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USDA
Report Shows Increase In Hay Stored On Farms
Stocks of all hay stored on farms totaled 104 million
tons on Dec. 1, 2007, up 8% from the December 2006 number, according to
last Friday's USDA report. Hay disappearance from May to December 2007
totaled 61.3 million tons, compared with 67.1 million tons for the same
period one year earlier.
Compared with Dec. 1, 2006, hay stocks increased in most of the Great
Plains, eastern Rocky Mountain, Delta and Southeastern states. Good
growing conditions prevailed in many of these states, resulting in
higher hay production. Meanwhile, stocks decreased throughout the upper
Mississippi Valley, central Corn Belt, Ohio and Tennessee Valleys,
Mid-Atlantic, and the western Rocky Mountain regions. These areas
experienced drier-than-normal to drought conditions and lower hay
production.
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Growers
Talk Marketing At Symposium, Feb. 4-5
Organic grower Bill Simon believes in diversification
-- in crops and in sales. So he markets part of the 7,000 acres of hay
his family operation produces to seven organic dairies but also uses a
hay dealer. Simon, Fairfield, ID, will tell how he made his start and
where his operation is headed during a grower marketing panel on the
second day of the National Alfalfa Symposium, to be held Feb. 4-5.
Tom Bailey, Ephraim, UT, and his brother, Ken, produce and market
roughly 200,000 tons of alfalfa and other forage products to markets
around the world. Tom, too, will speak on the grower panel. The Bailey
Brothers started producing double-compressed bales in different sizes in
1998. He'll talk about their journey from local to international
marketers and discuss the growth of their operation to include three hay
processing plants.
Kirk Shane, Atkinson, NE, will tell of the challenges of producing and
marketing alfalfa in the midst of corn and soybean country. Another
grower who believes in diversification, Shane also produces corn,
soybeans, wheat and livestock with two brothers, Scott and Todd, and his
son, Perry.
The symposium will be held at the Ramada Inn and Conference Center in
Kearney, NE, in conjunction with the Nebraska Alfalfa Marketing
Association's Mid-America Alfalfa Expo, Feb. 5-6.
For details on the symposium schedule or to register, visit alfalfasymposium.com, or call
800-722-5334, ext. 14695. For information on the expo, visit alfalfaexpo.com/.
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Texas
Dairies Create Growing Demand For Hay
The market for dairy hay is growing in the Texas
Panhandle as the region's dairy cow population continues to increase at
a rapid pace. Available land and a cow-friendly climate have attracted
dairies from inside and outside of Texas. Three of the top five
milk-producing counties in Texas -- Parmer, Deaf Smith and Castro
counties -- are in the panhandle. Benji Henderson, Parmer County
agriculture and natural resources extension agent, says, "There wasn't a
dairy to be found in the area about 20 years ago, and now we have a
number of them."
The panhandle has around 140,000 dairy cows now, and more are on the
way. "We expect to see continued growth in the area for at least the
next five years," says Ellen Jordan, dairy specialist with the Texas
AgriLife Extension Service. "How fast that growth occurs depends on milk
prices and factors such as the cost of concrete and steel. But we could
see another 100,000 dairy cows come to the area over the next five to 10
years." Jordan says the average dairy in the area has around 2,000 cows.
Dairy-quality alfalfa hay is hard to find throughout Texas this year.
Jordan says a lot of moisture early in the year made it difficult to put
up quality hay in some areas. "We have an abundance of Coastal
bermudagrass, but some of it got too mature," she explains. "A lot of
our dairy producers have some silage they can use this winter. It has
been harder to find wheat straw for rations."
Limited irrigation water will have an impact on the region's crop
production capabilities, according to Vivien Allen, Texas Tech
University forage agronomist. Read her comments in the article, "Trouble
In Texas," in the January issue of Hay & Forage Grower.
Contact Jordan at 972-952-9212, or Henderson at 806-481-3619.
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Feed
Prices Expected To Impact Dairy Growth In 2008
The recent World Agricultural Supply and Demand Report
from USDA suggests that higher feed prices will limit growth in dairy
cow numbers and milk produced per cow in 2008. The same report predicts
increased beef production, too. USDA raised its beef production estimate
from last month, citing higher cattle-on-feed inventories on Dec. 1.
