According to the 2012 Census of Agriculture, Caldwell County had 538 farm operations on 133,499 acres, which represented 60.5% of total county land. Just over 12,000 acres are in hay or other forages. Helping producers harvest an ample supply of high quality forage has been a program push in Caldwell County for several years.  Caldwell County utilizes Dairy One labs in New York for all forage test results.

Using direct mailings, social media posts, beef IRM farm visits, cattlemen association meetings, and good old fashioned word of mouth to promote the benefits of forage testing, Caldwell County saw a 30% increase in the number forage tests conducted in 2017-2018.  18 first time producers have adopted a limited amount of forage testing, and 5 producers now seek quality results from 100% of hay harvested. 

Samples being submitted through extension has opened a dialogue to better utilize results to benefit the whole operation from feed efficiency to reproductive management.