With the impending Labor Day weekend nearly upon us, it’s a sure sign that alfalfa’s physiological game plan is about to change in central portions of the United States and points north

Without question, one of the most agriculturally intensive regions in the United States is that of the Central Valley in California. What sets it apart from other such areas is its sheer vastness, about

There is growing interest in alfalfa-grass mixtures across the northern United States. Grass tends to be considerably higher in neutral detergent fiber digestibility (NDFD) than alfalfa

Aside from alfalfa, perhaps no forage species is more widely utilized across the U.S. than ryegrass. It’s grazed extensively from north to south and also is harvested as hay, baleage, and silage

Sometimes it’s good to stop looking at the vegetation in the road ditch and adjoining fields and direct your eyes toward the larger landscape

The end of July always marks a crucial time for forage producers, especially those with livestock mouths to feed and less than desirable forage inventories. But then again, even if forage inventories

The threat of a 25 percent tariff on U.S. alfalfa hay exported to China has put a cloud over the hay export industry in the western U.S

One of the many things that David Letterman gets remembered for is his Top 10 lists. These lists included such things as the Top 10 Signs Your Kid Had a Bad First Day at School, the Top 10

Every farmer has done “it.” That “it” is to walk a new forage seeding field that just never developed. There is nothing more disheartening than a newly seeded hayfield or pasture

Rain is both a blessing and a curse to the haymaker

Consumer sales and profits generally spike dramatically during the last two months of the year as the Christmas season is accompanied by a flurry of gift buying and giving — for better or worse.

While in some areas of the U.S. a second cutting of alfalfa is done or in the process of being made, that’s not the case in the Midwest and Northeast. Farmers in these regions just recently parked

Ruminants have a distinct advantage compared to other livestock because of their ability to process highly fibrous, otherwise nonutilizable, feedstuffs into a marketable product

When feeding hay or baleage to beef cattle, quality is king. However, can stored forage quality actually be too good?

In an already challenging agriculture economy, it may seem like this year has little positive to offer — especially if substantial winterkill of forage stands has occurred on your farm

The high nutritive value of alfalfa makes it a valuable forage for ruminant animals. However, alfalfa producers are continually faced with balancing yield and quality during the growing season

It’s likely that about 30 percent of round bale users are not removing the net wrap or twine on bales before feeding or processing. That was a finding from the South Dakota State University (SDSU)

Like many of you reading this, I cut my haymaking teeth spending many summer hours pulling a sickle cutterbar mower, generally over stone-infested terrain. My next move up in the world was riding self

It’s no secret that animal rights activists have caused more than their fair share of consternation for livestock producers over the years. Despite some underhanded methods and often exaggerated

Well, someday it will. In the February issue of Hay & Forage Grower, I shared a story about Reed Edwards, a South Carolina farmer who had been growing sericea lespedeza hay for about 10 years. E