Moving from a dry hay system to baleage involves additional capital investment. In fact, it’s a major reason why many hay producers don’t make that switch.Even with the additional cash outlay

AS I travel around, I see a lot of silage in uncovered piles, many for use by cow-calf or backgrounding operations. Looking at the amount of surface spoilage and knowing about the other major so

Forage quality and consistency rank near the top of every dairy producer’s list as key influences on farm profitability

Wrapping moist, large round or square bales in plastic to create an anaerobic environment for silage fermentation has gained steadily in popularity, particularly for small and midsized dairy or beef producers

As the realization of the work and endless tasks begins to bear down each spring, the anticipation of a new crop year can quickly turn to anxiety. Juggling the spring workload requires wel

It seems pretty rare to find a 2-for-1 deal that is of value. It can also feel frustrating when proposed practices to protect the environment impede your ability to remain efficient

“Our failure rate was just too high,” said Dan Funke to those in attendance at the California Alfalfa & Forage Symposium.The veteran Larchwood, Iowa, haymaker was referring to his abilit

“Mike, you need to come down here. I’d like to talk to you,” related the voice over my office phone in late April. I would soon learn that voice belonged to Willie Foster, a man who

The author is a forage consultant in Bay City, Wis. Several years into my forage career I encountered a high-producing, well-managed herd struggling with managing forage piles. It wasn’t

The New York state agricultural plastics recycling program is one of the best in the nation. Even so, there’s still plenty of room for more involvement by farmers and agencies. Billions of pou

Covering silage in a pile or bunker silo is a no-brainer decision. When to cover and what with are also important considerations. Researchers at Cal Poly and Kansas State compared silage pile sealing

With most hay and corn silage now tucked away for the winter, it’s probably a good time to remind all of those who work around bunker and pile silos that feedout faces are always subject to collapse

Recent research results undertaken by the University of Wisconsin Discovery Farms has documented that runoff occurs from feed storage areas during 60 percent of precipitation events. This compar

One of the most dreaded jobs on dairy farms is covering bunker silos and drive-over piles. For this reason, farmers have always been willing to try alternatives, even though most have wound up as eith