A UVM blog Outcroppings: Important crop news from the field!

“What corn variety grows best in my soil type?” “What cover crop would help me meet my conservation goals?” “Does this new fertilizer improve yields?” Vermont farmers are committed to land stewardship practices that protect soil and water quality, and they’re constantly gauging how to invest time and money in crops, technology, equipment, and management practices to grow food and fiber.

To answer their questions, many rely on research-based results and guidance from technical service providers such as Extension, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Natural Resources Conservation Districts (NRCD), and consultants. But research studies are rarely conducted in fields with the same conditions and pests as farmers’ own.

That’s where Vermont’s On-Farm Research Network (OFRN) can help. It will be a free online tool to help farmers conduct experiments in their own fields to generate results they can use. OFRN will support a form of research called participatory action research (PAR), which emphasizes participation and action by members of communities affected by that research. It will streamline the PAR process to make it accessible and inviting to farmers.

Adaptation has always been part of farming, but increasingly unpredictable and extreme weather due to global warming is forcing farmers to adjust their management practices more quickly and frequently. OFRN will provide geographically relevant, management-specific data to help farmers improve crop yield, crop quality, farm resilience, land stewardship, and more. It will give farmers access to data they need to adapt to rapidly shifting conditions.

OFRN will also benefit researchers. It will reduce outreach burnout by giving them access to a network of farmers seeking to engage in on-farm research.

Vermont’s On-Farm Research Network

Members of UVM Extension’s Northwest Crops and Soils Program (NWCS) are leading creation of Vermont’s OFRN. Many top agricultural universities have similar networks and resources, such as the Nebraska On-Farm Research Network and its FarmStat online tool.

AgConnect Portal for Farmers

UVM Extension’s NWCS team is collaborating with farmer groups, researchers and software developers to create the AgConnect portal for farmers. It will invite them to suggest on-farm experiments that address their pressing questions and/or join newly designed experiments.

AgConnect Portal for Researchers

Researchers will use the AgConnect experiment management portal to recruit for, design, monitor, report on, and share results of on-farm experiments. The portal’s user-friendly design will help researchers create clear instructions for data collection, ensuring that results are useful and consistent across experiments.

AgConnect Research Database

Farmers, researchers, industry stakeholders, and policymakers want easy access to research results to help them synthesize information and to inform decision making. These data are currently available in many forms—such as reports, presentations, and fact sheets—at numerous online and physical locations. Tracking down studies relevant to specific locales and farming practices can be daunting. OFRN changes that.

The AgConnect completed research database will be a free, searchable, open-source repository of past and current research conducted on working farms and research farms. It will provide a place to store and retrieve results, accessible to anyone. The OFRN team will keep adding research results, expanding the scope of the database over time.

User Support

UVM Extension’s NWCS team will be available to support farmers and researchers at every step, from joining AgConnect to conducting an on-farm experiment to collecting data and interpreting the results.

Collaborating To Create OFRN and AgConnect

In early January 2025, UVM Extension’s NWCS team began collaborating with individual farmers, farmer groups, other UVM researchers, industry stakeholders, and policy makers to creat OFRN and design AgConnect. The NWCS team is particularly pleased to be partnering with two farmer organizations: the Franklin & Grand Isle Farmer’s Watershed Alliance (FWA) and the Connecticut River Watershed Farmers Alliance (CRWFA). Both organizations’ members are Vermont farmers whose products include vegetables, livestock, dairy, and specialty crops. In July, they and others participated in several focus groups and provided feedback to make AgConnect more user-friendly and useful.

Since the project’s inception, the NWCS team has also been working closely with Data Scientist Chris Donovan of the Food Systems Research Institute at UVM and with Vermont company GameTheory on tool features and design.

How To Get Involved

Are you a Vermont farmer interested in addressing questions through on-farm research? Are you a researcher or technical assistance provider seeking farmers to participate in on-farm research? OFRN can help. To stay updated, visit the NWCS website, subscribe to our monthly email newsletter, and follow us on social media.

We seek farmers and researchers to test all facets of AgConnect. Interested in joining a focus group and giving feedback? Contact UVM Extension Outreach Specialist Shannon MacDonald at Shannon.Macdonald@uvm.edu. Tell her who you are and how you’d like to participate. She’ll put you in touch with the right person.

Funding

Creation of the On-farm Research Network and AgConnect is made possible with funding from the Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships and the Food Systems Research Institute at UVM.

