In July of 2018, a prospective alfalfa producer contacted Tom Miller with the Ballard County Cooperative Extension Service, about the possibilities of growing alfalfa on a small tract of ground just purchased.  After a site visit, soil tests were submitted and several recommendations were made for pH correction and a fertilizer recommendation rate for fall application and planting.  Dr. Chris Teutsch, new Forage Extension Specialist at Princeton was brought in the loop and plans were made for a fall seeding of Alfalfa.

Due to weather conditions and equipment concerns, the planting occurred rather late - in early October of 2018.  The result of this planting was a marginal stand and another site visit by Tom Miller and Dr. Teutsch in February of 2019, where interseeding of more alfalfa was recommended for this spring.  The producer carried out the interseeding and in May of 2019 harvested his first cutting of Alfalfa from the field.  

While this is not an uncommon extension practice, what was different about this whole operation was the method of communication.  Being a millennial, the new producer, Tom Miller and Dr. Teutsch exchanged over 170 e-mails to date sharing information on alfalfa in general and this one field in particular.  It shows the changing face and methods of bringing extension into the 21^st Century.