HFG XL July 2025

AN INVESTMENT THAT PAYS FOR ITSELF

A Hay Season With Mike Adams

Mike Adams, a hay farmer in Parowan, Utah, was one of Staheli West's first customers, starting with the DewPoint 6110. Over the years, he's upgraded to every new model, each impressing him with its improvements. Now, the Adams family has purchased the latest DewPoint 632, fulfilling Mike and his dad’s dream of having two steamers. Follow Mike's hay season with the new machine, see what he loves about it, and how two steamers change his farm and life. Will it pay for itself?

They’re producing more crop per drop

The farmers at Robert Holt Farms in southwest Utah have completely changed their perspective on forage production and renovated their irrigation systems to capture higher feed value per inch of water more effectively.

Keep these maintenance tasks in mind throughout the harvest season and implement preventative machinery care on your farm.

Three producers share their insights on making quality hay despite unwanted rain and humidity.

MANAGING

EDITORIAL

DIGITAL MARKETING

Sam Rasmussen

Sidney Hebbe

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING

John R. Mansavage

ADVERTISING SALES

Kim E. Zilverberg kzilverberg@hayandforage.com

Jenna Zilverberg jzilverberg@hayandforage.com

ADVERTISING COORDINATOR

Patti J. Kressin pkressin@hayandforage.com

W.D. HOARD & SONS

PRESIDENT Brian V. Knox

EDITORIAL OFFICE

28 Milwaukee Ave. West, Fort Atkinson, WI, 53538

WEBSITE www.hayandforage.com

EMAIL info@hayandforage.com

PHONE 920-563-5551

Morning Star Farms harvests approximately 3,500 acres of alfalfa in addition to growing corn, soybeans, and small grains. All alfalfa is irrigated and stands are typically cut five times per year. Bale steamers attached to balers allow harvest to take place during the day when the summer forecast would otherwise be too hot and dry. Read more about how the forage team manages their large-scale operation on page 16.

Photo by Amber Friedrichsen

Start small

THE best way to put a big plan in action is to start small. Starting small ensures each step is a sure-footed stride in the direction of your goals, rather than a random stab at the unknown. And when life takes an inevitable turn and the path forward is not linear, there will be a series of small wins to build on and you will bounce back much faster.

If you’re new here, welcome. This special issue of Hay & Forage Grower XL is exclusively sent to farmers with 500 or more forage acres on their harvest agenda. It has been specifically curated to address topics that may be more pertinent to relatively large-scale operations — or in this case, extra-large scale operations.

There’s something for everyone on the mailing list throughout the following pages, whether you bale small squares of alfalfa for the horse market, raise dairy cattle and chop a large acreage of homegrown forage, or run a large-scale custom forage harvest business. But before we dive into what makes these types of operations stand tall, I’d like to take a moment to appreciate that most large-scale farms are good at being big because they were first successful at being small.

Every operation — no matter the size — got its start as a first-generation farm. In my experience, conversations with multi-generational farmers usually begin with a backpedaling of the farm’s history, tracing their bloodline all the way to the great-great-grandparent who put down roots on the original homestead. Conversely, some farmers I’ve met are the first generation themselves, taking a leap of faith over the often steep barriers to entry that increasingly define the farming industry.

Regardless of their origin story, the first crop or livestock product that was produced is sometimes still the bread and butter of the operation today. Other times, farms expand, diversify, modernize, or change their production systems altogether. Relocating to a different region to align with market demand and processing trends isn’t out of the question, either.

The initial ideas for these expansions, diversifications, modernizations, and pivotal changes usually start small — like the humble beginnings of a forage seed. Metaphorically speaking, these ideas need to be handled with different equipment, planted at different depths, seeded at different rates, and allowed different germination periods

before they can be expected to flourish. The implementation of ideas varies just like recommendations for new forage seedings, and both depend on the goals farmers have for their business.

In addition to starting small, farmers know that big-time business is often the result of a series of little things done well. It’s the consistent product and genuine service that turn first-time hay buyers into repeat customers. It’s the stringent filling and packing protocol after every cutting that ensures high-quality forage is a regular menu item for your animals. And it’s the small gestures toward employees and big appreciation for farm crews that keep large-scale operations running like well-oiled machines.

The weather is no small matter, and it’s often the biggest thorn in a farmer’s side when it comes to putting up a quality crop. Whether that crop is a dry bale of hay or a pile of chopped haylage, timing is everything to hit moisture targets and nail storage procedures. High-quality forage doesn’t cost any more to make than poor-quality forage, but it sure takes more organization, forward-thinking, and weather forecasting on the harvester’s end.

The second greatest challenge farmers typically cite is labor, especially for large operations with many employees to manage. Leading a team of farm workers requires big effort to train them intentionally, encourage their growth, and recognize when tough jobs are handled efficiently. Additional challenges can arise when these employees double as family. But many of the large farms I’ve visited attribute their success to a taskforce of hard-working people who go above and beyond what is expected of them — another hallmark of a lucrative business.

If any or all of these topics resonate with you, then congratulations — you’ve likely mastered the art of farming large. Wear that distinction proudly and continue to serve the agricultural industry big time. But don’t forget where you came from or the significance of starting small. Legacies are built when farmers steward big ideas like tiny seeds, invest ample time into the little things, and create space for their families and employees that open doors to the next opportunity.

Amber Friedrichsen Managing Editor

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THEY’RE PRODUCING

MORE CROP PER DROP

Measuring crop value by the inch of water instead of by the acre-foot has redefined these farmers' irrigation management and forage production.

Robert Holt Farms

by Amber Friedrichsen, Managing Editor

IF YOU search for the intersection of Utah State Highways 56 and 18 on Google Maps, you’ll see an array of green dots splashed across the brown desert-like range. These irrigation pivots stretch north and south from the towns of Beryl to Enterprise and west to east from Modena to Newcastle, comprising the cropland of Robert Holt Farms. What the map doesn’t show are the major updates made to the pivots in recent years — or the transformation of the farm itself.

Robert Holt established the operation that was originally rooted in potato production in 1971, rotating alfalfa between spud harvests. Then, the potato market contracted, and alfalfa became the number one crop. Over time, farm management also shifted to the second and third generations of Holts, including Robert’s oldest son, Randall, and Randall’s oldest son, Tanner.

As a child, Tanner remembers when baling and selling hay was one of the primary farm enterprises — but things continued to change. He left their hay farm as a young adult to serve as a missionary, but he returned to a dairy.

“Growing up, I’d always ask my dad why we didn’t dairy, and he’d say that was the worst idea ever,” Tanner laughed. “When I was away on my mission and got the email that my dad and uncle were looking to start a dairy, I replied, ‘Dad, that is the worst idea ever.’”

At this point, the Holts were also growing corn for silage and triticale in addition to alfalfa to feed their Holstein-cross herd. But as alfalfa became a culprit for high water consumption in the increasingly water-deficient West, the Holts started to reconsider their crop rotation and their perspective on irrigation.

Now, instead of trying to maximize production per acre, their current philosophy is to capture the most crop per drop. In other words, they measure how much protein and fiber value they produce per inch of irrigation, instead of prioritizing the highest yields per acre-foot of water.

By working with the state of Utah since 2018, they’ve created the framework for a system that provides more flexibility in groundwater usage from their aquifer by implementing rules that are similar to surface water irrigation. This is where the “crop per drop” piece comes in.

The idea is that if farmers can use less groundwater than their annual allocation by growing forages that yield more per inch of irrigation — rather than measuring production by

the acre-foot — they should be able to roll their water savings over a fiveyear period.

“If we can account for aquifers the way we account for rivers, then more water may be used more efficiently,” Randall said. “If you have a low snowpack year, you may still have water from prior years. In a high snowpack year, you don’t get to pump more — it just means there is a little more recharge. Similarly, ‘use it or lose it’ for groundwater doesn’t incentivize efficient cropping.

“We need to treat a limited resource like a limited resource,” he continued. “In the West, where we are short on water, we ought to incentivize saving water so you can get the most out of each drop, not the most out of each acre.”

During the trial period of their water savings system, they were required to give up some of their total allocation. They received 40 inches of water per acre instead of the 4 acre-feet that their water district has historically granted them. Therefore, the Holts redesigned their pivots to be more efficient.

Irrigation renovations

In 2020, they retrofitted pivots to meet low-energy precision application (LEPA) standards by using regulators to reduce water pressure and lowering

hoses and nozzles closer to the ground. Doing so was rather tedious, especially since the project took place when supply chains hit pause during the COVID19 pandemic. At one point, the Holts owned or had ordered every available 3/4-inch T-cross fitting in the country.

“If you went to go buy a 3/4-inch T-cross in 2020, you would not be able to find it in the United States,” Randall chuckled. “Luckily, not many people needed them.”

They made time to reconstruct pivots in between crop harvests, aiming to update two or three systems after each cutting. Within two years, almost every pivot had been updated.

“It’s a lot harder to deal with,” Tanner said about LEPA irrigation. “There are three times as many hoses, three times as many nozzles, and smaller nozzles that plug more. When there is a mistake, it’s more expensive, but if you’re rewarded for doing it, then it’s worth the effort.”

On average, the Holts can get more than 5 tons of triticale per acre using about 10 inches of irrigation, whereas their alfalfa yields about 8 tons per acre across four cuttings with 48 inches of irrigation.

With one crop of triticale producing more than half as much of their total alfalfa yield using a fraction of the water, the Holts are optimistic about their approach to water conservation. They’ve expanded to growing about 7,000 acres of triticale and harvest crops during boot stage to capture high protein and fiber digestibility. In fact, their triticale averages more than 14% crude protein (CP) and 60% total digestible nutrients (TDN).

“When you measure value by the acre, alfalfa gives you the most value per acre, and triticale doesn’t do as well,” Randall said. “But when we measure protein by the inch of water, triticale is really promising.” Hybrid rye is another species that the Holts have dedicated more acreage to because of its water savings potential.

“This whole water thing is changing how we look at drops per yield and it’s encouraging us to try different things,” Tanner said.

Chopping and cubing

Even with a focus on alternative forages, alfalfa isn’t totally out of the

Tanner Holt (left) troubleshoots with a farm employee after the cuber finished processing a load of alfalfa.

Amber Friedrichsen

picture. It still comprises roughly 4,500 acres of the farm and is all dry chopped. The family has always dry chopped alfalfa, Tanner said, which he contends is more efficient than making dry hay.

For dry chopping, alfalfa must still dry down to about 8% moisture, but the Holts don’t have to wait for dew to set in and rehydrate the forage like they would if they were baling hay. This saves them days of harvest time, and they don’t have to harvest in the middle of the night — or into the wee hours of the morning.

The Holts note that dry chopping alfalfa creates a more uniform product since all forage gets mixed together. “In a bale, you get exactly what was in that part of the field right where you baled it,” Randall said.

The dry-chopped alfalfa is then made into cubes for the export market. Alfalfa cubes are denser and easier to transport, and more sought after by some countries that have higher standards for hay appearance.

“We have a marketing advantage because of how green everything is. It may not be more nutritious, but visually, it’s more appealing,” Randall said.

