Extension
It Starts With Us
Author: Brian Jeffiers
Major Program: Forages
Control of weeds in hay and pasture fields has been an issue for decades. Herbicides that kill target weeds can also damage or kill desirable forage species. Sprays may also drift off-target and damage adjacent fields. When the weeds are taller than the forages, a "weed wiper" implement can be a very effective solution to these issues. It uses a roller coated in a spongy material that is saturated with a broad-spectrum herbicide like glyphosate. The height of the roller can be adjusted
Author: Adam Barnes
Major Program: Forages
"Livingston County ANR: A Nitrate Nightmare"A collaborative effort from Livingston County ANR helped a local hay producer overcome a challenging situation.This producer, a dedicated cash hay producer in our county, faced an unprecedented challenge when a drought struck our region during May and June. He had planted a promising crop of Sudan grass to harvest as hay for his beef cattle and his client’s cattle. However, the prolonged drought had stunted its growth, and the Sudan gra
Author: Brittany Brewer
Major Program: Forages
With inflation and extreme weather farmers are having to learn how to adapt and change. Many farmers in the Bluegrass region rely on forages. Whether they raise livestock, bale hay, or use cover crop techniques forages can be involved. Farmers have had to adapt new management strategies and perspectives to raise quality livestock and still make a living. In response to these problems, the Scott County Extension Office and the Scott County Beef Improvement Association partner together
Author: Traci Johnson
Major Program: Forages
Educating cattle farmers is a high priority in Oldham County. According to the 2017 Census of Agriculture, cattle ranked 3rd in Oldham County for market value of products sold, representing over 2.6 million dollars. Oldham County beef producers include commercial operations, seedstock operations, plus several beef producers selling to customers in Louisville and surrounding suburbs. Good forage production and management are key in producing daily gains for animal growth and are
Author: Nat Colten
Major Program: Forages
Sustainable pasture, and grazing, management is critical to a thriving landscape in Kentucky. Over 4 million acres in the state are occupied by pastureland which supports the largest supply of beef cattle east of the Mississippi river and a growing number of sheep and goat farms. Extension staff at Kentucky State University are partnering with Extension staff at the University of Kentucky to create pasture management learning opportunities catered to historically underserved audiences.A series o
Author: Jason Vaughn
Major Program: Forages
Understanding a producer’s forage quality is the backbone of providing a balanced nutrition plan. Hay testing can provide data that producers and Cooperative Extension Agents use to ensure the nutritional needs of the animal are being met. Without a test, farmers are blindly feeding leading to wasted resources. The Central Kentucky Hay Contest was created to generate friendly competition among producers and educate producers about forage test analysis and the economic imp
Author: Joseph Ray
Major Program: Forages
Understanding a producer’s forage quality is the backbone of providing a balanced nutrition plan. Hay testing can provide data that producers and Cooperative Extension Agents use to ensure the nutritional needs of the animal are being met. Without a test, farmers are blindly feeding leading to wasted resources. The Central Kentucky Hay Contest was created to generate friendly competition among producers and educate producers about forage test analysis and the economic imp
Author: Beau Neal
Major Program: Forages
Understanding a producer’s forage quality is the backbone of providing a balanced nutrition plan. Hay testing can provide data that producers and Cooperative Extension Agents use to ensure the nutritional needs of the animal are being met. Without a test, farmers are blindly feeding, leading to wasted resources. The Central Kentucky Hay Contest was created to generate friendly competition among producers and educate producers about forage test analysis and the economic im
Author: Steven Musen
Major Program: Forages
Understanding a producer’s forage quality is the backbone of providing a balanced nutrition plan. Hay testing can provide data that producers and Cooperative Extension Agents use to ensure the nutritional needs of the animal are being met. Without a test, farmers are blindly feeding leading to wasted resources. The Central Kentucky Hay Contest was created to generate friendly competition among producers and educate producers about forage test analysis and the economic impact of
Author: William Adkins
Major Program: Forages
The University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Clay County Cooperative Extension Service and the Kentucky Forage and Grassland Council (KFGC) held the Eastern Kentucky KFGC Field Day at the Bowling family’s Old Homeplace Farm in Oneida on Oct 3. The event featured a tour of the 90-acre pasture-based farm, cookout, and presentations on sustainable farming practices. The field day was an opportunity for farmers, livestock producers and consu
Author: Robert Amburgey
Major Program: Forages
