Local farmers are dealing with a situation - which farmers often do. This time, the situation is a shortage of hay and it’s not only local farmers who are feeling the effects.
There are many critical factors in farming, and hay is one piece
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"Where Fillmore County News Comes First"
Online Edition
Tuesday, June 18th, 2013
Volume ∞ Issue ∞
- 8:58:04, Jun 18th 2013 - cabraden1 - I salute you Colonel Overland. Your were my c.o. at Rockville Naval Air ... [Read More]
- 7:10:46, Jun 13th 2013 - chipperlee - Seems to be a well written article, except maybe Silica Sand is used in ... [Read More]
- 12:02:15, Jun 9th 2013 - getthefacts - The problem here lies in the fact that girls were repeatedly told "if y ... [Read More]
- 10:45:32, Jun 7th 2013 - Jo mom for 6yrs - Mr. Ehler hit the nail on the head. I agree with the religious con ... [Read More]
- 2:47:58, Jun 7th 2013 - hello - Hello, it's time you wake up. There isn't a community nearby that doesn't offe ... [Read More]
- 9:06:21, Jun 6th 2013 - hello - Hello, it's time you wake up. There isn't a community nearby that doesn't offe ... [Read More]
- 2:05:29, Jun 6th 2013 - Kim Wentworth - The number one rule in a debate: 1) if the person from the opposite si ... [Read More]
- 12:42:18, Jun 4th 2013 - EW - For someone that is always spouting religious rhetoric, you try to come off as a ... [Read More]
- 11:32:18, May 31st 2013 - JO PLAYER - This is unfair to us girls. Morrie Miller is not getting canceled but J ... [Read More]
- 8:25:34, May 29th 2013 - RP - Why is Mr. Ehler involving himself with non-school activities? Is he going after ... [Read More]
Should I wait longer to cut alfalfa?
Fri, May 31st, 2013
Posted in All Agriculture
Posted in All Agriculture
Comments
Dan Martens, Extension Educator Stearns/Benton Counties, gathered these thoughts from several Regional and State Specialists on the current alfalfa situation. This is what he had to say, “I hope I’ve represented these three perspectives correctly. In the end the weather might make some of these decisions for us. With more rain in the forecast, by the time the weather allows a chance to harvest hay, the hay crop may be plenty ready for harvest. Farmers know a lot about working toward a goal and then doing the best they can with the cards that are dealt – being ready with Plan A…. and then being ready with Plan B.
From Craig Sheaffer, University of Minnesota: “This spring because of winter injury, there will be more uneven growth than normal so flowering among plants within a field will not be uniform. Letting the crop grow longer will strengthen the root system for production this year, as well as looking ahead to next year. Stressed plants may not start as many buds. For that purpose going to more bloom would do the most good. You have to balance that with short and long term feed needs.”
Dan Undersander, University of Wisconsin: “Quality forage is demanded due to high price of grain and on the other hand cutting early will hurt the alfalfa stand. I think we should encourage a compromise. This means cutting at the absolute minimum quality needed. For example, cut at a 170 RFV/RFQ PEAQ stick or scissors-cut lab test for milk cows with a goal of landing at 150 RFV/RFQ in the feed manger; and cut at 150 PEAQ or scissors cut lab test RFV for dairy heifers and beef hoping for 125 or so in the manger. Then get hay/haylage off fields as quickly as possible to encourage regrowth. Fertilize well (especially potassium and sulfur). Remember that we generally have moisture in early June for regrowth and may be drier in late June and July.
In doing this we are taking some risk with stand total yield for the season, but farmers need forage now, and need to be able to pay the bills so we need to minimize corn purchase (at least until the price falls this fall).”
Jim Paulson, University of Minnesota Regional Educator, says, “There are a number of things to think about: What are the ages of the stands? How do they look? Is the farm up on their fertility? In the southern area where we saw the problem more, most of the older stands are gone so the younger stands are most likely healthier. The safe agr .....
