Forages

Don’t forget to get your Pre-Sale Farm Science Review Tickets

Farm Science Review tickets are on sale now at the Paulding County Extension Office!

đźšśFSR is the premier agricultural education and industry expo in the area. With new ag technology, hands-on exhibits, field demonstrations, conservation practices programs, commercial exhibitors, and research showcases, it is one of the biggest agricultural events of the year!

📲FSR dates are Tuesday through Thursday, September 16, 17, and 18, and are located at the Molly Caren Agricultural Center, 135 SR 38 NE, London, OH 43140.

🎟 Single-day tickets are $10 presale, $15 at the gate, and children 5 and under are free.

Presale tickets are on sale until 4:00 pm on September 15 and are in limited quantity. Stop by the office today!

Hay Testing Even More Important in 2025

Article was taken from Ohio BEEF Cattle Letter and was written by Dr. Chris Teutsch, UK Research and Education Center at Princeton

Figure 1. As plant maturity increases, yield increases and forage quality (digestibility and crude protein) decreases. The single most important factor impacting forage quality is stage of maturity at harvest.

In many parts of Kentucky first cutting hay was delayed. Although yields were good, forage quality is another story. As the grass plant reaches maturity (gets mature seed) yield goes up, but quality decreases (Figure 1). This year we were on the right side of this figure, good yield but lower quality. We have already got our hay testing results back from the lab for our first cutting and that is exactly what they show (Table 1).

I wish we could have been more timely in our hay harvest this spring but weather conditions were just not conducive to dry hay harvest. In fact, weather records indicate that we are seeing a trend toward fewer baling days in May (baling day = 3 curing days + 1 harvest day). It is just getting tougher to be timely with our first cutting harvested as dry hay. So, the question becomes what do we do? The list of practical solutions is short; in fact, there is really one viable alternative and that is baleage. High quality baleage can be made with a curing window as short as 2 days (one day to mow and wilt and a second day to bale and wrap). This provides more opportunities to harvest at the correct stage of maturity (late boot to early head).

Table 1. Forage quality of 2025 first harvest hay at UK Research and Education Center in Princeton. †CP, crude protein, ADF, acid detergent fiber, NDF, neutral detergent fiber, TDN, total digestible nutrients.

Hay Testing Even More Important in Wet Years
In years like this one, hay testing becomes even more important. Since most of Kentucky’s first cutting hay was put up at an advanced stage of maturity, testing is going to be a critical part of making sure that we meet the nutrient requirements of our cows this winter. The single most important factor impacting rebreeding in cow herds is body condition at calving. To design an effective supplementation program for our lower quality hay we must know what the quality it. If you have never tested your hay, this is the year to start!

EDITOR’s NOTE: Until the end of July OSU Extension is offering a forage testing program with the goal of providing timely education regarding forage quality and winter supplementation. To find more detail and participate follow this link: https://go.osu.edu/testyourhay

Hay Quality 2025 . . . Been there, done that!

Article was taken from Ohio BEEF Cattle Letter and was written by Stan Smith, PA, Fairfield County OSU Extension

Once again when discussing hay harvest, we find ourselves in the midst of a conversation about timeliness and resulting quality concerns. It’s beginning to sound like a broken record or at very least an annual event. About all I can say is what most any Midwest farmer might say . . . been there, done that . . .

Yet again, in what’s seemingly become this annual occurrence of delayed hay harvest, quality forage, especially dry hay is in short supply throughout Ohio. This time it results largely from drought last summer, followed by wet, poor hay making spring weather of 2025. Combine that with spring pastures that matured quickly and became trampled due to wet grazing conditions and now, in mid-2025, we find the inventory of quality hay in much of Ohio remains critically low.

Unfortunately, it seems this may have become the norm for Ohio. With the National Ag Statistics Service (NASS) estimating Ohio hay making progress was less than half of normal at the end of May, after a similar lack of favorable hay harvest conditions continued throughout June, it’s apparent that Ohio cattlemen will again be faced with finding ways to make “feed” from hay that was harvested way past it’s prime.