The mission of the Tri-State Extension Dairy Team is to unite Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont in advancing dairy management through collaborative educational programs, addressing shared industry challenges, and fostering innovation across northern New England.  Since January 2025, the team has been hosting live monthly webinars on the last Wednesday of each month from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM.  Sessions have focused on current dairy research and program updates, including interviews, presentations, and roundtable discussions.  All recorded sessions are available to watch on the UVM Extension Northwest Crops & Soils  YouTube Channel.

In July, the Tri-State Extension Dairy team hosted a webinar focused on rumen biochemistry and function of dairy cattle with guest independent nutrition consultant, Kurt Cotanch. 

Kurt believes that “our job in feeding dairy cattle is to facilitate microbial growth.” Microbial fermentation produces volatile fatty acids (butyrate, propionate, and acetate) and hydrogen. The cow needs these metabolites to produce milk as well as support muscle and body condition and reproductive function – including fetal growth.

Dairy rations supply nutrients in the form of sugars, starches, and fiber.  Sugars are fermented into butyrate, which is utilized by the rumen epithelium and by the cow as an energy source.  Starches are fermented into propionate, which is utilized in the liver to produce blood glucose through the process of gluconeogenesis.  Fiber fractions are fermented into acetate, which is a precursor for milkfat production.  The quality, digestibility, nutrient profile, and fermentation status of the feed ingredients (including forage sources) being fed dictates the proportions of volatile fatty acids produced by the rumen microbes.

Milk is 4.7% lactose, which is a sugar. Therefore, a cow making 85lbs of milk per day is actually producing about 4lbs of sugar per day.  Blood glucose made in the liver during gluconeogenesis is then used not only to make lactose, but is also used for red blood cell production, mammary tissue production, and by the cow’s immune system.  Activated immune systems get priority use of blood glucose, meaning cows experiencing stress and reduced feed intake will revert to mobilizing nutrients from muscle and adipose for energy, which further stresses the system.  This explains why a cow can tolerate heat stress, overcrowding stress, or even illness for a short period of time before production will drop noticeably. 

Rumen fill and flow are determined by fiber fractions, which are in turn determined by forage maturity stage at harvest.  Pasture and less mature forages have a faster passage rate and are more digestible.  More mature forages pass through the rumen more slowly and take longer to digest.  Diets that are high in fast fiber may pass through the cow without getting fully digested.  Diets that are high in slow fiber pass through the cow more slowly, which may hinder intake.

Rations that provide nutrient synchrony by supplying the right amino acid profile, fiber fractions, and carbohydrates allow cows to maximize production efficiency.  Nutrients fed above animal requirements, particularly nitrogen sources, utilize extra energy to expel excess nutrients in the form of urinary nitrogen and milk urea nitrogen (MUN).  Milk components, including fat and protein percentages and ratios, milk fatty acid profiles, and MUNs, can all be used to assess and troubleshoot rumen function and nutrient efficiency.

Click here to access the full recording of this webinar and all other webinars in this series. Register for upcoming Tri-State Dairy Exchange webinars here.

By Kellie Damann

In the spring of 2025 UVM Extension Northwest Crops and Soils Program (NWCS) sent a call out to organic dry bean growers in the Northeastern U.S. to send in seed samples for evaluation of seed health and seedborne pathogens. Growers in the Northeast have indicated sourcing quality seed and a lack in pest management practices are significant barriers to dry bean production in the region. This project was designed to start addressing these concerns and identify what seedborne pathogens exist in the seed lots across the Northeast.

The majority of dry bean production in this region is certified organic, with many farmers choosing to save their own seed. This decision is driven in part by the lack of seed sources for heirloom and specialty dry bean varieties that consumers prefer. It is critical for dry bean growers to plant disease-free seed as other disease management options are often limited in organic production systems. Planting clean seed reduces the risk of a disease outbreak during the season that could decrease yields. As growers continue to save their seed for planting from year-to-year the risk of seedborne pathogen build up can increase (Image 1).

The UVM NWCS Team and the UVM Plant Diagnostic Clinic (PDC) teamed up to find out what major seedborne pathogens are targeting organic dry bean production in this region. This survey will lay the foreground for further research into dry bean disease management practices. In this survey, the team received 25 samples from ME, NY, and VT. Over 50% of the samples submitted were from saved seed lots. These samples represented 8 different market classes and 17 different varieties.