Cubing dry-chopped alfalfa also allows for a second chance at forage quality control. For example, the hay cuber can sense alfalfa that is too wet

for compression and redirects it from the rest of the product. “When you see that in a bale, you can’t untie the bale to get the bad stuff and then put the bale back together,” Randall added.

This doesn’t come without its challenges, though. Exporting forage involves a whole list of liabilities that don’t necessarily exist in the domestic market. In addition to higher expectations for green alfalfa, the Holts must uphold strict standards for cleanliness. If any foreign object, random part, or even an insect is present with the cubes in a container, the entire shipment could be rejected.

Moreover, compressed bales have gained more demand than alfalfa cubes over the years, but sticking with the practice has been to the Holts’ advantage. With fewer players in the cubing game, they have acquired more market share.

“It’s gotten to be a very narrow market, but we make some of the best,” Randall said proudly. Any excess or low-quality cubes are fed on the dairy, but the Holts primarily chop alfalfa, triticale, and corn silage for their cows.

Farming for the future

Compared to other farmers, the Holts may think outside the box, but they share in the struggles that all forage

producers encounter. Between last frost dates that creep into June and first frost dates that come as soon as September, managing the weather on top of irrigation tends to be the biggest hurdle. In their part of the Beehive State, the Holts receive roughly 10 inches of annual precipitation from rain and snow. The bulk of that moisture arrives in mid-summer on the heels of Arizona’s monsoon.

Despite variable weather and uncertain water availability, the Holts believe their shift in irrigation management is a bright spot for their operation. Not only does it enhance the productivity and environmental sustainability of their forage system, but it has proved to be a profitable endeavor from a farm business standpoint, too.

“Our motivation for poking our heads above the radar on these water issues is to draw attention to the fact that we are going to be farming with less water in the future. We are going to have to figure out how to raise forage more efficiently,” Randall said.

“If we can improve our water efficiency, it will help us — and help our kids — be able to do what we do,” Tanner added. •

 Editor’s note: Hay & Forage Grower would like to express our sympathy for the passing of Randall Holt prior to this publication in November 2024.

Robert Holt Farms

Alfalfa cubes offer a more uniform product that is relatively easier to transport. Their bright green color is also highly sought after in the export market.

Amber Friedrichsen

Moisture monitoring in the cuber offers a second chance at quality control as it sorts alfalfa that may be too wet to compress.

Amber Friedrichsen

COMMERCIAL HAY AND FORAGE EQUIPMENT

Mowers & Mower Conditioners

Tedders

Protect your investment in

Poor hay storage will cost you

by Shelby Gruss

HAYMAKING takes multiple steps to achieve a high-quality product. Whether your goal is quality or quantity, the process remains the same: Hay must be dry enough to avoid spoilage but not so dry that excessive leaf loss occurs. Mowing, conditioning, raking, tedding, baling, and transporting — each step plays a critical role in preserving forage quality and yield. Even before harvest, tasks like fertilization and pest management add to the workload.

After all that effort, what comes next? We have to store it. Dry hay is a stable form of stored feed, capable of experiencing minimal storage losses — but only if it is managed properly. Without thoughtful storage, dry matter (DM) losses and mold growth can quickly undo the benefits of a well-executed harvest. Hay is often stored for six months or more between harvest and feeding.

When it comes to round bale spoilage, it’s common to hear, “It’s just the outer 6 inches.” That perspective changes when you realize the outer 6 inches of a 5-foot diameter round bale make up over 30% of the bale’s total DM. Research from across the Midwest shows that DM losses after six months can range from as little as 2% to more than 50%, depending on location and storage method (Table 1).

It adds up

These findings clearly demonstrate that storing hay under a roof is the most effective way to reduce storage losses. Even if indoor storage isn’t feasible, simple changes — like storing bales on pallets or gravel — can significantly reduce DM loss. Adding a tarp or wrap can offer even more protection. In the “Basics of Haymaking” webinar series, Denise Schwab, an extension beef specialist with Iowa State University, highlights practical strategies producers can use to reduce

DM losses and protect their investment as much as possible. For hay valued at $100 per ton, every 1% reduction in DM loss translates to a $1 per ton of savings. That might not sound like much at first, but consider this: Switching from just storing bales on bare ground to storing them on bare ground with a tarp can reduce losses by 14%. On a 10-acre field yielding

highquality hay production with these bale storage practices.

Amber Friedrichsen

5 tons per acre, that’s a $70 per acre savings — or $700 total. Simple storage improvements can pay for themselves quickly. Other strategies include using net wrap or B-wrap to help minimize water infiltration and reduce spoilage.

Major water issues

Dry hay acts like a sponge. Moisture moves from wetter areas to drier ones, meaning a dry bale at 15% to 20% moisture that is sitting on damp ground will naturally wick up moisture from below. This heightens the risk of mold and spoilage. Improper stacking can also create points where water pools, compounding the issue.

As shown in Figure 1, bale orientation and stacking matter, especially for round bales. Bales on the east side or bottom row often show the most spoilage due to limited airflow and water runoff from upper bales. When storing bales, points of contact are areas where water can pool and absorb in. Covering stacked bales outdoors can prevent top bales from funneling water down to lower ones and reduce exposure to rain and snow.

What are we losing?

So, what are we actually losing in storage? Typically, losses include nonstructural carbohydrates (easily accessible energy), digestible DM, and protein quality. Meanwhile, fiber concentrations and acid detergent insoluble protein tend to rise. In short, poorly stored hay becomes less digestible and less nutritious.

If outdoor storage is your only option, taking the following steps can significantly limit DM losses.

Select the right site. Store bales where they can be in full sunlight; avoid shaded areas like tree lines. Choose a well-drained location. Avoid ground contact. Use gravel or pallets to prevent wicking. Avoid stacking, unless bales are covered. If uncovered, tightly butt bales end-to-end in a single row.

Maintain row spacing. If storing bales in multiple rows, keep at least 3 feet between rows to promote airflow.

Align rows with a slope. If the site has a natural slope, run rows along it to encourage water runoff.

Use covers. Net wraps, plastic wraps, and tarps can all help reduce DM losses.

Another valuable resource for evaluat-

ing hay storage costs is the Ag Decision Maker Cost Calculator developed by Iowa State University. This tool allows producers to input specific variables, such as acres harvested, storage method, hay value, and the cost of infrastructure

like hoop barns or other buildings to see how these factors affect overall costs and profit margins. Many inputs are customizable to fit your operation.

By accounting for expected losses based on your chosen storage method (for example, 27% for bare ground versus 5% under a roof), the calculator provides a clearer picture of the real cost of making and storing hay. For example, improving storage on a 10-acre field producing 5 tons per acre could save hundreds of dollars annually, reinforcing how critical storage decisions are to profitability.

Barns and hoop barns offer the greatest protection and cost-efficiency over time, but they aren’t always feasible. Base your decisions on how long hay needs to be stored, how much reserve is kept, and where feeding occurs. •

SHELBY GRUSS

The author is the state forage extension specialist with Iowa State University.

Figure 1. Moisture distribution of stacked bales at an 8-inch depth

East West

Moisture %

40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5

Figure courtesy of Vulia Walker and Sara Bauder with South Dakota State University Extension.

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“Modern Forages Sold Nationwide and Canada”

Don’t bail on maintenance

by Brian Luck

S FORAGE harvest season gets into full swing, it is easy to overlook some machinery basics such as maintenance. The machines we use to harvest hay and silage range from being relatively simple to vastly complex, mechanically speaking. There are a multitude of rotating shafts, bearings, belts, and other components that require seasonal maintenance, at minimum, with others needing regular maintenance during the harvest season.

Procrastinating and leaving maintenance and repair tasks until after the next harvest or until the end of the season can cause costly downtime, reduced efficiency, and shorter equipment life. Let’s review some good reminders on maintenance tasks and strive toward a culture of preventative machinery care in your hay- and forage-making operation.

Any discussion on machinery maintenance starts with safety while performing the maintenance tasks. Always wear personal protective equipment, including but not limited to eye protection, hearing protection, and gloves. Hydraulic systems are not infallible. Utilize cylinder lockouts or block the machine up before getting beneath anything supported by hydraulics. Finally,

use tire chocks and jack stands anytime a machine is being lifted, even if your working surface is flat.

Know the high-wear areas

Hay and forage production requires several different types of machinery with varying levels of complexity. These machines can be ground driven, operate off a power take-off, or be self-propelled. Each different type of machine experiences a different type of interaction with the crop and the soil, which varies the types of wear patterns and maintenance required. Identifying the points on the machine that interact directly with the soil or crop will give a good indication of areas for regular inspection and maintenance.

Identifying the high-wear areas and checking them regularly will allow an operator to spot potential problems and flag them for further inspection or repair. Also consider the conditions of the environment the machine is operating in. The presence of dust with dry soil conditions or dry crop conditions during harvest can have an accelerating impact on machine wear. Dusty and dirty machines can also hide areas of concern from a maintenance standpoint. Keeping a leaf blower or air compressor near and using them to blow dust and debris from the machine regularly throughout

the day can help identify areas of concern that may need attention.

Coupling a regular light cleaning of machinery with a hand-held infrared thermometer can aid in identifying areas of the machine that are becoming hot, such as bearings and belts. When a component overheats, it has the potential to ignite plant material collected on the machine, which makes for a bad day. Specifically associated with hay production, shafts and bearings being wrapped with hay can also cause overheating of components. Clearing any shafts wrapped with plant material will help ensure proper operation and avoid overheating or imbalance that can bend rotating shafts. According to Randy Clark of RCI Engineering, a nice tool for clearing shafts is a small, battery-powered reciprocating saw equipped with a wood blade. It can make quick work of clearing a wrapped shaft, will not dull as quickly as a knife, and can be considered safer than a blade in many instances. Completing these quick checks at least a few times per day will save repair time or costly repairs.

Daily fluid checks

While we are discussing maintenance generalities here, refer to the individual machine’s operator’s manual for guidance on regular and seasonal maintenance locations and intervals. There are three different maintenance intervals to consider: daily checks, seasonal maintenance, and long-term storage. Before operating a piece of equipment, do simple daily checks, including the cleaning and temperature assessments. These also include fluid-level checks and grease points. Changes in a machine’s fluid levels signify problems in the operation of the machine. These can be as simple as a hydraulic fluid leak that needs repair or something more catastrophic in the case of engine malfunction. Maintaining an understanding of the fluid levels in a machine and noticing changes in those can allow for maintenance costs to be minimized and keep the machine operating efficiently.

Greasing a machine is a relatively simple task that will also keep the performance of the machine high. Keeping high-quality grease and grease guns either with the machine or with the operator makes doing this task less burdensome. Ensure that the grease zerks are clean before connecting the grease gun to prevent contamination. Also, greasing

Mike Rankin

a machine at the end of the day rather than the beginning is usually preferred since it tends to be a dirty task.

Less often but critical

Seasonal maintenance usually includes larger tasks like engine oil changes or tasks where some disassembly of the machine is required. Modern machinery tends to have indicator lights to identify when larger tasks should be performed; however, the timing of these tasks is sometimes not ideal, and the machine is needed for harvest. Keeping track of when these tasks were last done and having an idea of when the next seasonal maintenance task will need to be performed will allow you to schedule these at more convenient times during the harvest season.

