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Hay & Forage Grower
USDA
Hay Prices
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Hay growers serving dairy markets can expect their customers to
continue dealing with plenty of income uncertainty over the next few
months, says University of Wisconsin dairy economist Bob Cropp.
The basic (Class III) milk price climbed over $13/cwt in May. That’s
$3 higher than the year-ago price, but still significantly lower than
analysts earlier this year had been predicting for mid-2010 levels.
“In January, most people thought we’d be looking at a base price of
$15 by this point,” says Cropp. “But it just hasn’t happened.
There’s still a lot of financial stress out there among producers.
They’re not building equity at these price levels.”
An unanticipated bump in total U.S. milk production through the first
five months of the year, due to an increase in cow numbers and average
milk per cow, goes a long way in explaining the slow pace of the price
recovery. The milk production flood led cheese makers to build their
stocks to the highest levels since 1986. “As long as there’s the
potential for milk production to keep rolling, cheese buyers aren’t
going to be aggressively building their inventories,” says Cropp.
Even so, most analysts look for milk prices to average higher in the
second half of the year, reaching $15/cwt by October and possibly
$16/cwt by December. Depending on what happens with milk production,
domestic dairy product sales and export demand, Cropp says prices could
go even higher. “It really doesn’t take much to move the price one
way or the other,” he says. “A long stretch of hot weather in the
Midwest this summer could come along and slow down production, or we
could see improvement in the economy that would lead to better domestic
sales for dairy products. Of course, it could always go in the other
direction, too.”
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Reports that clover is emerging in alfalfa fields has some
Wisconsin growers concerned their alfalfa seed may have had clover seed
mixed in with it. But University of
Wisconsin Extension forage agronomist Dan Undersander believes
unusual growing weather this spring may be responsible.
“Clover seed can lay dormant in a field for 15 or more years and then,
with the right environmental conditions, will come out of dormancy,”
says Undersander. “We saw this same clover bloom in alfalfa fields
about 12 years ago.”
He advises taking a closer look for the following in areas where clover
has unexpectedly shown up in alfalfa fields:
- Emerging clover plants in between seeded rows (if a drill was
used for seeding).
- Clover coming up in areas the seeder did not cover like corners,
edges or other skip areas of the field (with either a Brillion seeder or
drill).
- Clover coming up on the edge of a field in areas not seeded.
- Clover coming up in all fields that were seeded.
“Usually, one of more of the above will indicate that the clover was
not seeded with the alfalfa,” says Undersander.
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The Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) is accepting listings
for the 2010 Colorado Hay Directory, an annual publication
marketing Colorado hay to buyers in the state and around the country.
Each listing includes the type and amount of hay available, bale type
and size, whether or not laboratory analysis is available, certified
weed-free status and whether the hay is organic or conventional.
Listings are grouped by region of the state. Members of the Colorado Hay
and Forage Association (CHFA) receive their listing for free as a
benefit of membership. (To become a member, contact Jared Anderson at
866-774-4429.) For non-members, the listing fee is $25.
The directory also includes listings for companies that offer
hay-related products or services. Ad rates are $50 for a half-page ad or
$90 for a full-page ad.
Starting in August, printed copies of the free directory will be
distributed through Colorado State University Extension offices and
various state livestock associations. It will also be available online
through CDA’s Markets
Division and the CHFA.
For more information, phone 303-239-4115.
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 Know where to find the best alfalfa seed?
Isn’t it obvious? Syngenta alfalfa varieties offer top yield, high
forage quality and exceptional persistence. Plus all the varieties you
need, available through your Garst seed advisor, Golden Harvest dealer
or NK retailer. Contact them today to place your order.
The Syngenta logo is a trademark of a Syngenta Group
Company.
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- Don Hale, a long-time leader in the Idaho hay industry,
passed away May 28 at the age of 62. Hale, a hay grower from Blackfoot,
was founding president of the Idaho
Hay and Forage Association. He was also an active member in several
other farm organizations and was considered an expert on local water
issues. Read
more about Hale.
- AgVenture, Inc., a small
seed company in Kentland, IN, has signed a letter of intent to transfer
ownership to Pioneer
Hi-Bred International. As part of the agreement, AgVenture’s
corporate leadership, personnel and location will remain the same. The
company’s network of 39 regional seed companies, extending from the
East Coast to Texas, will remain independently owned and operated. The
transfer agreement will be finalized later this year. See a company
press release about the agreement.
- June 12 (this coming Saturday) is the deadline for early
registration at the 2010 American
Forage and Grassland Council Annual Conference in Springfield, MO.
The meeting will take place June 21-23 at the University Plaza Hotel.
Get
more meeting details and/or register.
- USDA has extended the deadline for enrolling in the Conservation Stewardship
Program (CSP) established in the 2008 Farm Bill. Learn
more.
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Nevada
Slumping demand for hay among horse owners has depressed prices in
northern Nevada, reports hay grower Marcia Ernst, Fallon.
Ernst puts up alfalfa in small square bales weighing 100-110 lbs on 85
irrigated acres. Along with recreational horse owners within a 60-mile
radius, she also sells to goat owners and small beef herds.
Two years ago, her hay was bringing $150/ton. Now the same kind of hay
is bringing $80-100/ton. “With the economy as tough as it is, a lot of
people have been getting rid of some or all of their animals,” she
says. “We’ve also had a lot of moisture, so people have had a lot of
pasture feed available. That affects us, too.”
Ernst is hoping the weather is more favorable during this year’s
growing season than it was in 2009. “We had a lot of rain for first
crop last year,” she says. “That really affected quality. We also
had a lot of snow and cold over the winter. We cover our hay, but quite
a few bales were damaged to the point where we had to drop our
prices.” She expects this year’s first-crop harvest to get under way
in mid-June. Typically, she takes three cuttings per year.
