Author: Clay Stamm
Planning Unit: Rowan County CES
Major Program: Beef
Plan of Work: Horticulture, Livestock, Forages, Agriculture
Outcome: Initial Outcome
In Clark County Kentucky along with many regions of the state, livestock farmers produce and feed forages that are harvested on their own farm. The problem is many of these producers just assume by appearance of the forage that it makes great livestock feed; however, that is not always the case. In an attempt to bring light to this issue, the Clark County Cattleman’s Association sponsored a “hay testing week” for Clark County producers. The Clark County Cooperative Extension Office, the Clark County Cattleman Association, and the Kentucky Department of Agriculture Forage Testing Program all teamed up to make the Clark County forage testing week a success. Seventy four forage test were conducted during this time and nutrient analysis of these forages were supplied to the participating producers. We took this program a step further by utilizing and presenting the nutrient analysis data collected to our annual “winter school beef night” audience. Ninety three area beef farmers were in attendance to hear University of Kentucky Beef Specialist Dr Jeff Lehmkuhler present on “supplementing forages” and utilized the data collected from the Clark County forage testing program to drive his message home during the presentation. Fifty two post meeting surveys were turned in and out of those survey results, thirty four people said they had a better understanding of supplementing their forages, thirty seven said that they planned to test their hay and utilize Extension to assist in balancing a ration based on the test results. This is a program that I hope can become an annual event, and maybe ration balancing can be the next chapter of this success story!
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