Finally, consider some preventative maintenance when machines will be put in storage and not in use. Simple jobs like adding anti-gel additives to diesel tanks and running the machine to move the additive throughout the fuel system can save some headache in cold climates. Also, developing and

executing a rodent prevention plan will save a lot of time, as mice enjoy the soy-based insulation on most modern wiring. Placing poisons outside of the vehicle is best as to not attract the rodents to the machine, while utilizing rodent deterrents like various oils and spices can help further discourage them from getting in the machine and causing damage. Check rodent baits and deterrents regularly and refill or refresh them while the equipment is in storage.

Write it down

Maintenance recordkeeping is essential to ensuring that the tasks are being completed at the proper intervals. Using simple paper or a notepad to document the task performed, the machine operating hours or other metrics, and the date has and will always be an effective method. With the introduction of smart devices that we carry in our pockets, other options exist such as Google Forms to create a maintenance worksheet. These can be a check list for use prior to daily operation as well as longer term mainte-

nance tasks. In larger operations with multiple machines and operators, this documentation can quickly and easily provide forewarning to a maintenance shop that an issue is arising, and plans or parts orders can be made to solve the problem quickly and easily. Regardless of the operation’s size, develop and maintain some form of recordkeeping system to ensure the maintenance tasks are completed.

Machinery maintenance is not always the most enjoyable job, especially when a harvest window is open. However, keeping up with the regular, seasonal, and storage maintenance tasks will ensure that the machines used to harvest hay and forage are in working order, saving time, repair bills, and maintaining operating efficiency.” •

The author is an associate professor and machinery systems and precision agriculture extension specialist with the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

BRIAN LUCK

NAVIGATING THE GRAY AREAS OF BIG HAY

Caden Patterson tests the moisture level of a freshly steamed bale during third cutting last summer.

From baling decisions to pricing hay and selling product across the country, this team manages forage with flying colors.

by Amber Friedrichsen, Managing Editor

KIOWA County, Kansas, contains 1,800 people, three incorporated communities, and one traffic signal. That stoplight hangs over Main Street in the town of Greensburg, which is home to the county’s lone high school and the world’s largest hand-dug well.

You might not be able to tell that Greensburg was decimated by an EF5 tornado less than two decades ago. The devastating storm virtually leveled the town, leaving hundreds homeless and costing millions in damage. But the locals who stuck around after the disaster banded together to rebuild Greensburg from the ground up, recreating a community that buzzes with small-town charm. The dedication, growth, and teamwork embodied by the community are quite similar to the values that founded the nearby Morning Star Farms.

Roger and Leslie Stotts established Morning Star Farms just north of Greensburg in 1985 when Roger split off from the family farm and entered the agricultural industry on his own. The couple eventually grew the business into a multi-family partnership, and today, Morning Star Farms encompasses an array of crops including corn, soybeans, and small grains. They also specialize in large-scale alfalfa hay production; however, as head of forage operations, Kevin Melvin contends the hay enterprise is less about the end-product and more about the end-customer.

“A lot of what we do is logistics,” said Melvin, who answered the call for his current position in 2004, moving to Kansas from Tennessee. “I think in the hay business there are a lot of gray areas. I get along better operating that way than I do with the structure of the row-crop industry.”

Alfalfa comprises about 3,500 acres across the farm’s total area, which are all irrigated under pivots fed by the Great Bend Prairie Aquifer. Mother

Nature affords this pocket of south-central Kansas an average of 22 inches in annual rainfall. Another 18 inches or so of irrigation water is applied to most hayfields, which are expected to yield five cuttings per year — sometimes four, sometimes six — and average stand life is five to six years.

Caden Patterson was first employed at Morning Star Farms as a teenager in 2016 and now works with Melvin to make up a two-man hay marketing team. Patterson recalls the only hay being produced on the farm when he started on was in the form of 3x4 bales. Now, they additionally produce threetie bales, 3x3 bales, haylage, chopped hay, and alfalfa pellets. Diversification is key to the profitability and prosperity of a farm at its size, especially when it comes to growing, packaging, and selling alfalfa to a wide customer base.

“We used to do one thing, and now we are packaging hay at least five different ways,” Patterson said. “They say don’t carry all of your eggs in one basket. There’s a list of customers you can sell 3x4s to, and there’s a list of customers you can sell chopped hay to, and so on. We just spread out and find the demand.”

Bale by number

A busy harvest schedule is one gray area of the hay business. To provide some clarity, every pivot circle is numbered, and all field activity is time-stamped. The team records the dates that hay was cut, raked, and baled, organizing these logs according to when fields will be ready for the next part of the process. Then, when bales

are stacked, they earn an inventory number, which is important when hay is sold.

“Everything is numbered for simplicity — I can tell you where all the hay circles are at on a map,” Patterson said. Melvin explained that they always aim to cut alfalfa prior to bloom stage. This is partly to capture high-quality forage, shooting for premium-quality alfalfa, especially during fifth and sixth cuttings. The other reason for an early harvest is to limit the presence of blister beetles, which can inhabit plants at later stages of maturity.

“One thing I think is interesting is that people have a perception that hay from Kansas has a higher risk of blister beetles, but there are decisions we can make and steps to take to be safe from that,” Melvin said.

Morning Star Farms runs Massey Ferguson swathers and small square balers, as well as Krone large square balers. They prioritize close connections with the manufacturers, which not only benefit the farm but also the company.

“We think it’s important to have a two-way relationship with the dealers and manufacturers,” Melvin said. “We’ve helped them develop some aspects of their machines, and we have even hosted summer interns.”

Patterson chimed in, “It’s a two-way relationship because there is some research and development we can do since we are so diversified and run so many different machines. But to be able to run those machines, we have to be able to talk to the manufacturers when we have a problem and get the service we need.”

They have added five Staheli West bale steamers to their forage fleet since 2012, which have greatly improved their harvest flexibility. Instead of waiting until after dark — or the middle

of the night — to bale hay when cooler temperatures and more humidity set it, they can do so during daytime hours.

“Without the steamers, we would have to bale hay from 10:30 or 11 at night until 3 or 4 in the morning,” Patterson said. “It allows us to open up that window and get bales picked up and in the shed before it rains.”

Prior to using the bale steamers, Melvin said farm employees spent 20 to 22 days a month in the field waiting for the right conditions to swath, rake, and bale. Now that the steamers streamline those operations, that number is condensed to a collective 10 days a month, give or take. Even though he purports the machines may be more common in desert-like climates compared to the somewhat humid summers of south-central Kansas, steaming hay reduces the downtime needed to let dew develop between raking and baling. And less wait time equals less gray area surrounding the risk of sporadic weather.

“Our weather is unpredictable,” Melvin said. “You go to Arizona, Colorado, or Utah and they have a monsoon season, but after that, they know it’s

Melvin and Patterson assess stem moisture to determine if hay is ready to rake.

not going to rain. Sometimes, it’s like monsoon season all year here.”

The middlemen

In addition to growing and selling its own alfalfa, Morning Star Farms markets hay from various producers across the country. They move several hundred loads a month; however, as their output continues to grow, their list of buyers has gotten shorter, especially considering that a big chunk of their alfalfa is sold to dairies.

“You can really feel the consolidation in the dairies in the last five or six

years. There are so many customers that are just gone.” Melvin said.

He added that Garden City is another hub for Kansas hay production where producers are better positioned to ship hay west and south to Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle. Being 100 miles further east, Morning Star Farms is set up better for east-bound trucking. In fact, if their hay isn’t sold to local buyers, it’s most likely headed east. Chopped alfalfa is in high demand from feedlots; large square bales primarily go to dairies in Eastern states, including Pennsylvania; and a growing portion of total hay production is dedicated to the equine industry in places like Kentucky and Florida.

Given the breadth of their customer base, Patterson and Melvin agree it can be complicated to price hay — another gray area. The two-man team refuses to solely rely on reported prices. Rather, they determine hay value based on a number of factors, including the price of corn, soybeans, and other commodities. As these commodity prices vary by region, so does the price of the hay they are selling to those locations.

“We determine the price of hay by getting out and seeing people,” Melvin said. “We are aware of what the other commodities are. You’ve got to be priced relative to what their other feed ingredients are — and trucking costs.”

Checks and balances

All income and expenses for individual transactions are recorded in a custom-built database. In addition to the hay inventory number derived from the farm’s harvest data, these tickets include price per ton of hay sold, freight costs, purchase weight, and delivery weight.

Wayne Keeton manages the accounting software. Documenting every detail of each sale is critical to account for the thousands of tons of hay made on-farm and bought from vendors over the course of a year. Morning Star Farms also has a dedicated office staff that ensures these details are correct and accurate.

“We sometimes joke that we know more about our vendors’ hay than they do, but it’s often true — when you’re dealing with customers and vendors, a lot of times they don’t have the office

space to store all this data,” Keeton said. Moreover, plugging numbers into the database is usually more accurate and time-efficient than calculating costs and profits with pen and paper.

“It takes out so much of the human error,” Patterson said.

Keeping records also allows Morning Star Farms to predict hay demand from individual customers.

“We can forecast their demand almost as well as they could — maybe even better since we track historic number and actually have the numbers behind it,” Keeton said. “Then, once we get through alfalfa harvest, we’ll know if we have enough product available to handle them, even if they haven’t entered a purchase contract. Having enough product available no matter who calls is something Kevin focuses on.”

About 80% of Morning Star’s hay customers are repeat buyers; the rest is driven by forage demand in drought areas.

“We are always trying to build up more repeat business, but there is always room to pick up new customers,” Melvin said. “If somebody calls and

wants to buy hay, we will sell them hay. Maybe I can’t sell them our hay, but I can sell them a load of hay from somebody else.”

That dedication to good service is what keeps the wheels constantly turning on trucks hauling hay out of the farm gate. And the ability to atone for occasionally unmet expectations keeps customers coming back to Morning Star Farms despite any mishaps.

“If we make a mistake and overcharge somebody or underpay them, we’ll catch it, we’ll make it right, and then we’ll cut them a check,” Keeton said. “Regardless how big or small the mistake, giving our vendors and customers the comfort of knowing that we will always do the right thing is priceless for building relationships.”

This goodwill and customer loyalty confirms the systems set in place at Morning Star Farms are effective. It can be challenging to navigate the gray areas of field activity, price discovery, and hay marketing at such a large scale, but the forage team works hard behind the scenes to account for every bale, turning gray into green. •

a couple days of

After

drying under the hot Kansas sun, alfalfa was raked and set to bale that afternoon.

Custom harvest collection issues

by Troy Schneider

CUSTOM harvesters, like most business owners providing goods or services, have dealt with or will deal with a customer who does not pay for the goods or services provided.

Disputes, conflicts, mistrust, and lawsuits most often result from inadequate communication and misunderstandings between custom harvesters and their customers. Too often, a business and a customer enter into an oral contract without clearly defining all of the necessary terms. They intend to rely on their prior good relationship rather than clearly defining the duties, obligations, price, and payment terms. When a problem occurs, each party selectively remembers those parts of the oral agreement that benefit their position.

