No matter what type of grazing livestock you have, you likely have experienced time frames when you wished you had more forage available, especially during the summer slump period to help extend the grazing season. Having more forage available to graze or mechanically harvest helps to balance out dry matter needs and reduces the need to purchase additional forage.
Daniel Olson has been trying to incorporate cover crops into his Lena, Wis., dairy farm for several years. There is a lot of trial and error that comes with the process, but he says there’s one main thing that has helped him start to have some success.
With significant weather-related damage to corn and soybean fields in Nebraska recently, there could be an opportunity for growers to try seeding cover crops in those fields to raise a high-quality forage and offset at least some of the lost fall and winter grazing potential, says University of Nebraska Extension.
The National No-Tillage Conference returns January 7-10, 2025!Build and refine your no-till system with dozens of new ideas and connections at the 33rd Annual National No-Tillage Conference in Louisville, Ky. Jan. 7-10, 2025. Experience an energizing 4-day agenda featuring inspiring general session speakers, expert-led No-Till Classrooms and collaborative No-Till Roundtables. Plus, Certified Crop Adviser credits will be offered.
Last week we had boots on the ground at the Big Soil Health Event in Cedar Falls, Iowa where agronomist David Kleinschmidt emphasized the importance of considering Carbon to Nitrogen ratios of cover crops and residues.