inclement weather

3 barley growers reflect on the 2023 season and plans for 2024

Idaho's 2023 barley harvest, marked by weather hurdles, saw record yields. Barley producers discuss challenges, lessons and their adaptive strategies for the upcoming 2024 season amid market fluctuations.

January 26, 2024

Cassidy Woolsey

Despite a late spring, early-season hail damage and late-season rains, the 2023 barley crop in Idaho had a record-breaking year for average yield, making it the second-largest harvest in the state’s history.

Ensiling and preparing to feed weather-challenged crops

Summer weather patterns have led to unusual and stressful crop growing conditions before and right up to harvest dates.

September 7, 2023

Renato J. Schmidt and Bob Charley

Erratic weather patterns across the U.S. have stressed many silage crops in the field. Some regions and forage crops have experienced prolonged high temperatures and drought.

Hay, baleage or haylage?

There is significant opportunity for economic growth in forage production if we are willing to meet the market.

May 15, 2023

Dan Undersander

With input costs and cattle value both at high levels, it might be worthwhile to consider some alternatives. Both energy and protein are more valuable than previously, and higher cattle prices indicate the greater value of higher calving percentage and more rapid weight gain.

Managing the unknowns for forage safety

Management practices such as spreading out nitrogen applications, irrigation and seed selection for low prussic acid can all reduce risk.

January 30, 2023

Katie Raver

Drought is not often associated with catastrophic damage such as water; however, it can have catastrophic impacts – especially for animal feeding operations.

Quality feed cost focuses on weather

Evaluate your forage needs for 2022-23 now and choose one of four options to guide your plan to quality forage.

August 18, 2022

Michael F. Hutjens

Predicting feed costs for 2022-23 is like predicting weather in July and August. Feed costs will be influenced by moisture conditions, degree days, delayed planting and delayed harvesting of legume/grass forages.

Climate-smart farming tools

March 16, 2022

Arthur DeGaetano, Kitty O’Neil, and Joe Lawrence

Last year was one of the warmest on record in the Northeast. It was the third warmest year in the last 127 years in New York behind only 2012 and 1998.

Wet hay years and what to watch for

December 31, 2021

Melissa A. Bravo

Single-statement truisms in the livestock feeding business are a rare occurrence. “If this occurs, then that will occur,” is usually prefaced by a disclaimer, “as long as Mother Nature cooperates.”

Tornadoes in Kentucky, wildfires in Kansas leave catastrophic damage

December 20, 2021

Carrie Veselka

On Dec. 10, a severe tornado outbreak unleashed at least 50 tornadoes across the mid-South, destroying homes and entire communities and causing widespread damage to farmlands and livestock facilities.

Biological indicators of soil health

November 1, 2021

Jim Johnson

For a long time, many producers and researchers have looked at soil as a sterile environment we could control just by adding all the nutrients we wanted, often as synthetic fertilizers.