As an example of the hay quality we’re seeing, a summary of six recent forage analysis’ from mixed grass hay made in June from throughout Ohio shows TDN of only 52% and an average Relative Feed Value of less than 90 on a dry matter basis.

I could tell you that’s not good, but perhaps a better way is to compare it to wheat straw. When you look up the “book values” for the feed nutrient content of straw you find that for the most part, this late made hay is little better than typical wheat straw. With so much first cutting Ohio hay being made in late June and beyond again this year, it leads me back to the same thought . . . been there, done that.

Feed of the quality referenced in the example above and being fed as long stem hay, even when offered in unlimited amounts, simply won’t satisfy the daily nutritional requirements of a cow most any time during the year. This include during her time of least nutritional need which is when she’s dry during mid-gestation. Without amendment, feeding this quality of forage for very long eventually results in cows with lesser body condition, delayed return to estrus, lower conception rates, lighter calf weaning weights, lower quality colostrum, and perhaps even weak calves at birth.

Continue reading Hay Quality 2025 . . . Been there, done that! →

Buckeye Network Feeder School Event in Wooster

OSU Extension Presents the Buckeye Dairy Network Feeder School at the Ohio State University Wooster Campus in Wooster, Ohio!

This event covers topics of Dairy Nutrition, Forage Safety and Management, Evaluation of Forages, Feed Mixing 101, TMR Program Implementation, and more! A special panel will be available for participants to ask any questions and offer real-life experiences and stories.

It will be held at the Farm Shop on August 8th, 2025 from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm. Scan the QR code to register or go online to this link. For questions, contact krogstad.6@osu.edu or call 330-264-8722. This event is limited to 20 participants.

Forage Resiliency Webinar Series Starts March 4th

The Ohio State Integrated Forage Management Team will be offering a three-part Zoom webinar series on forage resiliency to cover information on how to remain resilient to a variety of environmental challenges in forage production systems. Webinars will be held from 6:30-7:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of the month in March, April, and May. Details including registration information are as follows:

Check out the official flyer here.

Join OSU Extension at the Small Farms Conference in Wooster, Ohio

Ohio State Extension announced plans to host a Small Farm Conference in Wooster, OH on March 8th. The theme for this year’s Small Farm Conference is “Sowing Seeds for Success.”

Conference session topics are geared to beginning and small farm owners as well as to farms looking to diversify their operations. There will be five different conference tracks including Horticulture and Crop Production, Business Management, Livestock, Natural Resources, and Diversifying Your Enterprise. Check out the official program guide here. Continue reading Join OSU Extension at the Small Farms Conference in Wooster, Ohio →

Register Now for the January 9-10 Ohio State Organic Grains Conference

Registration is open for the 3rd annual Ohio State Organic Grains Conference, January 9-10, 2025, at Kalahari Resorts & Conventions in Sandusky, Ohio. The conference offers programming for experienced organic growers, growers transitioning to or considering organic, and consultants or educators who support these growers.

“Attendance last year was encouraging,” says conference director Eric Richer. “There’s a growing interest in organic production and practices. We’re pleased to move to a larger venue that allows organic farm equipment to be displayed at our trade show and more room for concurrent sessions and networking.”

Featured speakers for 2025 include Erin Silva, University of Wisconsin-Madison State Extension Specialist in Organic and Sustainable Cropping Systems; Damon DeSutter of DeSutter Farms in Attica, Ind.; Osler Ortez, Ohio State Corn and Emerging Crops Specialist; and Sophie Rivest-Auger, Organic Field Crop Advisor for Quebec’s Centre for Expertise and Transfer in Organic and Local Agriculture.