The PDC used modified ISTA methods to identify nine different fungal pathogens including Alternaria, Cercospora, Ascochyta, Fusarium, Macrophomina, Rhizoctonia, Sclerotinia, Tricothecium, and Colletotrichum (Image 2). As well as bacterial pathogens including Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. phaseolicola, P. syringae pv. syringae (halo blight), Xanthomonas citri pv. fuscans (Xcf), and X. phaseoli pv. phaseoli (Xpp, common bean blight) (Image 3). Secondary molds including yeasts, Cladosporium, Penicillium, Rhizopus, and Aspergillus, were also evaluated in this survey. The results from the 2025 Seedborne Pathogen Survey Summarized Report can be found here.

Seed Health Results

Germination was assessed using 200 seeds per sample. The germination ranged from 0 to 98% among the 25 samples with an average germination of 66%. The seed vigor test evaluated 100 seeds per sample, measuring the total growth from the seed in centimeters after a 7-day incubation period. Having a higher seed vigor index value indicates quicker development and emergence leading to a more uniform stand. The Seed Vigor Index ranged from 0 to 528 among the 25 samples submitted with an average Seed Vigor Index of 166. 

Each sample submitted had fungal or bacterial pathogens observed in the seed lots. The most common diseases present in this survey were common bacterial blight (80%) and halo blight (60%). Although fungal pathogens were not observed in high numbers compared to the bacterial pathogens, they can still pose a threat. Fields should be regularly scouted to monitor the various diseases associated with these pathogens. The PDC and NWCS team put together the Growers Guide to Seedborne Diseases of Dry Beans to provide growers guidance for identifying these diseases in the field and what the current management strategies are out there.  

For more information regarding dry beans please visit the NWCS website. The summarized report for this survey can be found on both the NWCS website or the Northern Grain Growers Collaborative website. 

“I come because I want to be with other people who want to learn about agriculture. We want to make Vermont and Vermont agriculture the best that’s possible for a long time,” said one local farmer, explaining why he attends the UVM Extension Annual Crops & Soils Field Day.

On July 24, 2025, Borderview Research Farm in Alburgh, Vermont, buzzed with energy and excitement as more than 200 farmers, conservationists, researchers, scientists, educators, agronomists, service providers, and community members gathered to learn and connect. Among them was Dr. Linda Prokopy, the new dean of UVM’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, who enjoyed her first Crops and Soils Field Day, calling it “an event to learn all things farming!”  

This year marked the 18th Annual Crops & Soils Field Day. The first one took place a few years after UVM Extension Professor Heather Darby, an agronomist and soil scientist, joined the Northwest Crops and Soils (NWCS) Program. The field day has grown into the program’s largest outreach event of the year, consistently drawing more than 200 attendees. Roger and Claire Rainville own Borderview Research Farm and have generously hosted Dr. Darby’s research there for the past 20 years. The annual field day and all NWCS research wouldn’t be possible without their dedication to agriculture, farming, and innovation. Thank you, Roger and Claire! 

Upon arrival, guests warmly greeted one another. Because the growing season is the busiest time of year for farmers, field days are an important opportunity to reconnect! The fact that so many farmers took time away from their fields to learn from Dr. Darby and the whole research team shows the value this event holds for them.  

The day began with a welcome message from Dr. Darby, and then everyone headed out into the fields for the farm tour. The first stop was at the newly constructed hoop house, where lettuce, tomatoes, and broccoli are grown for the Organic Seed Production Research on Economics and Yield project. Folks gathered around Dr. Darby and her team of researchers as they shared updates about ongoing projects and introduced new projects, such as the software that is currently in development for Vermont’s On-Farm Research Network.  

The tour covered a wide range of topics, from aerial drones to neonicotinoid research. At each stop, NWCS staff not only explained their research but also invited questions, hands-on demonstrations, and lively discussions, making complex agricultural science accessible to all who attended. 

“I’ve come here for events before, but having an event that’s focused on exploring exactly what each project is about and breaking down why the research is being done and its applications in the real world has been really awesome,” said Morgan Pratt, Natural Resource Conservation District Agricultural Programs Specialist. 

After a catered lunch, guests could choose from six breakout sessions, presented by UVM staff and special guests.  One such guest was Quebec soil and water conservation expert Odette Menard, who returned by popular demand after her presentation at the 2025 No-Till and Cover Crop Conference. Her session on soil profiles and compaction was informative, engaging, and surprising! She shared practical insights, such as how adjusting tractor tire pressure can help minimize soil compaction, and introduced C.R.O.P.—cover, porosity, oxygen, and roots—an acronym she uses to remember the key factors for maintaining healthy soils. Odette’s presentations always strike the perfect balance between knowledge and humor, and attendees left her session with fresh ideas and practical strategies to implement on their farms. 