That will mean more beef animals will go to market in the first part of
2008.
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Kansas
"We had some winter weather in Kansas in December,
which has increased our hay usage and put some support under the hay
market," reports Steve Hessman, USDA-Kansas Department of Agriculture
market news reporter. "Good row-crop production led to good fall grazing
conditions on crop residues prior to December. That has run out now so
there is more supplemental feeding going on. There was not much wheat
pasture this fall because it was too dry to plant wheat."
In wet, cold weather, Kansas feedyards start to use higher-roughage
rations. "Feedyards have used a little more hay through December and
beginning of January," Hessman says.
Dairy hay can still be found in the state, but supplies are dwindling.
Poor-quality hay is widely available. "Kansas hay producers are still
getting calls from the Southeast where folks were hit by the drought,
but freight costs are so high that it is difficult to be able to meet
those needs," he says.
More hay growers are likely to convert hay ground, especially irrigated
fields, to corn, milo and soybeans this year because of high grain
prices, Hessman says. "Some of these farmers who have carryover on
alfalfa really aren't concerned about the carryover because they are
looking for 2008 hay production to be down."
Two new ethanol plants have started production in southwestern Kansas --
in Garden City and Liberal. "Those plants are having an impact on
roughage usage, but we don't know the full impact yet," Hessman says.
"Alfalfa producers are hoping cattle feeders keep alfalfa in the ration.
It's possible more crop residues may be used in feedlot or dairy
rations, but we just don't know yet. When you are feeding wet distillers
grains, we know some of it is going to be fed with low-quality
roughages."
Contact Hessman at 620-227-8881.
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Minnesota
Horse hay supplies will be very tight this winter and
into spring in Minnesota, says Kevin Nelson, Nelson Hay Company, Hadley.
"All the hay I have on hand is already spoken for, and I am forced to
tell even past customers that I don't have hay available if they didn't
contract for it ahead of time," he says. "It has really paid off for
customers who contracted last year. Hay prices at the local auctions are
$130 to $180 or more per ton." But quantity at the local auctions has
decreased 30-50% compared to what was sold the year before, Nelson says.
Farmers are taking alfalfa and grass out of production to put in more
corn and beans in his area, he adds. He won't increase his hay acres
this year, but did replace older hay fields acre for acre.
Nelson plans to encourage his horse hay customers to buy medium square
bales instead of small squares this year. "I plan to push the medium
squares for two reasons: one is cost in handling and the other is
efficiency," he says. "At this time I plan to offer a $15/ton price
difference. Small square bales are time-consuming. I will still be
making them; I just plan to offer more of a price difference.
"Due to the drought last year, I was counting bales all summer and I
never had to do that before," he states. "This year I may have to limit
the total amount of tons available for contracting with customers, in
case we have another dry summer."
Nelson will have bales available for potential customers to inspect at
the Minnesota Horse Expo, to be held April 25-27 at the state
fairgrounds in St. Paul.
Learn more about Nelson Hay Company at www.nelsonhayco.com/ or call
Nelson at 507-836-6181.
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Idaho
Conference Set For Burley, Feb. 26-27
The Idaho Alfalfa And Forage Conference will be held at
the Best Western in Burley on Feb. 26-27. The first day of the
conference, industry experts will look at alfalfa production with
limited irrigation, supplemental irrigation on dryland alfalfa and
whether or not aerators improve irrigation. Alfalfa production in China,
exporting to Asia, weed and pest management, new markets and genetics
will also be discussed.
On Feb. 27, talks on timothy hay and organic alfalfa will lead off the
day. Other topics will include the economics of corn grain vs. silage or
alfalfa, fiber and starch digestibility of corn silage, and performance
of warm-season annual grasses.
For registration information, call the Idaho Hay And Forage Association
at 208-888-0988. Register online at www.idahohay.com.
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Calendar
Jan. 16 -- Kansas Hay And Grazing Conference,
Kansas Farm Bureau Building, 2627 KFB Plaza, Manhattan. Register at the
door for $60. Contact Gary Kilgore at 620-431-1530 or kwalters@oznet.ksu.edu.