[Read the Rest]
From Craig Sheaffer, University of Minnesota: “This spring because of winter injury, there will be more uneven growth than normal so flowering among plants within a field will not be uniform. Letting the crop grow longer will strengthen the root system for production this year, as well as looking ahead to next year. Stressed plants may not start as many buds. For that purpose going to more bloom would do the most good. You have to balance that with short and long term feed needs.”
Dan Undersander, University of Wisconsin: “Quality forage is demanded due to high price of grain and on the other hand cutting early will hurt the alfalfa stand. I think we should encourage a compromise. This means cutting at the absolute minimum quality needed. For example, cut at a 170 RFV/RFQ PEAQ stick or scissors-cut lab test for milk cows with a goal of landing at 150 RFV/RFQ in the feed manger; and cut at 150 PEAQ or scissors cut lab test RFV for dairy heifers and beef hoping for 125 or so in the manger. Then get hay/haylage off fields as quickly as possible to encourage regrowth. Fertilize well (especially potassium and sulfur). Remember that we generally have moisture in early June for regrowth and may be drier in late June and July.
In doing this we are taking some risk with stand total yield for the season, but farmers need forage now, and need to be able to pay the bills so we need to minimize corn purchase (at least until the price falls this fall).”
Jim Paulson, University of Minnesota Regional Educator, says, “There are a number of things to think about: What are the ages of the stands? How do they look? Is the farm up on their fertility? In the southern area where we saw the problem more, most of the older stands are gone so the younger stands are most likely healthier. The safe agr .....
[Read the Rest]
Winona/Root River Pheasants Forever chapter offers financial assistance to landowners
Fri, May 31st, 2013
Posted in All Agriculture
Posted in All Agriculture
Winona, Minn. - The Winona/Root River Pheasants Forever chapter is offering landowners and farmers in Winona, Fillmore, and Houston Counties with additional financial assistance to make enrollment in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) a more fin
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Employment skills for today - planning for success
Fri, May 24th, 2013
Posted in All Agriculture
Posted in All Agriculture
By Jerrold Tesmer, Extension Educator for Fillmore/Houston Counties
The University of Minnesota Extension will be conducting a workshop in Rochester that addresses information & strategies for agricultural workforce management. It is supported by A
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Summer came and so did Farm Safety Day Camp!
Fri, May 17th, 2013
Posted in All Agriculture
Posted in All Agriculture
Another beautiful day for the joint Fillmore/Houston fourth grade Farm Safety Day Camp held at the Mabel Steam Engine Grounds. The farmer volunteers were planting corn like crazy last Tuesday, so we had a number of very capable substitutes at Farm S
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Community partners can make the difference: Stormwater Mini-Grant Program
Fri, May 17th, 2013
Posted in All Agriculture
Posted in All Agriculture
Fillmore County SWCD has received $45,000 in Clean Water Funds to be offered as mini-grants for projects that reduce or treat stormwater runoff to local streams.
Is your community or nonprofit organization interested in planting a rain garden?
.....
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Area farmer says baby calves need protection
Fri, May 17th, 2013
Posted in All Agriculture
Posted in All Agriculture
By Karen Reisner
Mother Nature was rough on everything this last couple of months with her cold, rainy, and windy weather tantrums topped off by a heavy, wet May snow. Many beef cow-calf operations have suffered unusually heavy calf losses driven
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Farm Safety Day Camp VII
Fri, May 10th, 2013
Posted in All Agriculture
Posted in All Agriculture
By Jerrold Tesmer, Extension Educator for Fillmore/Houston Counties
The seventh joint Fillmore/Houston County fourth grade Farm Safety Day Camp is being held on Tuesday, May 14th at the Mabel Steam Engine Grounds. The event has 455 students registe
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[Read the Rest]
Names and Bling for the Owlets
Fri, May 10th, 2013
Posted in Rushford Agriculture
Posted in Rushford Agriculture
By Karla Bloem
Houston, Minn. -- The three owlets hatched in March as part of the International Owl Center’s Great Horned Owl breeding project now have names as well as bands.
As a condition of the state and federal permits required for the pro
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