The easiest debt to eventually collect is one in which the parties are not in dispute with regard to the amount owed, also called an undisputed debt. Even if all of the issues cannot be anticipated, a contract can make the debt as undisputed as possible. A written harvesting contract will clearly document all the essential terms of the business relationship. It should also include additional terms specific to the harvester’s policies and practices. Consider the following: Parties. The contract must clearly

and accurately name the parties. When contracting with a sole proprietor, it is essential that the customer executes the contract. With regard to a general partnership, each partner is jointly and severally liable for the debts and obligations of the partnership. Therefore, although it is best to have all partners sign the contract, the execution by any partner should be adequate.

When contracting with a corporation, limited liability company (LLC), or a limited liability partnership (LLP), any claim for services is limited to a claim against the assets of the entity. These types of entities limit any personal liability of the owners, even though an owner signs the contract on behalf of the entity. It is especially important to verify the financial stability of the entity to ensure the likelihood of payment. The harvester will be considered a general creditor of the entity whose claim is subordinate to the claims of secured creditors. In most cases, lending institutions have substantial liens against the farm’s assets. The contract could include a provision under which the signing owners agree to personally guarantee the obligation of the entity. Term. Define the term of the contract. When equipment is purchased in order to specifically meet contract requirements, it may be desirable to enter into a long-term contract to

ensure that adequate acreage is contracted to fully utilize the equipment.

Subject matter. The contract should clearly define the harvester’s required services, price mechanism, and any other necessary information regarding the services.

Payment. The contract should provide the schedule for payment.

Interest. Provide the interest rate that will be charged in the event of default in payment. Unless the interest rate is in writing — and in proper form — and signed by both parties, interest can only be charged at the legal rate of 5%.

Securing payment. The contract may provide protections such as a required letter of credit from a bank or a security interest in certain assets of the customer. The contract should also make the farmer aware of any state thresherman’s lien rights that may exist.

Events beyond a parties’ control. Make clear that you can only make a reasonable effort to perform services at suitable times. Communicate that you are not responsible for any delay or failure to perform due to conditions beyond your control, such as adverse weather or soil conditions, flood, windstorm, acts or defaults of third parties, accidents, mechanical failures, equipment breakdowns, or unavailability of repairs or parts. Also make clear that you are not responsible for delays due to conflicts in scheduling.

Mud and field conditions. In the contract, state that the farmer will clean any roadways and that the fields will be in suitable condition.

Safety and hold harmless. Ensure that you will not assume responsibility if the customer or their employees ride in or otherwise operate any machinery or equipment that you own. In general, the harvester should not allow any guests — especially children — to be involved in the harvesting activities. The harvester will want to be indemnified by the farmer against any accidents.

Be your customer’s bank

If a customer owes you money, act as their creditor, much like a bank. Consider the customer’s legal composition (sole proprietor, partnership, LLC, LLP, or corporation), the customer’s assets and possible collectibility, and the existence of or lack of security for the debt. Maintain a complete file of information about the customer. You must be able to prove the unpaid debt and contest any dispute or counterclaim raised. The

paper trail created by the harvester can be the difference between a successful and an unsuccessful collection. The customer’s file should include originals or copies of all documents and business records, including but not limited to:

• A statement regarding the customer’s legal structure, the names and addresses of each owner, the owner’s marital status, and the name of the customer’s lender and other secured parties.

• Any credit application, credit references or reports, other financial information regarding the customer, and the name of the customer’s lender.

• The contract, personal guarantees, and other correspondence, as well as other written exchanges between the business owner and the customer, contemporaneous written business records of telephone conferences or other oral exchanges, and all business records related to the services, including invoices, account statements, and related records.

• Information as to the customer’s possible counterclaims against the business owner. It is especially important to have

records as to why work may have been delayed or services performed differently than anticipated.

Promise to pay

Consider transforming the open account debt for goods or services into an undisputed promise to pay. The mechanisms include:

• A promissory note executed between the customer and harvester for the amount owed, which may provide for interest just upon default, for the term of the loan, or both.

• A payment agreement executed between the customer and harvester, which sets forth the terms and conditions under which the past due goods or services are to be paid.

• Letters from the harvester to the customer asking for them to dispute the amount owed within a certain time frame.

• Postdated checks from the customer, which can also evidence an admission by the customer of an amount owed.

Obtaining security for the debt may

TRUSTED TO DELIVER THE HIGHEST QUALITY FORAGE

make the difference between eventual payment of the debt and nonpayment. Further, in the event of a bankruptcy, having security for the debt may enhance your position and may prevent the customer from discharging your debt. Forms of security include:

• A mortgage, which is a lien on the customer’s real estate.

• A security agreement, which is a lien on their personal property.

• A third-party guarantee, in which the third party could be the principal shareholder, member, or partner, or a deep-pocketed relative.

Dealing with nonpaying customers is often the least favorite part of any custom forage harvester’s job, but having clear and solid documentation will make doing so a bit more bearable. •

BROKERING HAY IN A DIFFICULT MARKET YEAR

by Haley Ruffner

THE world moves ever faster, but the pace of farming can’t always keep up. Regardless of advances in technology and machinery, at the end of the day we are still at the mercy of nature. Some years are prosperous for those who make their living in agriculture: ideal growing conditions, fair weather for harvest, and advantageous market prices. However, recent years have posed increasing challenges as farmers deal with concerns about water, changing weather patterns, and declining markets.

As a hay broker based in southern Colorado and, before that, having worked a summer on a flood-irrigated hay farm, I have seen the strain on farmers in my community as they try to produce premium hay on less and less water, deal with unseasonable weather, and feel the effects of low milk prices while input costs go up. Most of what I know about the hay and agriculture market is thanks to their willingness to share their knowledge and experiences. Ultimately, farmers are the final deciding factor in their products’ movement to market. No matter how effective a broker is at selling hay on the customer side, nothing moves until the farmer

approves it, so the ability to listen and understand what the farmer needs from the relationship is essential.

In a difficult market year, supporting farmers and strengthening the relationship will take many different forms. Actively listening to farmers — not just about their hay, but about their lives — provides valuable input into how a broker can best be of service. Does the farmer need to move hay quickly and shorten payment terms to help ease financial constraints? Do they need a second opinion on whether barn-stored hay will be worth more if sold now versus later in the spring? If their local market has dried up, they may need help finding other

outlets for their hay. Learning what each farmer’s priorities are will help guide a broker to find creative solutions rather than trying to force a one-size-fits-all approach. The following principles are always important but even more so in a year where prices or growing conditions constrict the market.

Be transparent

The foundation of any relationship is trust, and for a broker to be successful in moving hay, they must have trust from all parties — the growers they buy from, the customers they sell to, and the freight companies they use to transport the hay. If any of these three relationships falter, the broker will be cut out of deals. It’s no secret that brokers must make a margin in order to sustain operations, but the market knowledge and confidence in relationships to be able to share some information with farmers can go a long way in reassuring them that a broker is making a fair margin on their service and isn’t taking advantage of an already difficult situation. Brokers who work in a large sector of the hay

Mike Rankin

market and move a higher volume of loads can afford to make a smaller margin, retaining more money in the deal for the farmer.

The more brokers and farmers know about each other, the better they are able to work together. If a broker shares what kind of freight rates they are getting to a certain region, a farmer might share a contact for a local trucker they know who is looking for work. If a farmer knows who their neighbor is selling hay to, that can help a broker dial into markets they may not have other

Working backwards to include a time frame to have the hay moved and paid for can also help inform farmers’ decisions on who to work with. For example, an offer of $180 per ton for 200 relative feed value (RFV) hay to a large dairy customer who can take 1,000 tons in two weeks on 15-day payment terms may be more attractive to a farmer than an offer of $200 per ton for the same hay moved to a smaller customer who wants to take 1,000 tons over the next six months and pays on delivery. Or it may not, depending on their priorities and storage situation, but being able to talk through details like that will make sure that proper expectations are set with both parties.

Having enough of a deal put together to be able to share a timeline for shipping and payment with a farmer ensures that the broker is held to a higher standard of honoring those parameters and avoids the farmer feeling like they have been strung out or taken advantage of.

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“Best gopher control I’ve ever seen. Our cost per acre has gone down after the first season of use. Just added a second machine to cover all M.B. Walla Walla, WA

Setting expectations and transparency go hand in hand as well — most deals don’t get executed exactly as planned every time, so keeping open lines of communication between farmer and broker will ensure things run smoothly when adjustments need to be made.

Be proactive

Last year in the San Luis Valley of southern Colorado, some farmers had all three cuttings of hay rained on, which was devastating for an area that prides itself on premium high-altitude dairy and horse hay. Stacks that were put up dry experienced stack damage more quickly than usual, and some farmers opened stacks to start loading trucks only to find that some bales had caramelized. They came into the season knowing that they had some problems and were sure to find more as the hay started moving, regardless of how careful or experienced they were. However, none of these factors caused a true disaster because the farmers were resilient and proactive in playing the hand nature dealt them.

A farmer who notices moisture issues within a stack while loading a truck and lets the broker know right away can often solve a problem before it even starts. As long as both parties know about it before the truck delivers to the customer, they can work together to find a solution that won’t jeopardize either relationship. The broker may

have already set the expectation with the customer that there would likely be caramelization in some bales, or farmer and broker may have to adjust the price or sort off the top bales. Perhaps the truck may have to be rerouted to a lesspicky customer.

In the same vein, if a broker notices a customer showing signs of wanting to back out of a deal or getting far behind on their payment, it’s their job to have backup plans lined up and ready to implement so the farmer doesn’t get burned or stuck with hay they thought was sold. A good broker must continue

When loading hay for shipping, keep your eyes open for any potential moisture or mold problems.

to monitor all hay in motion, not just put the deal together and walk away. Part of the service a broker provides is to see a deal all the way through and protect the farmer if there are market shifts or a deal falls through, and the only way that can be done is through close attention and proactive problem solving.

The more adverse conditions that exist in a given growing season, the higher the likelihood that farmers and brokers will encounter problems. When prices are down, margins are slim, and the trucking budget is tight. Farmers and brokers must be able to collaborate and move hay. This requires taking a proactive approach.

The role of a broker in the hay market is to make product move to market in a healthy way, which can look different year to year. The ones who succeed and maintain positive working relationships with farmers, even in difficult years, all share the qualities of being transparent in their communication, having enough information to be able to set and follow through with expectations, and the foresight to work through issues as they form. As in any job or lifestyle that relies on cycles of nature, hard times are unavoidable, but the people committed to working through them together will prevail. •

HALEY RUFFNER

The author is a hay broker with Aden Brook, a nationwide supplier of hay. Ruffner specializes in the horse hay market and is based in Alamosa, Colo.

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Psychological safety strengthens farm crews

by Hernando Duarte

WORKING in agriculture — especially hay and forage production — requires long, demanding hours and is heavily reliant on coordination, teamwork, and adaptability. Field teams operate under intense pressure, navigating unpredictable weather conditions and responding to constantly shifting market demands.

Research consistently highlights psychological safety as a critical factor in team success. Therefore, farm managers and supervisors must understand the concept of psychological safety, why it matters, and how to implement its four key stages to cultivate strong, high-performing operations.