The problemProducers struggle with proper pasture use and grazing management. As a result they continue to rely heavily on expensive feed alternatives when they could be better utilizing their pastures.The educational program responseUK forage specialists and NRCS personal participated in the Bath County field day program where they took producers I to the pastures on the host farm to discuss what management practices were being implemented and what practices could be adopted that would he
Author: Lyndall Harned
Major Program: Forages
Over the past few years, a popular programming topic among farmers that I serve has been weed ID and control. I have held several weed ID and control classroom programs, as well as several in-the-field programs, at various times of the year. And I continue to receive more requests and inquiries on the topic. This past November we held a classroom program on Fall Weed Control and ID in. Once again it was very well attended with 20+, with lots
Author: Jay Hettmansperger
Major Program: Forages
The problemCattle producers struggle to balance forage production and cattle stocking rate on their pastures. Producers have a tendency to overstock their pastures which causes overgrazing. Overgrazing leads to thinning grass strands and poor production and less profits. The educational program responseThe Garrard, Lincoln, Mercer and Boyle County ANR Extension agents presented a Forage program on Forage production and Rotational Grazing. University of Kentucky Forage specialist pres
Author: Brandon Sears
Major Program: Forages
Hay Auction 2024Madison county ranks in the top 5 in the state of Kentucky for hay with approximately 43,600 acres produced. To help market local hay, the Madison County Extension ANR agent and the Madison County Fair Board partnered to coordinate a regional hay auction at the county fairgrounds.On Saturday January 20th, 2024 our 17th annual hay auction took place with 74 different lots of hay and straw offered for sale. The Madison County ANR agent coordinated some deliveries, some load out, an
Author: Colby Guffey
Major Program: Forages
The problemUnwanted weeds in pastures and hayfields limit production of desirable forage species. Producers are continually looking for options to control weeds in pastures and hay fields. The educational program responseAn educational program designed with hands-on weed ID and optional control recommendations was conducted. The participants/target audienceBeef producers/others interested in controlling unwanted weeds in pasture and hay fields. Other partners (if applicable)UK Ext
Author: Colby Guffey
Major Program: Forages
The problemProducer pulled soil samples for a pasture field to receive fertilizer recommendations. After discussion with producer, upon delivering the results and fertilizer recommendations it was discovered that they had only pulled a few cores and in the "bad" areas of the field. The fertilizer recommendation was very high in regard to what would normally be recommended for pastures. The educational program responseThe producer was educated on the importance of pulli
Author: Levi Berg
Major Program: Forages
Understanding a producer’s forage quality is the backbone of providing a balanced nutrition plan. Hay testing can provide data that producers and Cooperative Extension Agents use to ensure the nutritional needs of the animal are being met. Without a test, farmers are blindly feeding leading to wasted resources. The Clark County Extension Office offered two ways for producers to understand their forage quality; free forage testing year-round and the Central KY Hay Testing.&
Author: Ted Johnson
Major Program: Forages
The problem: High Fertilizer cost has made forage producers to make hard decisions in the last 2 years. Do they apply fertilizer to hay and pasture fields or not?The educational program response: For the past two years we have conducted several programs on the topic of improving forage quality when applying less fertilizer. We have focused on introducing Korean Lespedeza into pastures and hayfields because it will grow and perform good under low fertile soils. by introducing Korean Lespedeza wil
Author: Lyndall Harned
Major Program: Forages
The number of calls for information and requests to use shared use no-till pasture/hay field seeders to County Extension Offices in our area got agents talking with each other. So, in conjunction with Dr, Jimmy Henning, the agents in Boyd, Carter and Greenup Counties planned and held a workshop on their use, calibration and simple maintenance of no-till seeders.No advance registration was required, and we thought that we would have about 30-35 attend. A quick head count at the workshop was 98 pe
Author: Rebecca Konopka
Major Program: Forages
Kentucky has 90,000 stream miles and the number one pollutant in those steams is soil sediment. Sediment is soil lost due to erosion in heavy rainfall events, according to Amanda Gumbert Extension Water Quality Specialist with the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food & Environment. No-till seeding enables farmers to directly seed into the vegetation in the field without tilling the soil. Benefits of no-tillage include an increase in soil biological activity
Author: Taylor Graves
Major Program: Forages
The Hay Day Field Day was a successful event that saw the participation of over 50 individuals, all with a shared interest in hay production. The event was an opportunity for attendees to engage in discussions and presentations on various topics related to hay production and marketing. Attendees learned about effective marketing strategies for hay, including different avenues to reach buyers and optimize sales. Additionally, there was a focus on establishing and managing alfalfa crops, covering