Additional farmers, researchers, and educators from Ohio and beyond will round out two full days of agronomic and farm management sessions. Topics for this year include interseeding cover crops in organic corn, flame cultivation, the use of biological products in organic production, setting up weed control equipment for success, nitrogen credits from cover crops and manure, and a market end-users panel.

The conference is presented by Ohio State University Extension’s Farm Office and Ohio State’s Organic Food & Farming Education and Research (OFFER) program. The event also receives input from a planning committee of Ohio State staff and researchers, educators from organic non-profits, and organic farmers, including Bridget Burgess. Burgees is the current president of the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association’s Organic Grain Growers Chapter and head of seed cleaning, compost operations, and sales at Hirzel Farms in Luckey, Ohio. She especially encourages growers new to organic to attend the January event.

“Any entry-level organic or transitioning farmer would benefit from time spent listening and networking with the growers at this conference,” says Burgess. “These are growers who were doing organic before it was cool,” she adds.

Registration is $175 from now through January 3. Continuing education credits will be available for Certified Crop Advisors. For more information, visit go.osu.edu/OrganicGrains.

Emergency Haying and Grazing of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Acreage Available for 70 Ohio Counties

By: David Marrison, OSU Extension Field Specialist, Farm Management

Figure 1: September 17, 2024 Drought Monitor

Figure 1: September 17, 2024 Drought Monitor

Drought conditions continued to degrade across Ohio. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor report on September 17, 59.56% of Ohio is experiencing severe or greater drought conditions with 9.5% classified as D4 or exceptional drought conditions (Figure 1). It is important to remember that D4 conditions only occur once every 50 to 100 years. Approximately 98% of the state is experiencing at least abnormally dry conditions. One silver lining is the current seven-day forecast shows the potential for rain in many areas of Ohio next week which should help slow the progress of drought should it occur.

The drought conditions have impacted both pastures and hayfields across Ohio. The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) administered under the USDA Farm Service Agency permits emergency haying and grazing on certain CRP practices in a county designated as D2 or higher on the U.S. Drought Monitor, or in a county where there is at least a 40 percent loss in forage production. Continue reading Emergency Haying and Grazing of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Acreage Available for 70 Ohio Counties →

Fall Forage Management

Alfalfa forage field

Article is taken from https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2024-26/fall-forage-management by Dr. John Yost

The fall is a critical time in our yearly forage management calendar. Regardless of how the growing season has progressed, your fall management practices will set the stage for getting the next spring off on the right foot. In this article, we will give some recommendations on soil fertility, fall planting of new alfalfa stands, and when to take the last forage harvest for the season.

Your soil fertility program is far and above the most critical component of your alfalfa management. While current weather conditions and harvest timing will most influence the quality of a single cutting, a well-balanced fertility program will ensure that the plant has the available resources to perform within its environment. Again, the goal is to finish the growing season with a healthy plant that has had sufficient time to accumulate top growth that will protect the crown from cold temperatures during the late fall and winter. Allowing for enough top growth will also allow the plant to increase its energy reserves to initiate rapid growth in the spring.

Continue reading Fall Forage Management →

Plan now to make your summer forage seeding!

Article is taken from https://u.osu.edu/beef/ by Stan Smith, OSU Extension, Fairfield County

With Ohio’s wheat harvest being completed early this year it allows ample time to plan and prepare to do an August forage seeding. Over the next month soil fertility testing should be accomplished, perennial and biennial weeds can be controlled, and ample time remains for selecting and securing the desired forage species for seeding.

Continue reading Plan now to make your summer forage seeding! →

Virtual Manure Monday Registration

Manure Monday webinars are back. Manure Mondays Registration Form is included in the link below. Join the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs starting Monday, March 4th, 2024 at 2 pm to continue conversations about a variety of aspects dealing with manure management.

Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs invites you to the 2024 Manure Monday Series. Sessions will be delivered through Zoom.  The sessions are free. When you register, you will be registered for all sessions. Registration link click here. Session dates will be March 4, 11, 18, and 25 from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm ET.