By prioritizing these four stages, leaders can foster resilience, drive innovation, and enhance overall performance — essential qualities for a thriving farm business.

The concept of psychological safety is not new. In fact, it began gaining attention in the 1960s and can be traced back to early studies in organizational behavior. In 1999 Harvard professor Amy Edmondson found that teams with higher levels of psychological safety were more likely to learn from mistakes and ultimately perform better.

In the book titled “The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety,” author Timothy R. Clark defines the concept as “A condition in which an individual feels included, safe to learn, safe to contribute, and safe to challenge the status quo — all without fear of being embarrassed, marginalized, or punished in some way.”

Psychological safety plays a vital role in team success. It encourages collaboration, supports continuous learning, drives innovation, and enhances productivity and workplace safety, all within a secure and inclusive environment.

Everyone plays a role

As leaders, it’s essential to recognize that every team member — regardless of their background — seeks to feel valued, included, and accepted. Creating a sense

of belonging is not just a moral responsibility; it’s a leadership imperative.

You can have a diverse team, but without true inclusion, those differences won’t translate into better outcomes. Psychological safety ensures that diverse perspectives are not only tolerated but genuinely valued.

One key indicator of effective leadership is employee turnover. When exclusion is tolerated, it can lead to low morale, disengagement, and ultimately higher turnover. Inclusive leadership is critical for retaining talent and maintaining a motivated, productive workforce.

Use the onboarding process as a powerful tool to foster inclusion by:

• Introducing new team members to others in a way that makes them feel seen and welcomed.

• Emphasizing that every voice is valued, regardless of role or background.

• Sharing clear expectations around respectful communication, active listening, and collaboration.

When people feel like they truly belong, they are more likely to contribute, grow, and thrive within the team.

Learning opportunities

Humans are naturally curious and wired to learn new things. However, in the workplace, this fundamental need is often overlooked. Even well-intentioned managers may cite a lack of time as a reason for not prioritizing training and development.

In my experience working with dairy industry teams in Wisconsin, I would often ask team members what new things they were interested in learning. I was consistently surprised by the variety and enthusiasm behind their responses. People are eager to grow — they just need the opportunity and encouragement.

To foster a culture of continuous learning, leaders must address one of the biggest barriers: the fear of failure. Many employees hesitate to try new things because they doubt their abilities or fear being judged. It’s the leader’s role to build confidence, show belief in their team’s potential, and remind them that

most limitations are mental.

Patience is essential to any effective learning process. People absorb information at different speeds and in different ways. While some may grasp new concepts through verbal explanations, others — particularly kinesthetic learners — thrive through hands-on experiences, physical interactions, and active participation. Recognizing these differences allows leaders to adapt their teaching approaches to meet diverse learning needs.

Equally important is how mistakes are handled. Errors are a natural and necessary part of learning. Rather than assigning blame, use mistakes as opportunities for growth. When missteps are framed as valuable learning moments, it cultivates a culture of trust, resilience, and continuous improvement.

Regardless of their role, every employee should have access to regular training sessions — both to sharpen their existing skills and to explore new areas of growth. Even informal education opportunities can boost morale and engagement. When holding team meetings, set aside time to teach something new. It could be related to your operation, your industry, or a specific technique that helps employees improve their performance on your farm. Once employees feel included and have been given opportunities to learn, the next step is enabling them to perform and contribute meaningfully to the team.

Hear every voice

When someone is part of a team, they want their voice to be heard. They want to create value and perform without fear of judgment or retaliation. Contributor safety is about making sure individuals feel safe and supported as they offer ideas, take initiative, and bring their unique skills to the table.

To foster this stage, leaders must be intentional about listening more and speaking less. While not every idea can be implemented, it’s important to let your team know that every contribution will be genuinely considered. Feeling heard is just as important as being right.

Strong leaders and coaches understand timing and readiness. Their role is to assess when a team member is ready to step up and to ensure they’re well equipped before entering the arena. That means providing adequate training, resources, and encouragement so individuals can confidently take action.

Contributor safety builds on the earlier stages by creating an environment in which team members are empowered to share their knowledge and ideas. It fosters a sense of ownership where input is valued and respected.

A key component of this phase is autonomy, which should be granted

At this stage, individuals feel secure enough to challenge the status quo, share honest opinions, and propose new ideas without the fear of punishment, ridicule, or negative consequences. This level of safety is essential for fostering innovation, encouraging continuous improvement, and creating a culture where healthy debate is welcomed.

According to Clark, this stage grants individuals permission to challenge the status quo in good faith. In other words, team members can speak candidly and directly, as long as their intent is to improve the team, process, or outcome.

To foster this environment, leaders

been prevented if employees had felt safe to speak up and challenge flaws.

As a leader, it’s critical to actively encourage this mindset, question outdated methods, and welcome respectful disagreement from your team. By doing so, you create a culture of innovation. When challenger safety is absent, silence prevails. Instead, promote open discussions where candor is not only accepted but expected.

In summary, clearly communicate your vision, goals, and expectations. Create a culture of continuous learning and an environment where every voice is heard, respected, and valued.

HERNANDO DUARTE

The author is the bilingual farm labor management outreach specialist with the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension.

CONTROL THE VOLE

by Amber Friedrichsen, Managing Editor

VOLES may be small in size, but they can create big damage. Also known as meadow mice, voles are one of the most destructive pests to alfalfa and irrigation systems, especially in the West.

At the California Alfalfa and Forage Symposium held last year in Sparks, Nev., Roger Baldwin explained different vole control tactics and the variable results of each one. Overall, the professor of cooperative extension with the University of California, Davis, suggested voles will never be eliminated, but the harm these pests cause alfalfa can be mitigated.

Voles fall between house mice and pocket gophers on the spectrum of rodents by size, measuring 4 to 6 inches in length. The pests are typically dark gray or brown in color and are characterized by a blunt nose, small eyes, and short ears and legs. Whatever voles lack in stature, they make up for in number, producing five to 10 litters of three to five young per year. However, vole populations tend to exhibit irruptive growth patterns that peak every six to eight years.

“In some cases, maybe you don’t real-

ize you have voles, and then conditions get just right and populations can explode. When that happens, it can feel like you are being overrun by voles,” Baldwin said. “It’s certainly very challenging to deal with in that situation.”

Voles feed on alfalfa taproots and aboveground biomass, and they also cause damage to stands with their burrows, which are about an inch and a half in diameter. One way to differentiate vole burrows from other rodent burrows are the well-worn paths they create by running between burrow openings on the soil surface — other rodent species don’t make the same trails. This can be an important identifier when pursuing control methods specific to voles.

Stand damage varies with vole density, but the pests cause an estimated 11% average revenue loss in California alfalfa when they are found in a field. Even though a complete eradication may not be possible, pest management should be taken seriously to protect stands to an extent.

Flooding and baiting

Current vole control recommendations are centered on an integrated approach using a combination of strategies; however, there is a limited arsenal

of options. These include cultural practices, toxic baiting, and exclusion fencing. Fumigation, trapping, and repellents, on the other hand, are not very effective forms of vole control. Where available, Baldwin suggested flood irrigation can be the initial tool to knock vole populations down a peg. Flooding either drowns voles out or forces them to the surface where they are subject to predators.

“If you’re an individual that still has the capability of using flood irrigation, this can be a good tool to use periodically to keep some of these burrowing species in check,” Baldwin said. “I think the loss of flood irrigation is one of the reasons we’ve seen the proliferation of rodents in these fields over the last few years.”

Pairing flood irrigation with chemical control options like zinc phosphide can enhance the efficacy of the latter practice. Baldwin explained that zinc phosphide is the only rodenticide that is registered for use directly in alfalfa. It’s an acute toxicant, so it can kill voles after a single feeding; however, it might not meet its consumers’ standards.

“It has a distinctive garlicky odor — and supposedly taste — that is associated with it that the rodents don’t nec -

essarily like,” Baldwin said about zinc phosphide. Therefore, picky eaters may consume a few pieces of grain or pellets, become sick, but then fail to die. Then, voles associate sickness with the bait and avoid eating it again — also known as bait shyness. Because of this, farmers are only allowed two applications of zinc phosphide in alfalfa per year.

“Zinc phosphide is one of the primary tools we have, but it is a little hit or miss, and I’m sure many farmers have experience with it where sometimes it worked well and other times it didn’t work very well at all,” Baldwin said.

Tillage and fences

Habitat modification alters a habitat area to make it less desirable for pests. While this can be a viable control tactic in a variety of different cropping systems, Baldwin stated it is not ideal for alfalfa since the plants themselves are the preferred vole habitat, providing them food and cover. Therefore, destroying burrows with deep tillage after stands are terminated is a more effective way to eliminate burrow systems.

Exclusion fencing may not be the most practical solution, either, but it can be implemented along field borders to discourage vole movement into alfalfa. In his own exclusion fencing research in artichoke fields, Baldwin buried plastic mesh fence 6 inches belowground for optimal vole control. He suggested driving rebar or wooden stakes into the ground every 15 feet and extending the fence at least 10 inches aboveground.

“One of the nice things about voles is that they are not very good climbers,” Baldwin said. Maintaining a 1-foot vegetation-free perimeter outside the fence might further discourage voles. With that said, he acknowledged farmers can’t realistically fence entire fields this way. But exclusion fences can limit infestations to smaller areas and offer a vantage point to monitor surging populations. Fences might be good sites for rodenticide bait stations, too.

“You’re placing bait stations on a barrier that is funneling voles up and down that particular structure, so you won’t need near as many as if you were using bait stations throughout an entire field,” Baldwin said.

Birds of prey

There may be another option to eradicate rodents — barn owls. Biocontrol, otherwise known as the use of natural predators to control pest populations,

shows some promise for alfalfa production, and barn owls may be the most viable raptor species to recruit to infested stands for two major reasons. For one, barn owls are not territorial, which means farmers can artificially inflate their population densities in a given area by providing them with nesting structures — usually owl boxes. With those established, barn owls will stick around to hunt, which leads to the second reason they can be useful preda-

tors: Individual owls can consume up to 3,000 small rodents per year.

“The question, though, is if the removal rate that they engage in is able to overcome the reproductive output that a lot of these rodents engage in,” Baldwin said. “Voles in particular reproduce at a higher rate than pretty much all of the other rodent species.”

Great resource book! This 80-page manual explains best practices and references for each stage of corn silage management, as five expert authors detail guidelines for production, harvest, storage, and feeding.

Here’s how these haymakers try to BEAT THE WEATHER

by Mike Rankin, Senior Editor

WILTING a cut hay crop to baling moisture is rarely easy, but if you do it where rainfall and humidity are as common as mosquitoes during the summer, it can take a mental toll on the body. Add to this situation hundreds of acres of hay that need baled each cutting, and you must wonder how large-acreage, commercial hay operations even exist in the humid regions of the United States — but they do, and they’re successful. With the theme of making hay while the sun does or doesn’t shine, Hay & Forage Grower tasked three diverse, large-scale haymakers to answer some questions regarding their strategies for harvesting a quality crop in regions that are not the most ideal for getting hay dry.

