Over the years, the Edmonson County ANR Agent has held many forage related programs on improving stands in a variety of ways for a variety of reasons. One sometimes tend to wonder if all that work has really been worth it, and then something happens to show that the effort put forth has not been in vain, that it really has made an impact on people.

  Recently while working at the county fair, the Edmonson County Ag Agent was approached by multiple individuals about how programming over the past years has helped them in some way. Most notably, three different producers thanked the Agent for telling them how to improve their forage stands through soil sampling, cutting hay at the proper stage of maturity, and in particular, proper cutting height of forages when cut for hay. One producer said “by raising my cutting height, I have saved myself so much by not re-sowing so often and getting an extra cutting of hay each year, and I just wanted to thank you for tell me to raise my cutting height”. Another producer echoed that sentiment and added that by cutting at the right stage of maturity he had improved his hay quality and needed less supplementation, thus reducing his feed costs.

   By following stage of maturity and cutting height guidelines, and sampling soil to achieve good soil fertility, these producers have vastly improved their forage stands, thereby saving them money over the long run and helping to ensure good productivity for years to come. It Is definitely nice to know that the programming done is making a positive difference for people in the county.