  • March 4 – Recycling Sand – Emerging Technologies for Sand-laden Manure
  • March 11th–Manure Application Logistics and Field Strategies –making the most of every minute of application
  • March 18th-Manure Additives –Overview of what’s available and how they work
  • March 25 –Composting Bedded Pack Barns -The Ontario Study.

If you have any questions please contact us at by phone at 1-877-424-1300 or by email at ag.info.omafra@ontario.ca.

You are invited to the 2024 Ohio Forage and Grasslands Council Annual Meeting

Dear Past, Present, and potential Ohio Forage and Grasslands Council Members,

You are invited to attend the 2024 OFGC Annual Meeting that will be held on Friday, February 9, 2024, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Deerassic Park Education Center in Cambridge, Ohio. We encourage all Ohioans with an interest in forage production to attend. We hope you will consider attending and renewing your OFGC membership. The mission of OFGC is to enhance the profitability of Ohio Farmers through the use of forage and grassland resources.  Your membership will invite you to several forage-related field days throughout the year, automatic membership to the American Forage and Grassland Council, and a free subscription to Progressive Forage Grower magazine. Official Registration and Flyer with Speaker Details Continue reading You are invited to the 2024 Ohio Forage and Grasslands Council Annual Meeting →

Forage Challenges as the Weather Turns Cooler to Keep Livestock Safe

From OSU Extension’s CORN Newsletter:

By Kyle Verhoff, ANR Educator, Defiance County, and Jason Hartschuh, CCA, Field Specialist, Dairy & Precision Livestock

As the year begins to wrap up and temperatures drop, there are countless things to consider including how the coming frosts impact the toxicity of our forages. This past week many portions of the state began to flirt with possible overnight frosts which raises concerns of prussic acid poisoning, nitrate poisoning, and increased bloat as a result of feeding certain fall forages. Continue reading Forage Challenges as the Weather Turns Cooler to Keep Livestock Safe →

Farm Science Review is just around the corner!

LONDON, Ohio – More than 50 companies will join the ranks as exhibitors for the 61st Farm Science Review Sept. 19-21 at the Molly Caren Agricultural Center. The new exhibitors represent various sectors in the agriculture industry including livestock handling, equipment advancements, agronomic technology, agricultural policy, and more.

Paulding County Extension Office has tickets for sale at a discounted price total of $10 per ticket. Tickets will be for sale until Monday, September 18 at noon. Continue reading Farm Science Review is just around the corner! →

Alfalfa Weevil is in the County

For those of you who have Alfalfa in the county, be on the lookout for Alfalfa weevil. These are pictures shared with me last week.  A few weeks ago in the CORN Newsletter information was shared about scouting for this pest.

Alfalfa fields should be scouted weekly for weevils until at least the first harvest.  Follow-up scouting may be needed after the first harvest in heavily infested fields.

Spot problem fields early by checking alfalfa tips for feeding damage – small holes and a tattered appearance.  Fields that have a south-facing slope tend to warm up sooner and need to be checked for weevil earlier.

Green alfalfa weevil larvae (the main feeding stage) at various growth stages, and brown adults. Photo by Julie Peterson, University of Nebraska.

Here is a video about scouting weevils in alfalfa:  https://forages.osu.edu/video Continue reading Alfalfa Weevil is in the County →

Certified Livestock Manager Webinar 4: A Summary of eBarnsOn-Farm Research – CLM Credits Offered