Farthest east is Mike Stefan . He makes 600 to 800 acres of high-quality grass hay each year in western New York near North Collins. Moving west, John Russell farms with his son-in-law, Stewart Foos, in northwest Ohio near Pemberville. They grow and harvest 850 acres of alfalfa, alfalfa-orchardgrass, timothy-orchardgrass, and timothy hay. Our final contributor is Dennis Lundy, who farms in western Iowa near Fontanelle and grows mostly straight

alfalfa on 1,200 acres. Each of these haymakers has the same end goal in mind, but as you will see, there’s more than one way to get there.

 What is your bale type?

Stefan: Large square bales that are then converted to small bales using a hay press.

Russell: All small square bales. If requested, they can be bundled for ease of handling after the hay is cured.

Lundy: All large squares.

 What is/are your primary hay market(s)?

Stefan: About 75% of our hay goes to the equine market. The remainder goes to dairy farms.

Russell: It all goes to the horse market.

Lundy: Mostly dairy and beef with a few horse customers.

 How and who determines when and if to cut hay on a given day?

Stefan: It’s very much a family decision. Being in New York by Lake Erie,

the weather is always a gamble.

Russell: My son-in-law and I both watch the weather very closely. We discuss it daily, and based on the level of maturity and the number of acres that are ready to cut, we decide whether to cut and how many acres. Our wives are also good at letting us know when it looks like it’s going to rain after we’ve cut.

Lundy: I make the call.

 Assuming a good rain-free window, how long does it usually take between cutting and baling?

Stefan: Three days can get you there, but being in New York, the humidity, wind, dew, and ground moisture are major factors. After four days, it seems like the ground moisture and bleaching takes a toll. We average 50 inches of rainfall where I’m located, so that’s why ground moisture is such a big factor.

Russell: Prebloom first cutting often takes four to five days in mid-May. After that, first, second, and third cuttings will often be baled on the third day with good drying weather. With higher humidity days, we can run into four or five days before it’s ready to bale. Fourth cutting can be three to six days in late summer and early fall. We bale on the third day more than half of the time.

Lundy: For baleage, it’s one day; for dry hay, it’s usually at least four days.

Dennis Lundy

Mike Stefan John Russell

 What sources of weather information do you use to help make cutting decisions? Do you have a favorite?

Stefan: We all have different phone apps, and we compare those at our morning meetings. While we’re baling, it’s nice to have alerts from the National Weather Service. With high humidity and the Lake Erie effect, we can have storms literally “pop up” within a few miles or on top of us.

Russell: We watch several different sources. My favorite is using the University of Kentucky weather site. It is based on our county and gives very specific forecasts for temperature, wind speed, percent chance of rain, humidity, dew point, and the amount of dew — all in two- to three-hour increments. Most of their information comes from the National Weather Service, but it’s formatted nicely. I can’t say it’s always accurate, but it gives me a good idea if it’s going to be reasonable drying weather. I pay a lot of attention to the percent chance of rain, forecasted temperature, predicted humidity, and the predicted amount of dew.

Lundy: I subscribe to The Weather Channel premium package and BAMWX weather, which I access on my phone. I also watch the weather videos of three local television stations. Some are always wrong, some are mostly right, and it changes by which model they are using.

 Based on weather forecasts, is there a set percent chance of rain that will make you delay cutting? Does it matter if it’s Day 1 or Day 3?

Stefan: I will cut on a 50% chance of rain, even if it’s Day 1. Sometimes these rain events are only one hour’s worth during the day, and we can’t stop for that. Grass will respire for 16 hours after it’s cut, and this will happen even in the rain. We ted our hay at least once a day until it’s harvested. During the 16-hour respiration period, we will ted it twice during the day, so it dries it out more during this crucial time. I have even tedded hay at night. We have continually seen that the hay is drier. After the first day, we don’t want the hay to get rained on at all because it absorbs the water. In New York, we have very few weeks of perfect weather to bale.

Russell: We will take a much greater risk on the chance of rain on Day 1 than Day 2 or 3. We don’t like to cut with greater than a 30% chance of rain on Day 2 or 3. There are times that we will accept higher chances if our hay is getting too mature, or if we have way too many acres to get across in a timely manner.

Lundy: I don’t really have a set percentage. I usually check all the weather sources then go on my gut feeling.

 Given that you have a lot of acres to bale, how does this impact your hay-cutting decisions?

Stefan: For our orchardgrass hay, I will take a bigger gamble so we can get it off the field and get another cutting in 30 days. For timothy, I don’t like to take much of a gamble; it gets bleached easier, and the more mature it gets standing, the easier it dries down. Typically, with straight timothy, I’ll only get two cuttings, so we need to do the first cutting right because that’s the tonnage cutting for us.

Russell: We take pretty big chances if we have a great forecast. We also take big chances if we are getting too mature with a lot of acres to go. It’s not terribly unusual for us to have close to half our hay down at one time. We certainly don’t bale it all in one day, though.

Lundy: I try to push all the time to keep on our cutting schedule so we can maintain dairy quality.

 What is the typical number of acres you will cut in a day? Does the weather forecast impact how much hay you will cut in a day?

Stefan: We like to bale 100 acres a day. Usually, it will be put inside right away due to pop-up storms or ground moisture wicking up into the bale. We run two large square balers, a stacker, two loaders, and two semi tractor-trailers. If we have a breakdown, we can still make it with one baler.

Russell: We normally cut a minimum of 80 to 100 acres per day during first cutting and 100 to 150 acres per day for second, third, and fourth cutting. With a really good forecast, we’ll cut 150 to 200 acres per day and sometimes more.

Lundy: We try to do 100 to 125 acres a day. It depends a little on the weather and travel times if we’re working on more than one farm.

 How does having a relatively large acreage of hay to make and the risk of rain impact your machinery-buying decisions?

Stefan: We’re learning as we go. Several purchases have really helped, though. The Massey Ferguson (AGCO) mower with a Twin Max conditioner changed my life compared to our former finger conditioner. Tedders have been important, too. We run two Kuhn 57-foot tedders and ted the hay every day, mostly due to ground moisture. Sometimes, we are tedding up to 300 acres a day after the dew

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comes off at 10 a.m. We like to be done by 1 p.m. at the latest, unless we are tedding behind the mower. Adding a preservative applicator has also been important. We use it on all the hay, and we routinely bale at 15% to 18% moisture, but you need to learn how to manage propionic acid so you don’t damage the hay.

Russell: Most farm economists would say we are plain crazy for the amount of equipment we have for our size of operation. We have found that we need to take advantage of great weather when we get it because it is so unpredictable. Oftentimes, our good weather window is reduced because the forecast changes, so we want to get as much done as possible in the short time we have. You can save money on equipment and make a lot of poor-quality, rained-on hay, or you can get the job done very timely by investing in plenty of high-quality, high-capacity equipment to make top-quality hay. That includes investing in the best equipment that will reduce drying time. Even if we only have 80 to 100 acres of hay down, we will still use all the balers so that we can bale at the optimum moisture to make the best quality possible.

Lundy: We own more than twice as much machinery as it would take to bale our amount of hay, if weather was not a factor.

 What optimum moisture content do you target for baling, and what is the wettest you will bale if rain is eminent?

Stefan: We like 10% to 12% with the hay press. I have baled at 30%, but then it’s cow feed. When using a preservative, you still need to manage the hay afterward. Sometimes, we separate the bales so they can respire the moisture out, or I let them sit for a while three bales high, then restack them six high when I need the space. At 10% moisture, we can just stack them in the building.

Russell: Since we usually have to bale with stem moisture, there is no magic optimum moisture content for us. We generally need our first cutting orchardgrass/alfalfa to be under 14%, and even less if it’s immature. We can be at 18% to 20% sometimes in the fall and be just fine. A lot depends on the cutting, the maturity, and the amount of stem moisture ver -

sus external moisture. The moisture readings I’m using here are with a handheld probe-type tester. We use a Gazeeka (microwave) tester on the baler, and that will pick up stem moisture that the handheld will not, so that reading will typically be 3% to 4% higher. Judging what’s safe to bale is far from black and white. When you are forced to bale with stem moisture like we are, you need to be able to judge how much stem moisture you’re dealing with and how much is external moisture. I’ve been doing this for 40 years, and I still get it wrong occasionally.

Lundy: For dry hay in large square bales, if it’s over 15% moisture, I plan on having grinding hay. Sometimes we’re forced to do that.

 If wilting hay is exposed to rain, how do you jump start the drying process again?

Stefan: We ted the hay immediately after the rain — sometimes twice — if we can to shake the water off. Droplets magnify the sun, and I feel it will cause more bleaching if you wait.

Russell: We use 36-foot, self-propelled fluffers that lift and fluff the hay to get air through it. We may fluff it two to three times if it was a big rain event, or if the hay was really heavy. We don’t like rotary tedders for alfalfa.

Lundy: Usually I rake; I only pull out the tedder when there are no other options available.

 Do you do anything that allows you to bale at a higher moisture percentage than you’d typically like to?

Stefan: A hay dryer for me is not the answer due to the volume I want to do, but they serve a purpose, for sure. I utilize a preservative and have been very happy with the support from Harvest Tech. Someday, if I get some cows, we will look at making some baleage.

Russell: We have a hay dryer that dries 63 small square bales per cycle. We can typically dry 189 bales per hour at 18% to 20% moisture. We don’t cut hay with the intention of drying it. We consider our dryer to be a tool to fall back on when we are forced to bale hay with more moisture than we want. We are also able to rescue hay that we thought was dry enough to bale, only to find out that we misjudged it. If it starts heating in the barn, we can run

it through the dryer and save it. Drying hay is too time consuming to be part of our normal routine. It allows us to take more chances on the weather, and more times than not, it doesn’t rain anyway. The less we use the dryer, the happier we are. Having said that, we are more than happy to spend the time drying hay when it’s raining, and our hay is in the barn. We’ll run it 24 hours a day when we need to.

Lundy: We do a lot higher percentage of baleage than dry hay. We only try to do dry hay when there is a good weather window.

 Do you have a market or animals that can utilize the poor-quality hay that gets rained on?

Stefan: Here, it’s a limited market. We sometimes will even chop it back to the field with the limitation of storage space and added handling costs. Most dairies have plenty of feed in this area and don’t need extra low-quality feed.

Russell: We are fortunate to have a friend that feeds replacement heifers, and he uses any rained-on hay that we make.

Lundy: I do not own any livestock, but we usually can find a market for the low-quality hay.

 Any other thoughts on how a hay producer in the humid U.S. can deal with cutting decisions as they relate to weather?

Stefan: Making hay is a skillful art form that we all go about in different ways to get the same result. Your skill is put to the test every time you cut. Even with all the current and coming technology, it still seems like the best hay we make is when the weather is right and it magically happens the same way it has for years. I feel we are only 50% of the equation when we make hay. The rest is out of our control.

Russell: Go to church on Sunday. It’s never good to start off on the wrong foot, so we try to avoid cutting on Sunday. I’m not saying we don’t bale on Sunday, but only when we have to. It’s hard to watch your hay get rained on, but it’s also a lot of fun to get in a big day and beat the weather. We definitely win more than we lose, and you must accept that you can’t win them all.