Jan. 16-17 -- Washington State Hay Growers Association Conference And
Trade Show, Three Rivers Convention Center, Kennewick. Call
509-585-5460 or visit www.wa-hay.org/.
Jan. 17-18 -- Southwest Hay Conference, Ruidoso Convention
Center, Ruidoso, NM. For more information, visit www.nmhay.com, or contact Gina Sterrett
at nmhay@yahoo.com or 575-626-5677.
Jan. 18 -- North Dakota State University Grass-N-Beef Review,
NDSU Central Grasslands Extension Center near Streeter, ND. Contact Paul
Nyren at 701-424-3606 or p.nyren@ndsu.edu.
Jan. 20-22 -- Northwest Alfalfa Seed Growers Winter Seed
Conference, Silver Legacy, Reno, NV. Call 509-585-5460.
Jan. 27-Feb. 1 -- Joint Society For Range Management And American
Forage And Grassland Council Conference, Louisville, KY. Visit www.rangelands.org/events.shtml.
Jan. 29-30 -- Midwest Forage Association 2008 Joint Symposium And
Annual Meeting, Howard Johnson Hotel and Conference Center,
Wisconsin Dells, WI. Held in conjunction with Wisconsin Custom Operators
and Professional Nutrient Applicators of Wisconsin annual meetings.
Learn more online at www.midwestforage.org, or call
the Midwest Forage Association at 651-484-3888.
Feb. 4 -- Range & Pasture Management Workshop, Red Lion Canyon
Springs Hotel, Twin Falls, ID. Sponsored by University of Idaho
department of rangeland ecology and management, and the USDA/ARS Forage
and Range Research Lab. Contact Mary Fenwick at 208-736-3605 or mfenwick@uidaho.edu. Visit www.idahohay.com to download a
brochure and agenda.
Feb. 4-6 -- 2008 National Alfalfa Symposium And Mid-America Alfalfa
Expo, Kearney, NE, sponsored by Hay & Forage Grower and the Nebraska
Alfalfa Marketing Association. Visit www.alfalfasymposium.com and
alfalfaexpo.com.
Feb. 6-7 -- Saskatchewan Beef & Forage Symposium, Saskatoon Inn
Hotel & Conference Center, 2002 Airport Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
Contact Murray Feist at 306-694-3492 or mfeist@agr.gov.sk.ca, or John
McKinnon at 306-966-4137 or john.mckinnon@usask.ca. Visit
www.saskforage.ca/.
Feb. 8 -- Ohio Forage & Grassland Council Meeting, Ohio
Department of Agriculture Bromfield Building, Reynoldsburg, OH. Contact
Leah Miller, 740-545-6349 or leah@smallfarminstitute.org.
Feb. 12-14 -- World Ag Expo, Tulare, CA. Learn more online at www.worldagexpo.com/index.html.
Feb. 15-16 -- Indiana Forage Council Meeting/Indiana Cattle & Forage
Symposium, Indianapolis Marriott East Hotel. Contact Keith Johnson
at johnsonk@purdue.edu.
Feb. 21 -- Kentucky Alfalfa Conference, Cave City. Contact Garry
Lacefield at 270-365-7541, ext. 202, or visit www.uky.edu/Ag/Forage/.
Feb. 26 -- Southwest Missouri Spring Forage Conference,
University Plaza Hotel, Springfield. Call 417-862-8085.
Feb. 26-27 -- Idaho Hay And Forage Conference, Burley Inn,
Burley. Call Glenn Shewmaker at 208-736-3608.
March 4-6 -- Pennsylvania Professional Crop Producers Conference,
Penn Stater Conference Center at Penn State University, State College,
PA. Contact Marvin Hall at 814-863-1019.
March 19-20 -- 2008 Central Plains Dairy Expo, Sioux Falls
Convention Center, Sioux Falls, SD. Visit www.centralplainsdairyexpo.com
or call 218-236-8420.
Sept. 17-20 -- National Hay Association Convention, Oak Brook
Hills Marriott, Oak Brook, IL. Contact Don Kieffer at 800-707-0014, or
visit www.nationalhay.org.
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Send Questions & Comments
To...
Lora Berg, Editor,
eHay Weekly,
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.
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