Spring Alfalfa Stand
Spring is here and if you look out into the fields, you will start to see some green popping up. Now is time to assess the alfalfa stand condition. First, you will need a square to measure a square foot; as in the picture below.
Just plop this down in a couple of random spots throughout the field and start counting. One way to count the alfalfa stand condition is to count the individual plant.
How Salt Benefits Cattle Nutrition
Salt is Sodium Chloride (NaCl). This mineral has a ton of benefits to cattle nutrition. One benefit is that salt helps cattle maintain normal appetite and body weight, as well as increasing feed consumption and weight gain. Sodium and Chloride aid in proper nervous and muscle functions, body pH regulation and water retention. Cattle on salt mixtures drink 50 to 75% more water than normal or approximately 5 gallons of additional water for each pound of salt.
Why feed kelp to your herd?
Kelp is a natural feed supplement that is packed full of bioavailable minerals and vitamins. Feeding cattle kelp is a great way to fill in trace mineral deficiencies. Kelp also has a great source of iodine, which can support thyroid and metabolic health. The benefits of feeding kelp to the herd include improved reproduction health, improved calf development, and preventing disease. Kelp enhances cattle performance in many ways. It includes selenium and zinc, which supports breed back.
Though the New Year’s Eve celebrations will look a little bit different this year, there is still plenty to reflect on. The year 2020 was challenging and no one was prepared for how this year would impact everyone’s lives. But adversity creates space for growth, innovation, and it can unite communities. We all survived this year because we supported each other. Seeing so many individuals and companies do whatever possible to make the world a better place inspires Midwestern BioAg to reflect and commit to bettering …
To make improvements to dairy farm margins in challenging times, dairies should look “lower” to increase profitability — all the way down to the ground, according to Midwestern BioAg’s nutritionist.
“If you grow your own forages,” says the BioAg nutritionist, “we can help you improve profitability by building a fertility plan to grow a better quality, higher-yielding crop. There’s a lot of revenue potential in the soil, and we can help you unlock it.”
By taking a systems approach to dairy farm management, Midwestern BioAg consultants …
In 1993, the team at R & G Miller & Sons, Inc. opted to make the switch to organic dairy farming. “We weren’t satisfied with the way things were going on the farm,” said Ron Miller, general farm manager. “After becoming organic certified on all 1,550 acres and feeding our cattle organic feed for a year, we became fully organic certified in 1997. Since the transition, our yields have gone up, and I’ve only seen one alfalfa field on the farm that could benefit from pesticide …
Let me start with the good news about today’s dairy markets: It’s time to evaluate. That is exactly what my family is doing on our own farm. What expenses can we eliminate or reduce? On most dairy farms, there are things one can do that won’t negatively affect today’s production (or future production) and cow health. But there are also areas where you can’t skimp.
What are the key things we must do to maintain our farms in the future?
What’s profitable?
That’s the question that drives decision-making for Bill Ehrlinger, a southern Wisconsin farmer with 1200 acres of corn and soybeans. He considers the price of purchased inputs not just what he pays today, but also the long-term costs of products and practices, understanding that what he does this year can keep his farmland profitable and productive in the long term.
That’s important to Bill because this farmland has been in his family since his grandparents purchased the home farm over a century ago.
Where does TerraNu® fit in my current strip-till program?
TerraNu MicroPack™, TerraNu Calcium™ and TerraNu Ignite™ will fit conveniently into your dry fertilizer program. They can be used as a standalone or added to your dry fertilizer program. TerraNu fertilizers use a new technology, combining fertilizer nutrients with carbon and biological stimulants that result in improved nutrient use efficiency and better soil health.
Can I blend TerraNu with other fertilizers that I apply?
Yes. TerraNu Ignite can be used as a stand-alone fertilizer or blended with …