Lundy: Have Faith in God. The hay will let you down; God never will! •

Hay exports suffered this spring

by Amber Friedrichsen, Managing Editor

HAY exports have taken a noticeable hit in recent years and struggle to rebound to desirable levels. So far in 2025, a combination of economic pressures has negatively impacted the volume of hay that has left the country. Though less of a factor for hay production in Eastern states, the export market has a significant influence on Western hay prices.

As of this writing, the most recent data from USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service shows U.S. hay exports during April. All hay exports that month totaled 223,114 metric tons (MT), which was down 31% year-over-year.

Alfalfa hay exports totaled 141,441 MT, representing a 37% decline compared to April 2024. All other hay exports (mostly grass) totaled 81,673 MT — 16% less than April 2024.

All hay exports from January to April totaled 976,927 MT, which was down 17% compared to the same time frame last year. Although this is roughly on par with export data from 2023, it is a sizable step down in export totals during the first four months of the year compared to most years within the past decade (Figure 1).

Fading demand from China

According to Josh Callen, author of the Hoyt Report, there are three primary factors for the decline in U.S. hay demand so far this year: the trade war with China, dwindling demand from our largest hay customers, and the continuing strength of the U.S. dollar.

China has been the long-time top export market for U.S. alfalfa hay, comprising the lion’s share of shipments out of our nation’s ports. But when the threat of tariffs and an ensuing trade war arose in March, Callen said both parties got spooked and a lot of product was held back or rerouted to Japan at a discount.

“It’s been tough for exporters,” Callen empathized. “A lot of them are kind of in survival mode as they try to make it through this.”

Then, the U.S. and China reached an agreement to lower tariffs while a more comprehensive agreement was negotiated. At this point, Callen reported

there was a mixed bag of reactions from major exporters, with some refusing to ship and others rushing to move product before trade conditions changed. Even so, alfalfa hay exports to China dropped significantly from 82,982 MT in March to 50,397 MT in April. Total hay exports to China, including grass hay, were the lowest monthly totals since July 2023.

These trade issues coupled with a diminishing dairy industry can explain China’s reduced demand for U.S. hay. Callen noted China had overestimated its domestic dairy demand and thus overbuilt its national dairy herd, only to end up downsizing the industry and culling a large number of cows in recent years.

Exchange rate uncertainty

According to Callen, a similar situation is taking shape on Japan’s dairy scene, but not quite to the same extent. Although Japan did surpass China on the leaderboard for the first time in a long time, total hay exports to Japan have recently started to lag.

“Shipments to China over the first four months of the year now trail those to Japan — something that hasn’t occurred in several years,” he wrote in the June 6 Hoyt Report. “At the same time, all hay exports to Japan were down 12% year-over-year.”

One of the main drivers of reduced demand from Japan has been an ongoing battle between the U.S. dollar and the Japanese yen. Callen said the

exchange rate was virtually unchanged for years prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, the Japanese yen has had significantly less buying power against the U.S. dollar.

Another exchange rate for exporters to be aware of is that between the U.S. and Canadian dollars. As the strength of the dollar for our neighbors to the north continues to soften, Callen said Canada has an edge over the U.S. in the global hay market.

“All trading is done in U.S. dollars, so when [Canada] converts U.S. dollars to Canadian dollars, and if their currency is weaker, it just means they receive more,” Callen explained. “That’s an advantage for [Canada] because they can lower their price for hay, yet they are going to get more money back because of the exchange rate.”

There has been speculation that as demand shifts away from our nation’s largest Asian markets, it will be redirected and spread out across more Middle Eastern countries. This has yet to be the case. Callen noted that freight costs and shipping logistics to the Middle East are much more challenging to navigate compared to sending cargo to China and Japan.

“We’d hope that a lower price would attract more buyers, but so far that hasn’t materialized in the numbers yet,” he said. “I wish the [Middle East] would take more of our hay, but I haven’t really seen that shift.”

John Deere debuts new self-propelled mowers

John Deere launched its new F8 and F9 Series self-propelled forage harvesters, designed and built to elevate forage performance, fuel efficiency, operator comfort, and farm productivity. The new machines offer greater horsepower options and improved automation with a higher level of comprehensive technology offerings compared with previous models.

The new F9 Series is available in two engine options — John Deere 18X and Liebherr V12 24L — with five horsepower options ranging from 700PS to 1020PS. The F8 Series comes with the JD14X engine, bringing six horsepower options ranging from 425PS to 645PS.

These engine options deliver power with improved efficiency. The JD18X engine features no DEF requirements, and John Deere’s HarvestMotion Plus technology allows for increased torque at lower revolutions per minute (rpm), reaching up to 15% in fuel savings and up to a 10% gain in power.

Ground speed automation helps maintain ideal load and helps prevent operator stress by adjusting ground speed in real time based on crop conditions. Operator input can be reduced by using ProTouch Harvest, allowing operators to initiate multiple harvest-ready settings with one push of a button, while Active Fill Control ensures consistent truck fills, even under the toughest harvesting conditions.

The John Deere self-propelled forage harvesters deliver a new inoculant dosing system with an insulated, larger capacity tank and an automated cleaning system that reduces end-of-day maintenance, offering better feed preservation with less operator hassle and ultimately boosting operational productivity.

The new John Deere F8 and F9 Series machines deliver two different kernel processing ranges for ultimate processing performance: the John Deere Ultimate250TM KP and the John Deere XStream305TM. With up to 56% more surface area, the XStream305TM delivers a more effective kernel crush at wider gaps, ultimately providing longer wear life and optimal milk production.

The new John Deere forage harvesters also include swivel seats, allowing for improved unloading visibility and elevated operator comfort. Paired with John Deere’s intuitive hydro handle and the G5 display system, operators will have more control of the machine from the upgraded cab. Optional lighting packages also provide up to 68% better nighttime visibility.

The new forage harvesters have Dura Line wear parts to extend machine life and reduce downtime. Serviceability is also improved with redesigned wiring harnesses, centralized control panels, and upgraded embedded software for more reliable diagnostics aimed at increasing uptime.

New Vermeer mowers, rakes, and tedder

Vermeer announced an expansion of its product line to include triple mowers, rotary rakes, and a large tedder.

The addition of triple mowers complements Vermeer’s existing disc mowers, trailed mowers, and mower-conditioners. Customers can expect to see productivity gains with a 29.8-foot cutting width — featuring the FM110 front mower and the CM295 combination mower — each available as a plain mower, rubber roller, or flail conditioner.

The cutterbar includes shear protection to help prevent damage to its internal components, quick-change blades for quick maintenance, and hardened steel skids and discs for long-lasting performance.

Operators can maximize yield and cut quality – even on variable terrain – thanks to the advanced hydro-pneumatic suspension system. This closed-loop system allows the mower to adapt seamlessly to varying ground conditions, maintaining consistent down pressure across the entire cutting range.

The hitch designs on the front and rear are engineered for longevity and durability. The FM110 front mower’s hitch design allows for a high degree of movement on both the vertical and lateral planes by pulling the cutterbar instead of pushing it, delivering better ground contouring, enhanced cut quality, and minimizing unnecessary downtime due to maintenance.

Two new rotary rakes, the RR140s and RR270c, feature raking widths of 14 feet and 27 feet, respectively. In addition to Vermeer’s lineup of large and small wheel rakes and twin rakes, these new additions provide another option for producers.

Designed for maximized durability and ease of maintenance, the new rotary rakes feature large, 420-millimeter cam tracks. Due to large components and easily accessible grease points, they have the ability to hold up in tough field conditions and eliminate complex maintenance and service procedures to maintain quality and reduce ash content when handling forage.

The new rotary rakes also include a modular rotor featuring separately removable spring tine arm pairs. Each cam bearing module is secured with three bolts, streamlining maintenance for operators.

The TE485 tedder, with a 48.5-foot tedding width, will be the largest in the Vermeer lineup. Its hook tines help maintain optimal hay quality by creating a more consistent and complete dry down experience as hay is inverted with wet material on top and dry material on the bottom. Vermeer hook tines are backed by three-year coverage.

Although there will be limited field inventory of these products available to customers in 2025, full availability is expected in 2026. For more information, visit vermeer.com.

 T he Machine Shed column will provide an opportunity to share information with readers on new equipment to enhance hay and forage production. Contact Managing Editor Amber Friedrichsen at amberf@hayandforage.com.

Greenway Seeds, Caldwell, ID

Warehouses

Caldwell, ID and Deerfield, WI

Don’t discount hay in dairy rations

by Steve Martin

ONE of the best ways to quickly orient someone to a lactation dairy ration is to compare it to the diets of a mama cow grazing native pasture and a feedlot steer. These are the two extremes in the range of forage’s role in providing nutrients for growth, production, and the well-being for different classes of cattle.

The mama cow makes her way on as close to a 100% forage diet as possible, depending on seasonal changes and rainfall. The owner of the feedlot animal is on the other extreme, feeding the bare minimum of roughage necessary to keep that animal healthy until harvest. We hope one of these animals lives as long as is productively viable, and the other has a date with destiny somewhere around 2 years old. The forage level in their respective diets plays a part in this life expectancy strategy. The dairy cow finds herself situated in the middle of these two extremes. Unlike the feedlot steer, we need to keep her rumen appropriately filled with roughage to keep her on track for at least three or four lactations before she experiences a career change from

being a milk producer to a beef producer. We would love to be able to feed her a diet more like the mama cow, and from the dairy cow’s perspective, that would be fine. But for the dairy owner, a profitable level of milk production will require a diet that supplies around 50% grain and grain by-products.

The 50% or so that remains as forage is still important as it relates to several factors including protein and fiber levels, as well as more general quality considerations. The protein level is mostly determined by forage species and stage of maturity at harvest. Fiber levels are influenced by the same factors, though there are differences in the types of fiber in legumes and grasses.

When considering these nutrient differences by forage type in a dairy diet, we are lucky that cows have nutrient requirements as opposed to having ingredient requirements. In other words, cows have requirements for fiber, roughage, energy, and protein, but there are options for these nutrients coming from legumes, cool-season annuals, warm-season annuals, or various perennial forages.

This is good news for cows that find themselves in different geographies. After having built these dairy rations for more than 30 years, this flexibility

of ingredient supply not only keeps the process interesting but also economically viable. When going to a new area to formulate dairy rations, the first question I ask is, “What forages grow well here?”

Finding good forage

My experience feeding dairy cows has mostly been in the Southern U.S. Early in my career, this was Central Texas where cowboys and beef cows were aplenty, but true forage farming to the level needed for good dairy production was hard to find. The answer there was to ship in high-quality alfalfa hay from the high country of Colorado all the way to Stephenville, Texas. That seems like a long way to ship hay!

Several years later, after some dairy manure was added to those caliche hills, some sorghum for silage and improved bermudagrass hybrids were established. But the long-haul deliveries of alfalfa hay didn’t slow down until relationships with corn farmers in the Brazos River Valley were formed to grow corn for silage for these rapidly expanding dairies.

It wouldn’t seem possible that hauling wet corn silage from 70 miles away would be feasible, except that the other option was shipping the alfalfa hay all the way from Colorado. I always think this story is a good example of cows just needing forage no matter if it was primarily alfalfa from Colorado or corn silage from Texas. It was my job to be sure that the diet was balanced with either forage as the base.

