more than 400 tons
were sold at the auction. Held twice a month from December through
April, the auction is sponsored by the Dodge County Forage Council and
University of Wisconsin Extension-Dodge County. See this year’s sales results.
150 Attendees at the University of
Georgia’s Hay Production School held at the Sunbelt Exposition Center
in Moultrie, GA, earlier this month. That’s double the number of
people who attended last year, says Extension forage specialist Dennis
Hancock. Download presentation
handouts.
|
Michigan
Spring’s early arrival in the state could mean higher-than-normal
insect pressure during the growing season, warns Jerry Lindquist,
Michigan State University Extension director in Osceola County.
“Historically, when we’ve had an early spring, we’ve had more
problems with alfalfa weevils,” he says. “Growers are going to have
to watch their fields closely to see what develops.”
Prospects for a recovery in the dairy industry continue to be a concern
of many hay growers. “Many of the forecasts were calling for milk
prices to continue rising through the fall months,” says Lindquist.
“But now we’ve hit a little blip in March and April. That has
everybody nervous. There are a lot of heifers out there waiting to come
into production.”
The weakness in the dairy sector put a cap on high-quality alfalfa hay
prices. “Supplies for that kind of hay were short because of the cool
and wet weather we had during the growing season last year,” he says.
“But even so, there was nothing in any volume selling for over
$200/ton.” The average price was in the $130-160 range, lower than
it was a year ago.
Lower-quality, grass-alfalfa mixed hay has been selling below $100/ton.
“There was an abundance of the lower-quality stuff put up last year. A
lot of people haven’t emptied their barns and most likely won’t be
doing so before we get into first cutting.”
To contact Lindquist, call 231-832-6139 or email lindquis@msu.edu.
Tennessee
The 2010 growing season is getting off to a good start in most parts of
the state, reports University of Tennessee Extension forage specialist
Gary Bates. “We’ve got plenty of moisture, and everything has been
getting warmed up and growing over the past several weeks. Most people
are pretty encouraged about the year ahead.”
More Tennessee hay growers have been planting bermudagrass in recent
years to get more summer production, Bates says. There’s also more
teff being planted. “We had plenty of moisture last year. But some
areas of the state had drought conditions the year before, and we had a
nasty, widespread drought in 2007. People have started looking at
grasses like teff to see how they might do in drier conditions.”
Nutrient management is also a hot topic among growers. “Fertilizer
prices have come down quite a bit from last year and the year before.
But with the slumping overall economy, people are still trying to figure
out how to stretch their input dollars. Soil testing is critical.”
He reminds producers that this year’s University of Tennessee Beef and
Forage Field Day will be held on June 10 near Knoxville. Details will be
coming soon to the university’s Institute of
Agriculture Web site.
Bates can be reached at 865-974-7208 or gbates@utk.edu.
|
 Hay & Forage Grower – Digital
Edition
Get all of the features of Hay & Forage Grower print editions
with all the interactive capabilities only available online.
Here's a sneak peak of our special Custom Forage Harvesting issue mailed
to custom operators across the U.S.:
- Look At Overlap Loss
- Optimize Your Chopper
- Tractor Power
- Employee Perks
Click here to view
the digital edition.
|
With early season warm weather, alfalfa weevils are moving along a
bit faster than usual in parts of Pennsylvania, reports Penn State
University entomologist John Tooker.
“Last year at this time, alfalfa weevil larvae were just hatching out
of their eggs,” he says. “This year, weevils are almost fully
hatched out across the state with most areas seeing first- or
second-instar larvae.” In the southeastern part of the state, Tooker
adds, there even appears to be a pocket that could be harboring
third-instar larvae.
When scouting fields to assess damage caused by young weevil larvae,
Tooker advises looking for pin hole-sized damage to leaves near the tips
of plants (often on unfolded leaves). “Much of this early season
feeding does not result in economic loss. But it is good to recognize
the damage and be aware of which fields have greater activity. Those
fields with larger populations will, of course, be where economically
significant populations are more likely to develop.”
See a Penn
State University Extension fact sheet for more details on alfalfa
weevil biology and economic treatment thresholds.
|
Colorado State University’s Cooperative Extension Service will
host an all-day pasture and alfalfa management workshop on April 27 at
the Lewis-Arriola Community Center near Cortez.
New research results and insurance programs will be discussed. The
registration fee is $20 if received by April 20, and will include coffee
and donuts, lunch and break refreshments. The late registration fee will
be $25. Call 970-565-3123 for more information.
|
Washington State University Extension is offering a hay seminar on
April 29. The meeting will take place from 7 to 10 p.m. in the meeting
room of the Walla Walla County Extension office in Walla Walla.
Topics to be presented include determining a true hay price, grass weed
control in grass hay and insect damage and control methods in
alfalfa.
An admission fee of $10 will be charged at the door. To register, call
509-524-2685 or email meagon@wsu.edu.
|
April 23-25 -- Minnesota Horse Expo 2010, Minnesota State
Fairgrounds, St. Paul. Learn
more.
April 27 -- Buying And Feeding Hay (For Horse Owners), University
of Tennessee Extension, Agricenter Showplace Arena WarmUp Barn and
Meeting Place, Memphis. Call 901-752-1207 or email beckymuller@utk.edu.
May 6 -- Beef Cattle and Forage Crops Field Day, Kansas State
University,
Southeast Agricultural Research Center, Mound Valley Unit, Mound Valley.
Contact Lyle Lomas at llomas@k-state.edu or 620-421-4826.
May 13 -- Legume Management In The Southeast: Field Day And Pasture
Walk, Central Georgia Research & Education Center, Eatonton. See details.
May 19 -- University Of California Alfalfa & Forage Crops Field Day,
UC-Davis Agronomy Field Headquarters, Davis. Get additional details.
June 21-23 -- American Forage And Grassland Council Annual
Conference, University Plaza Hotel, Springfield, MO. Get details.
Aug. 9-10 -- Kentucky Grazing School, Woodford County Extension
Office, Versailles. Preregistration required. See
a brochure.
Sept. 1-4 -- National Hay Association Annual Meeting, Griffin
Gate Marriott Resort, Lexington, KY. Watch for details.
|
|
|
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 2010, 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.
|
|