Under the tent, Roy Desrocher of the NWCS team led the honey Sensory Taste Session. During this session, guests tasted honey samples, and Roy helped them identify different and off-flavors. Once the group identified the flavors, Roy used his knowledge to explain where in the honey-making process these flavors may have developed. Honey can have different floral tastes depending on the source of the pollen. Off-flavors can develop if there are issues with packaging, storage, or transportation.  

Inside the barn, Laura Sullivan of the NWCS team demonstrated how she has been using the hemp fiber hackler to process winter- and field-retted hemp. This hackler, a long-fiber processing machine, is the only one in the United States. Laura also showed six wool-hemp yarn prototypes developed in collaboration with Battenkill Fibers in Greenwich, New York. Some of these yarns will be used for clothing, and she is working with Muriel’s of Vermont to create wearable items. Laura and the NWCS team are working to expand our understanding of how to use alternative and natural fibers to make more sustainable products.  

Near the strawberry crop, Ann Hazelrigg, Giovanna Sassi, and Olivia Rist from the UVM Plant Diagnostic Clinic, and Kellie Damann of NWCS hosted the session on Integrated Pest Management Strategies for Field Crops. They chronicled the strawberry pest and disease research trials at Borderview and on many farms across the state. They explained what to look for when scouting for disease and insects in the field. They also presented seed testing disease data from 2024-2025 steam or ozone treatment trials on hemp and grains. Results and conclusions from these trials will be released soon. Make sure to keep checking our website, social media, and monthly newsletter for updates! 

John Bruce of the NWCS team and Crystal Stewart-Courtens of Cornell University led a session on organic seed production and seed cleaning. John is leading a trial investigating organic vegetable seed production, and he demonstrated the seed collection process. Crystal showed how to use the mobile seed cleaner, which contains a Winnow Wizard, a small-scale thresher, hand screens, and other tools for small-scale seed cleaning. 

Amber Machia of NWCS and Kurt Cotanch, an independent dairy consultant, threw the Preservation Party.  This session was all about fermentation fun! Guests learned about best practices for ensuring high feed quality, including tips on production, storage, and the characteristics of good feed. This session is part of a larger project to educate Vermonters about silage and feed quality. 

 Dr. Linda Prokopy, dean of CALS at UVM, feels that on-farm field days are “…so important! For farmers to be able to come out and see different practices being trialed, hear from scientists, and talk to other farmers- it’s really a great event.” Gatherings such as the Annual Crops & Soils Field Day exemplify why the NWCS team conducts research. We love helping Vermont agriculture! We are so thankful that we get to continue to conduct and share our work with you all. Thank you again for your continued support. We can’t wait to see you next year! 

Preliminary Results 

It is already time to get ready for planting winter wheat. Each year, UVM Extension evaluates winter wheat varieties to determine those that will perform best here in Vermont. This year, the project evaluated 44 varieties of winter wheat, including six varieties of soft white winter wheat, two varieties of hard white winter wheat, nine varieties of soft red winter wheat, and twenty-seven varieties of hard red winter wheat. This year brought some cold and wet weather during the spring; however, hot and dry weather helped to bring a high-quality crop to harvest. Preliminary yield and quality results are shown in Table 1.

Height

The tallest variety was Sirvinta at 138 cm. Height can be advantageous to wheat in weed competition, but sometimes very tall varieties are prone to lodging. This year Sirvinta had no lodging, similar to eighteen other varieties with no lodging. The variety with the most lodging was Genessee Giant, with 76.7% lodging. 

Test Weight

Test weight is the measure of grain density, which is determined by weighing a known volume of grain. Industry standard for wheat is 56-60 lbs bu^-1. Over 60% of the varieties met the industry standard for test weight. The variety with the highest test weight was Viking 211 at 60.5 lbs bu^-1. 

Yield

More than half of the varieties had yields over two tons per acre (adjusted to 13.5% moisture content). The highest yielding variety was Blue River 844 with a yield of 6236 lbs ac^-1. The varieties IL16-8048 and IL17-23874 also yielded over 3 tons per acre (6100 and 6108 lbs ac^-1 respectively). 