Feed quality criteria

That all happened in the 1990s. If we fast-forward 30 years, the dairy industry and the predominant ration choices have changed a bit. Just like what happened in Central Texas, alfalfa feed rates have gone down and corn silage has gone up. In spots around the U.S., there are still pockets where alfalfa hay is the primary dairy forage. In most areas though, corn silage has emerged as the larger component.

The reasons for this are many and relate mostly to the advantage of a large dairy having a giant pile of corn silage that is pretty much the same as they move through the pile. Alfalfa hay, on the other hand, has numerous characteristics that can vary from load to load, field to field, and cutting to cutting. So, where can alfalfa and other dry forages find a place in the

modern dairy ration?

When I was in school, there was the thought that a dairy cow would not do well on a ration that only included chopped and fermented forages. These notions have turned out to be mostly untrue and many dairy cows do just fine on a diet with no dry hay. One of the ways dairy rations differ from the feedlot rations mentioned above is that not only does the nutrient supply of the forage matter for the cow, but the physical form is important as well. In addition to carefully managing the nutrients in the forages I include in a ration, I also have to be sure the roughage portion is not too long or too short to be consumed correctly and not sorted out by the discriminating palate of the average dairy cow.

While this forage length decision can mostly be made at the point of silage harvest by the setting on a chopper, it is much more consistent in the feedbunk than dry hay arriving at the farm one truckload at a time. These loads can have as many different chop lengths and forage rigidity as the trucks that delivered it. No matter if a dry forage is long and stringy or dry and shattery, it is critical that when it is blended in the mixed ration and fed out, it needs to contribute to specific particle size goals for the cow.

We measure forage length variations by using the Penn State Particle Separator, commonly referred to as a shaker box. Using this tool with its multiple sieves and a particular process of shaking, we can measure how much of each length of material is in the diet. This way, we can be sure the cow gets the correct nutrient supply and the correct roughage particle length to keep her healthy, help her maintain good rumen motility, and support good butterfat production.

Dry forage ideals

In an ideal situation, every dairy ration would have a few pounds of the perfectly chopped dry forage in the ration. Many of the diets I design have 5 to 10 pounds of dry forage comprised of mostly alfalfa hay and small grain hay. There are opportunities for bermudagrass hay, sorghum hay, and even wheat straw to contribute to this valuable roughage ingredient.

The dry hay can be of various maturities, protein level, and fiber content, but it must be free from mold and excessive weeds, and low in ash. Another reason that dry hay is fed at lower rates and is sometimes a problem for dairy producers is due to the art of putting up good hay. The patience and timing to accomplish this results in much of these forages ending up in haylage when the dairy is managing the forage program. This haylage production has its own challenges, but it seems to be a better fit for most dairies that put up some of their own alfalfa or small grain forage crops.

A good hay farmer with experience, attention to detail, and a good eye for the weather can be a real value to a dairy by delivering consistent hay for specific uses in dairy rations. Yes, dairy cows can do just fine on a 100% silage forage program, but adding a few pounds of dry hay to specific rations on the farm can improve the results for milk production as well as cow health and well-being. •

• Adds one hydraulic remote outlet

• 15GPM per outlet 3000PSI

• Works on any tractor, open or closed center

• Easy to mount, versatile

• Convenient, one handed operation

• Aluminum body construction

•

•

STEVE MARTIN

The author is the founder of DNMCmilk and works with dairy producers and heifer growers in several regions of the U.S. and around the world.

Choose tires that haul heavy and tread light

by Greg Jones

HAYLAGE and silage season push equipment to the limit — rain or shine, soft soil or steep terrain. As you race to chop, haul, and pack high-quality feed, the equipment you rely on must be up to the task — especially your tires. Choosing the right tire for silage and haylage equipment can make a measurable difference in field performance, crop quality, and long-term soil health.

Silage and haylage loads can reach up to 80,000-pounds gross vehicle weight when full, and without the right tires set at the right inflation on your equipment, an extreme amount of pressure is applied to the soil.

A study by Penn State University Extension showed that tires running at 35 pounds per square inch (psi) caused higher stresses at 14 inches of depth, and created ruts that were more than twice as deep as those of tires running at 12 psi. When concentrated pressure is applied to the ground, it can lead to greater soil compaction, adversely impacting crop growth by restricting root development and reducing water filtration.

Agricultural radial tires are designed to deflect and distribute the weight, while ag flotation tires are a good option for improving traction and reducing soil disturbance in wet conditions. They both offer a more innovative and sustainable way to get silage and haylage out of the field and onto the pile without leaving a costly footprint.

The key advantage of agricultural tires lies in their ability to distribute the weight of a load over a larger surface area. Agricultural radial tires are designed with self-cleaning tread designs, deeper lugs, and sidewall construction optimized for load support and deflection. Advanced Deflection Design (AD2) tires take it a step further and are engineered with flexible sidewalls, allowing for a larger, more even contact patch under load, enhancing traction, minimizing soil compaction, and improving shock absorption. This added flexibility also reduces slip and improves fuel efficiency.

As the name suggests, ag flotation tires are engineered to “float” across the soil rather than dig in. Their wider cross-section and greater air volume maximize traction in wet soils, and can help reduce ground pressure, minimizing rutting. This is especially import-

ant in wetter conditions. However, moving from a standard bias or radial ag tire to a larger, floatation size will require rim or axle changes.

Many options

Choosing the right tire depends on several factors — your haul routes, load requirements, average field conditions, and long-term goals for soil health and operational efficiency.

Advanced Deflection Design tires offer protection against soil compaction for silage and haylage equipment. Their flexible sidewall creates a larger footprint that distributes weight, significantly reducing ground pressure. This makes them especially useful for heavy hauls like wagons used for forage transport.

Standard agricultural radial tires offer improved traction and ride comfort over bias-ply options. Some models feature hybrid tread patterns that improve self-cleaning and minimize slip in the field while maintaining wear resistance and controlled handling. Agriculture radials can also operate at lower inflation pressures, providing extra soil protection.

Increased flexion (IF) and very high flexion (VF) tires present the most advanced solution for those prioritizing soil health and fuel efficiency. These tires are engineered to carry the same load as standard radials at lower pressures. Increased flexion tires can carry the same load at nearly 30% lower pressure, while VF tires can do the same at nearly 50%.

That reduction in inflation pressure directly correlates to less pressure on the soil, helping protect soil structure, reduce rutting, and maintaining better root zone conditions for crops. Because of their flexible sidewalls, IF and VF tires also provide a smoother ride and help improve traction, which can translate into better fuel economy and less time spent in the field.

Flotation tires are the best option for farms regularly operating in wet conditions. These tires are designed with wider profiles and deep treads to keep equipment on top of soft or saturated soils, preserving topsoil integrity even in challenging conditions. They provide enhanced traction, helping to keep equipment moving in wet soil.

Cost is another consideration. While premium ag radials or VF tires can carry a higher upfront price tag, their

Mike Rankin

longer wear life, improved fuel efficiency, and reduced field damage often justify the investment, especially for producers committed to continuing to improve sustainability. More budget-friendly brands are available, though producers should consider potential trade-offs in ride quality, durability, and long-term agronomic impact.

Check the rating

Pushing your tires past their speed limits can lead to more wear and tear and early removal from service. Each tire is built to handle a specific combination of speed and load. When you exceed either one, you’re putting your equipment and your schedule at risk. That’s why it’s important to match your tire’s speed rating with how fast you’re traveling.

Here’s a quick guide to help you stay within safe limits:

A8 – up to 25 mph

B – up to 31 mph

C – up to 37 mph

D – up to 40 mph

E – up to 43 mph

F – up to 50 mph

G – up to 56 mph

J – up to 62 mph

Before you hit the road, take a minute to double-check your tire’s speed rating. It’s a small step that protects your equipment, keeps your team safe, and helps you avoid costly breakdowns that delay harvest.

Even the best tire on the market won’t perform as intended if it’s running at the wrong pressure. An overinflated tire reduces contact with the ground, increasing compaction and reducing traction — exactly the problems nonhighway tires are meant to solve. On the flip side, an underinflated tire can cause premature wear, especially with frequent high-speed hauls on pavement.

Check tire inflation daily to ensure your tires are at the correct pressure throughout harvest. The proper inflation can help reduce fuel use, extend tire life, and support better performance all season long. Small steps like checking pressure can have a big impact when you’re in the field.

The right tires for haylage and silage harvest aren’t just about traction or speed — they’re about stewardship. As more operations move toward regenerative and sustainable practices, minimizing soil damage during harvest becomes as important as the forage itself. Fortunately, today’s tire market offers a growing range of options tailored to the demands of large-scale hay and silage operations.

No matter the size of your system, there’s a tire solution that can help you move faster, protect your fields, and set the stage for a stronger next crop. Talk with your local dealer to find the right tire solution for you — built to handle your toughest days and protect your soils and plants for the seasons ahead. •

GREG JONES

The author is a field engineering manager at Firestone Ag.

International Silage Conference

July 21 to 24, Gainesville, Fla.

Details: conference.ifas.ufl.edu/silage

Wisconsin Farm Technology Days

August 5 to 7, Bear Creek, Wis.

Details: wifarmtechdays.org

Farm Progress Show

August 26 to 28, Decatur, Ill.

Details: farmprogressshow.com

Husker Harvest Days

September 9 to 11, Grand Island, Neb.

Details: huskerharvestdays.com

Kentucky Intermediate Grazing School

September 24, Versailles, Ky.

Details: forages.ca.uky.edu/events

National Hay Association Convention

September 24 to 27, Frankenmuth, Mich.

Details: nationalhay.org

World Dairy Expo

World Forage Analysis

Superbowl

Sept. 30 to Oct. 3, Madison, Wis.

Corn silage entries due July 10

Hay crop entries due August 21

Details: bit.ly/HFG-WFAS

Sunbelt Ag Expo

Southeastern Hay Contest

October 14 to 16, Moultrie, Ga. Hay contest entries due Aug. 30

Details: bit.ly/HFG-SHC

Kentucky Grazing Conference

East: October 28, Winchester, Ky. West: October 29, Leitchfield, Ky.

Details: forages.ca.uky.edu/events

Penn State Dairy Cattle Nutrition Conference

November 13, Lancaster, Pa.

Details: bit.ly/HFG-DCNW

American Forage & Grassland Council Annual Conference

January 12 to 15, Asheville, N.C.

Details: afgc.org

HAY MARKET UPDATE

Hay stocks up, prices hold

May 1 hay stocks were pegged at nearly 24.1 million tons, according to USDA. This was up about 15% from last year, and was the highest estimate reported since 2017.

Higher hay stocks may pull on hay prices, as well as regional weather, water availability, commodity prices, and the reduced size of the nation’s beef and dairy herds. It’s reasonable to expect hay prices to remain steady in 2025.

The prices below are primarily from USDA hay market reports as of mid-June. Prices are FOB barn/stack unless otherwise noted.•

For weekly updated hay prices, go to “USDA Hay Prices”

KAYLA WIECZOREK , MISSOURI FARMER