To contact Ernst, phone 775-423-5698 or email ernstm@cccomm.net.
Tennessee
Hay growers in the central part of the state continue to struggle in the
aftermath of last month’s severe flooding, reports University of Tennessee
Extension forage specialist Gary Bates.
“In some localized areas, it’s been a nightmare,” says Bates,
adding that the hardest-hit areas were just north and south of
Nashville. “In the most extreme cases, the flooding left 6-8” of
sludge and silt on fields. Total replanting may be required.”
In less severe cases, floodwaters knocked hay flat and left behind
debris. “The first cutting was lost,” he says. “But with a little
brush hogging, things should come back reasonably well for the rest of
the growing season.”
In the rest of the state, first-crop harvest of fescue and orchardgrass
hay has been progressing well, says Bates. “We’ve had good
production,” he says. “It’s mostly been a matter of getting hay
put up without getting it wet. Overall, we’re in pretty good shape.”
To contact Bates, phone 865-974-7208 or email gbates@utk.edu.
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While some parts of the Western U.S. are bracing for severe
grasshopper infestations this year, Extension specialists in western
Nebraska say grasslands in their region may escape with relatively
little damage.
Cool, wet weather is a key factor likely to hold the grasshoppers in
check, say University of
Nebraska Extension entomologist Jeff Bradshaw and Extension educator
Jim Schild. They note that temperatures in western Nebraska, from late
April through late May, were averaging 3-8 degrees lower than normal
while rainfall amounts were 50-140% of normal. Those kinds of weather
conditions could limit the peak grasshopper hatch.
Beneficial organisms, including birds, bacteria and numerous insects,
could also help hold grasshopper numbers in check. Says Bradshaw: “If
weather conditions remain favorable for these and other beneficial
organisms, grasshoppers may have less impact than originally expected in
grasslands.”
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Growing perennial forages for biofuels and the effects of early
stocking on native grassland are among the topics that will be discussed
at the North Dakota State University Central Grasslands
Research Extension Center’s 29th annual field tour on June 23.
The center is located near Streeter, ND.
Other topics to be presented at the meeting include the effects of cover
crops on soil health and the effect of grazing intensity on soil health
and how it relates to beef production and carbon sequestration.
For more information, contact the center at 701-424-3606.
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June 9-10 -- Four-State Dairy Nutrition And Management
Conference, Grand River Center, Dubuque, IA. Register online or download a brochure.
Or call the Wisconsin Agri-Service Association at 608-223-1111 or Jim
Salfer at 320-203-6093 or salfe001@umn.edu.
June 16-17 -- 2010 Hay Expo, Matt and Jana Hamlett Farm,
Strawberry Point, IA. Details at www.HayExpo.com or call 866-264-7469.
June 21-23 -- American Forage And Grassland Council Annual
Conference, University Plaza Hotel, Springfield, MO. Get details.
June 23 -- Dodge County/Fond du Lac County (WI) Forage Council
Twilight Meeting, Lemmenes Custom Farms, LLC, Waupun. Get more information.
June 25 -- Manure Happens Field Day, Mains Dairy, Newville, PA.
Contact Genny Christ at 717-240-6507 or genny@psu.edu.
June 29 -- Northeast Minnesota Forage And Grassland Council Farm
Tour, 4-7 p.m, Pheasants Plus, Warba, MN. Get info.
June 29-30 -- Alfalfa/Corn Rotations Workshop, Pioneer Hi-Bred
Carver Center, Johnston, IA. Get more information..
July 15 – Central Wisconsin Forage Council Summer Field Day.
1-3 p.m., Bill Herr Farm, Greenwood, WI. Get info.
July 20-22 -- Wisconsin Farm Technology Days, Roger and Bev
Peterson farm, south of River Falls. Get details.
July 21-- Illinois Forage Expo/Hay Contest, 9 a.m-3 p.m., Law-Rae
Dairy Farm, Manteno, IL. Get
details or call 815-772-4075 or email gmclark@illinois.edu.
Aug. 9-10 -- Kentucky Grazing School, Woodford County Extension
Office, Versailles. Preregistration required. See
a brochure.
Aug. 12 -- University Of Idaho Forage Field Day, UI Research and
Extension Center, Kimberly. Phone 208-734-9590.
Aug. 14 -- 2010 Southern Plains Beef Symposium, Ardmore
Convention Center, Ardmore, OK. For details, contact Tracy Cumbie at
580-224-6411 or tlcumbie@noble.org or Shan Ingram
at 580-224-6412 or shingram@noble.org.
Aug. 17 -- Central Minnesota Forage Council Summer Tour, 10
a.m.-noon, forage; 1-3 p.m., dairy; Stearns County. Watch for details.
Aug. 17-19 -- Penn State University Ag Progress Days, Russell E.
Larson Agricultural Research Center, Rock Springs, PA. Get details.
Aug. 24 -- Northeast Minnesota Forage And Grassland Council Farm
Tour/Summer Field Day, Rick Johnson farm, Aitkin, MN. Get info.
Sept. 1-4 -- National Hay Association Annual Meeting, Griffin
Gate Marriott Resort, Lexington, KY. Watch for details.
Sept. 14 -- 2010 Kentucky Forage And Grassland Council Field Day,
Jim Landis Farm, Barren County, KY. Learn more.
Feb. 22-23, 2011 -- Idaho Alfalfa And Forage Conference, Best
Western Burley Inn, Burley. Details
forthcoming.
Feb. 24, 2011 -- Kentucky Alfalfa Conference, Fayette County
Extension office, Lexington. Watch for details.
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