Crude Protein

The ideal range for bread wheat is 12-15% crude protein, though some artisan bread bakers have found success working with wheat in the 10-12% range, depending on the end-product. There were 13 varieties were within the ideal range for protein: Erisman, IL16-8048, Genessee Giant, ARS18W0682, VA16HRW-22, Arapahoe, Gold Coin, Brome, AC Morley, Turkey Red, Rouge d’Ecosse, Champlain and Redeemer. Redeemer had the highest protein concentration at 13.6%. Only five varieties were below the minimum of 10% protein (Blue River 844, NY12512-1542, IL17-23874, Towpath, and NY12325).

Please visit our website to view past year trial results.

Cover cropping offers many benefits, such as weed suppression, building soil organic matter and biodiversity, reducing erosion, and decreasing nutrient loss. But selecting the best species and variety for a farm’s location and goals can be tricky, especially given increasingly erratic weather conditions. 

Despite this challenge, the number of U.S. farmers using cover crops has been rising steadily since the mid 2000s, prompting seed company leaders to wonder whether there are adequate options and sufficient seed supply for the diversity of U.S. growing regions. 

In 2023, the University of Missouri’s Center for Regenerative Agriculture launched the National Cover Crop Variety Project, funded by the USDA. Over a five-year period, UVM Extension researchers and others across the country are partnering to evaluate cover crop species and varieties designed for specific regions and uses. 

“We encourage farmers to use cover crops, but there’s a lot to learn about what varieties will perform well in our region,” says UVM’s Ivy Krezinski. 

She and Professor Heather Darby, both of UVM Extension’s Northwest Crops and Soils Program, are partners in the National Cover Crop Variety Testing Program, part of the USDA-funded project. “We’re evaluating cover crop varieties over multiple years to see how they perform in different conditions,” Krezinski says. Increased precipitation can make timely fall planting difficult, for example, and changing weather conditions can affect winter survival rates. 

Other project researchers are based in New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee, Indiana, Texas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and California. All are evaluating cover crop varieties on key characteristics (or metrics): fall establishment, spring stand, aboveground biomass, flowering at termination, stand height, weed suppression, and disease incidence.  

National Results

In the 2024-2025 cover crop growing season, the first year of data collection, researchers at most sites planted five varieties each of cereal rye, clover (crimson and balansa), hairy vetch, winter peas, and brassicas (canola and radish) for a total of 25 varieties. (The exceptions: Researchers in North Dakota did not plant clover varieties, and those in Tennessee did not plant brassicas.)

Overall, national data show significant differences between varieties due to climate and breeding. Authors of the 2024-2025 National Cover Crop Variety Trial Report write “there can be significant benefits to using regionally adapted varieties, especially in terms of biomass production and winter survival.” They also note that selecting varieties to meet specific goals or to fit in different cropping systems and rotations may be very effective.

They found no significant differences in biomass in the cereal rye varieties, though the one undisclosed (unnamed) variety was significantly shorter.

“The only metric that differed across crimson clover varieties was spring biomass, for which 19MDCC, an experimental variety from Maryland, lagged behind,” the researchers write.

The hairy vetch varieties performed well. Winter peas underperformed in most metrics compared to the other cover crop species.

Legumes and brassicas had higher winter survival and spring biomass than is typical in Vermont, probably due to thick snow cover last winter. The brassicas offered excellent spring weed control, including the two radish varieties (Aerifi and Driller, a daikon) that winterkilled but left behind substantial residue.

This chart shows the varieties and data from the Vermont research trials.

Note that these results and those from other participating sites do not constitute endorsement of any specific cover crop variety.

Future Years

In coming years, the project will expand to include more research sites and cover crop species and varieties. In the 2025-2026 season, researchers will plant the same five species groups: clover, cereal rye, hairy vetch, winter peas, and brassicas. In each species group, they’ll plant the same five varieties and add two more, for a total of 35 varieties. This nationally coordinated effort will catalyze more rapid and effective progress in meeting demand for regionally adapted, high-quality cover crop seed.

For more information about the cover crop varieties, research design, evaluation metrics, results, and statistical analyses, see the 2024-2025 National Cover Crop Variety Trial Report (https://cra.missouri.edu/variety_testing_report_24_25/).