Join the Water Quality Team for our 4th Certified Livestock Manager Webinar of the series on February 6th from 10-11:30 am for “A Summary of eBarns On-Farm Research”.  Speakers include OSU’s own Dr. Brady Campbell, Assistant Professor, and Small Ruminant Specialist, Courtney Krieger, Water Quality Extension Associate, and USDA’s Dr. Jessica Pempek, Research Animal Scientist.  CLM and CCA Credits will be offered at the end of the program. Register at go.osu.edu/CLM to attend this webinar. For questions email emmons.118@osu.edu

eBarns was new in 2022 and focuses on applied livestock, forage, and manure management research across Ohio. The report can be found online at go.osu.edu/ebarns2022. Continue reading Certified Livestock Manager Webinar 4: A Summary of eBarnsOn-Farm Research – CLM Credits Offered →

2023 OSU Beef School Opportunities

Join the OSU Extension Beef Team with three upcoming educational opportunities. by Garth Ruff, Beef Cattle Specialist.

2023 OSU Beef Team Virtual Beef School

Starting in January and running through April, the 2023 OSU Beef Team Virtual Beef School will be hosted on Zoom on Wednesday evenings once a month at 6:30 PM. Topics will include Beef Inputs and Outlook, Managing Reproduction, Herd Health Management/Update, and Beef Team Live Roundtable. Participants can attend one or all sessions a no cost. To register for the webinars go to http://go.osu.edu/beefschool23. Official Virtual Beef School Flyer

Specific Dates and Topics.

  • January 11 – A Look at Input Costs, Barry Ward, OSU Extension; Cattle Market Outlook, Garth Ruff, OSU Extension
  • February 8 – Presynchronization and Improving Fertility of Beef Cows, Alex Crist, OSU Animal Sciences; Synchronization and Natural Service, Dean Kreager, OSU Extension
  • March 8 — Asian Longhorn Tick and Theileria, Dr. Risa Pesepane, OSU Vet Preventative Medicine; Managing Disease in 2023, Dr. Justin Kieffer DVM, OSU Animal Sciences
  • April 12 — Beef Team Live Roundtable, Ask Questions and Discuss Answers with OSU Extension Beef Team Members

Ohio Beef Cattle Feeding School

On February 6, 2023, there will be a Beef Cattle Feeding School. This year’s Cattle Feeding School will focus on adding value to the cattle feeding enterprise with three featured speakers at two different locations (Hancock and Wayne County). The cost of the event is $20 at each location with a meal provided.

  • Dr. Jerad Jaborek, Michigan State Beef Feedlot Specialist will discuss Marketing and Feeding Considerations for Dairy Beef and Beef x Dairy Cross Cattle.
  • Can we add value to beef manure? Eric Richer, Farm Management Field Specialist will be covering Compost and Fertilizer Potential for Pen Pack Beef Manure.
  • The third speaker of the evening will be GarthRuff, Beef Cattle Field Specialist who will talk Beef Market Outlook for 2023.

The Hancock County event will take place from 12:00 – 2:30 PM at the OSU Extension Office in Hancock County, 7868 County Road 140, Suite B, Findlay, OH 45840. The Wayne County event will take place from 6:00 – 8:30 PM at OARDC Shishler Conference Center, 1680 Madison Ave, Wooster, OH 44691.

Check out the 2023 Ohio Beef Cattle Feeding Flyer to reserve your spot and register for the event.

Ohio Beef Cow/Calf Workshop -Optimizing Herd Fertility

Join the OSU Extension Beef Team on Monday, February 20, 2023, 9:00 am -2:30 pm, at Clemens Farms, 5135 N.Bankes Rd., Malta, OH 43758 for a Cow/Calf Workshop dealing with herd fertility. The cost is $10 per person and the event is limited to the first 50 attendees. Participants must RSVP to OSU Extension Morgan County at 740-962-4854 by February 15, 2023. The event will include a Beef lunch and all materials. Participants are to dress for hands-on demonstrations.

Presentation Topics:

  • Feed Sampling and Nutrient Analysis
  • Mineral Nutrition for Beef Cows
  • Heifer Development Strategies
  • Heifer Synchronization Options
  • Body Condition Scoring and
  • Facilities Tour

Contact information: Chris Penrose, OSU Extension Morgan County. 740-962-4854 or Garth Ruff, OSU Extension Beef Cattle Field Specialist. 740-305-3201.