This national collaborative project is funded by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Sustainable Agricultural Systems (SAS) Coordinated Agricultural Project (CAP), Grant No. 2023-68012-38993, https://www.nifa.usda.gov/. The project title is “Cover Crop Variety Development Coordinated Agricultural Project” (or National Cover Crop Variety Project). For more information, visit https://cra.missouri.edu/cover-crop-variety-development-project/.

Questions about Vermont results? Contact ivy.krezinski@uvm.edu.

Questions about results in other states? Contact etiennesutton@missouri.edu.

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The Vermont growing season offers a short window to produce, harvest, and store nutrients in the form of forages for dairy cattle, including hay crop silage and corn silage. This process can be challenging, but the result is rewarding for you, your livestock, and your operation. The goal is to harvest crops at the correct stage of maturity and store them so that oxygen is rapidly excluded and they begin to ferment. During the fermentation process, there is a quick drop in pH levels, which preserves the nutrients and dry matter of the feed by creating an undesirable environment for the growth of harmful yeast and molds. Good management during the bunk filling and packing process is key to fermentation and preservation success. 

Bunk Density 

Bunk density is expressed in pounds of dry matter per cubic foot (lbs DM/ft³).  To measure bunk density, we use the Dairy One Forage Probe to drill into the bunk face and collect a core sample.  The core is then measured, and the sample is processed to determine dry matter.  Using the Dairy One Density Calculator, we collect values that determine the density of the feed stored at the sample location.  Density is not necessarily consistent across the bunk face or pile; therefore, we often take multiple core samples when evaluating bunk density. 

The minimum goal for the density of feed stored in bunks or piles is 15lbs DM/ft³. Optimal density is 18lbs DM/ft³ or greater.  This level of bunk density indicates that oxygen has been effectively excluded, promoting good fermentation and preservation of nutrients. Feed stored at less than 15lbs DM/ft³ likely has greater exposure to oxygen, which promotes nutrient degradation and the growth of potentially harmful yeasts and molds. 

The UVM Extension NWCS Team has been measuring bunk density on farms across Franklin County over the past two years.  Figure 1 shows the range of densities observed from 96 core samples of hay crop silage stored in cement bunks, piles on cement pads, and in ag bags.  Samples were taken from multiple locations on the open bunk face.  Approximately 60% of the samples fell below the minimum density of 15lbs DM/ft³, indicating less than ideal potential oxygen exposure, which resulted in deterioration of feed quality. 

Educating the Community 

To address this problem and help farmers improve overall feed quality,  
Amber Machia, UVM Extension NWCS Research Specialist, and Kurt Cotanch, an independent dairy nutrition consultant, threw a Preservation Party at the 2025 UVM Extension Annual Crops & Soils Field Day. They presented their research findings to a group of farmers and technical assistance providers. This included a sensory experience where guests smelled and touched various forage samples and guessed which one was the highest quality feed. They also taught their audience about management factors that affect density, so they can increase the overall quality of feed.  

Management factors that affect density include: 

• Packing weight – recommended minimum of 800lbs packing weight per ton of forage delivered per hour 

• Delivery rate – fill rate should be based on total available packing weight (the pushing tractor is only packing ~60% of the time) 

• Dry matter & chop length of harvested feed – dry forage that is cut long is harder to pack tightly 

• Layer thickness – should not exceed 6” 

• Slope of ramp – if too steep, tractor tires may spin and disrupt packed forage below 

• Feed storage infrastructure – adequate space is needed to safely access the pile or bunk.  Layered feeds make it difficult to consistently attain optimal packing density. 

Interested in assistance with weighing your bunk packing equipment and determining the optimal fill rate and management for your scenario?  Interested in having core samples taken of your existing stored feed to determine the density that you are achieving?  Contact Amber Machia (802)656-7615 or amber.machia@uvm.edu. 

An armyworm outbreak has been reported in Fairfax and Waterbury areas. The armyworms have been primarily feeding on grass fields. Armyworm moths generally blow up from the south in storms. Please don’t panic, but do go out and scout your corn and grass fields for armyworms. When full grown, the caterpillars can be almost 1.5 inches long. The caterpillars are usually greenish or brownish, but can be almost black. The sides and back of the caterpillar have light colored stripes running along the body. The caterpillars normally feed at night and much damage can occur before they mature. The preferred foods are grasses including corn, grains, and forage grasses. They will feed on other plants if grasses are unavailable. Feeding will start on the lower leaves and move upwards. A large population can strip an entire field in just a few days. When the field is eaten they “march’ to adjacent fields. Corn fields that are minimum or no-tilled into grass sod or fields infested with grass weeds are most susceptible.  For more information on scouting and control options please contact Dr. Heather Darby at the University of Vermont Extension at (802) 782-6054 or heather.darby@uvm.edu.