To see the official flyer: 2023 OH Cow Calf Workshop – Flyer

eBarns- Putting Data in Producers’ Hands

by: Garth Ruff, Beef Cattle Field Specialist
Source: https://u.osu.edu/beef/2022/08/24/ebarns-putting-data-in-producers-hands/
In 1914, the Smith-Lever Act called for the establishment of an Extension program within land grant universities. The Act spells out that Extension is to disseminate “useful and practical information on subjects related to agriculture” and to disseminate reach being conducted at the experiment stations (OARDC here in Ohio). Over the year this “translation” of research has been done in a variety of ways including field days, seminars, one-on-one instruction, and via printed or digital newsletters. Traditionally, faculty who had Extension responsibilities on campus led research efforts, wrote academic journal articles, and then it was up to someone to share and interpret data that was meaningful to clientele in the counties across the state. eBarns, much like Ohio State Extension’s eFields publication does just that, putting the data of applied research into the hands of producers who can then interpret the research to make production decisions. eBarns in new in 2022, focusing on applied livestock, forage, and manure management research across Ohio. The report can be found online at go.osu.edu/ebarns2022. Within the report readers will find forages, dairy, beef, small ruminants, manure nutrients, and swine research projects highlighted and summarized in a user-friendly format. If there are questions regarding a study within the 2022 eBarns report or interest in becoming involved with eBarns efforts in the future contact Garth Ruff at ruff.72@osu.edu.

Regenerative Grazing Pasture Walk to be held in Paulding County!

Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) is hosting a series of Farm Tours across Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan this summer to showcase organic and ecological farms in the region. Among those being showcased is Canal Junction Farm, right here in Paulding County! A Regenerative Grazing Pasture Walk will be held at the farm on Saturday, July 16th, 2022, starting at 10AM. The address is 18637 Rd. 168, Defiance OH. Questions can be directed to Ralph, Sheila, and Kyle Schlatter at (419) 399-7545 or canaljunctionfarm@gmail.com. Their farm’s website is canaljunction.com.

More information about this OEFFA Farm Tour and other stops along the tour can be found at OEFFA’s website, or this link.

Timely Frost Seeding Improves Pasture, Hay Stands!

Chris Penrose, Extension Educator, OSU Extension, Morgan County

If and when the seed can reach the soil in late winter while there is still freezing and thawing activity, clover can fill in bare spots and add to the density of the pasture stand.

In the past, as we’ve talked about the virtues of frost seeding, we’ve suggested it’s something that is best to occur in February or March during the period when the ground is freezing and thawing almost daily. In recent years freezing and thawing temperatures haven’t always happened after mid-February. Since it’s the freezing and thawing over time that gives frost seeding a great chance to work, the time for frost seeding may be upon us soon.

Frost seeding is a very low-cost, higher-risk way to establish new forages in existing fields by spreading seed over the field and letting the freezing and thawing action of the soil allow the seed to make “seed to soil” contact allowing it to successfully germinate. When you see soils “honeycombed” in the morning from a hard frost, or heaved up from a frost, seed that was spread on that soil has a great chance to make seed to soil contact when the soil thaws. I think the two biggest reasons why frost seeding fails is people wait too late to frost seed and the seed never makes good contact with the soil. I have heard some say that they like to “overseed” or just spread seed over an established stand. Let’s face it, if the seed does not land on the soil but on existing living or dead vegetation, it does not have a chance to successfully germinate: you need exposed soil. In light of the recent snow that’s arrived and/or expected throughout Ohio, it’s important to also note that frost seeding can be done over a thin layer of snow, however, it’s important to realize that rapid snowmelt can cause the seed to be washed away from where it’s needed. Continue reading Timely Frost Seeding Improves Pasture, Hay Stands! →