UVM Extension NWCS Research Specialist Lindsey Ruhl and 4-H educator Wendy Sorrell, attended the 110^th National Association of County Agricultural Agents (NACAA) Annual Meeting and Professional Improvement Conference in Billings, Montana, June 29 – July 2, 2025.

There were over 1,200 attendees from 45 states. Presentations ranged from 4-H programming to research updates, new outreach opportunities, and integrating AI into Extension work.

UVM Extension Professor Inducted into NACAA Hall of Fame

Extension Professor Emeritus Glenn Rogers was inducted into the NACAA Hall of Fame during the association’s annual conference in Billings, Montana. Glenn’s long Extension career started in N.H., moving back to Vermont in 1982, and retiring in 2010. He had many responsibilities including water quality agent, county ag agent, regional dairy specialist, regional farm business management specialist, and a special assignment in 1990 working on the Farm Bill with U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy. He served on various community boards and committees, and served our country as a member of the Vermont Air National Guard from 1971 to 1992. Please join us in congratulating Glenn! 

AgConnect Featured in Teaching and Educational Technologies Session

On Monday, June 30, Lindsey hosted a session on AgConnect, a free online tool that walks students through the scientific method, which she helped develop.

AgConnect can be used in the classroom to guide students through lab and field-based experimental design and the scientific method. This program also introduces young students to new ways of interacting with and studying agriculture. Students can exercise freedom in choosing the topic of their experiments, fostering creativity and love for learning. AgConnect is made to be flexible so that teachers can use it to enhance any agriculturally focused curriculum.

If you are an educator and want to know more about this educational resource and other agricultural learning activities, visit https://www.uvm.edu/extension/nwcrops/resources-educators.

AgConnect Tech to House Vermont’s On-Farm Research Network

Exciting news! The UVM NWCS team is utilizing the technology behind AgConnect to create a new platform for Vermont’s On-Farm Research Network to simplify on-farm research for farmers and facilitators. On this new platform, farmers will be able to join actively recruiting research projects, share their ideas, suggest new experiments, and see local results.

We are taking a farmer-focused approach to developing this platform and are currently testing materials with farmer groups.

Want to learn more about this new initiative? Contact Shannon MacDonald at Shannon.macdonald@uvm.edu.

When we harvest hay crop silages, naturally occurring bacteria present on the forage are responsible for completing the fermentation process we rely on to preserve the silage. During fermentation, bacteria take sugars in the forage and convert it into organic acids that acidify the material and preserve nutrients.

Depending on how many and which bacteria are present, this process could yield very different results. Using an inoculant can ensure sufficient population and type of bacteria are present to adequately reduce silage pH or stabilize the silage during feed out.

There are two main types of bacteria used in silage inoculants: homofermenters and heterofermenters. Homofermenters are those that convert the sugars in the forage to lactic acid. Common homofermenters used in silage inoculant produces include Lactobacillus plantarum, Pediococcus spp., and Enterococcus faecium. Because lactic acid is a strong acid that can reduce the pH significantly and quickly but does not inhibit yeast and mold growth very well, products containing homofermenters are typically used where preserving the forage as quickly as possible and reducing dry matter losses are the goals.

In contrast, heterofermenters can make several different products during fermentation; they may make lactic acid, acetic acid, or other products. Because acetic acid is a weak acid but a better inhibitor of spoilage organism growth, heterofermenters are used when silage aerobic stability is the priority. Lactobacillus buchnerii is a common heterofermenter added into inoculant products to support silage stability during feed out.

Products can contain one or both of these types of bacteria. They come in dry granular or water-soluble formulations with specific applicators that mount to the bailer or chopper. There are also several products approved for use in organic systems. More information on silage inoculants can be found at the resources below.

University of Vermont Extension Silage Inoculants Factsheet

University of Wisconsin Extension Silage Inoculants Factsheet

Despite the availability of organically approved products, using silage inoculants on organic farms is not very common. To gain more information on the use of organic inoculants, we are initiating several research trials this season.

Trial 1- Evaluating the efficacy of organically approved silage inoculants

The first trial will compare the efficacy of five different organically approved silage inoculants and a no inoculant control in grass silage. The silage inoculants being used are listed in table 1.

We mowed an existing stand of orchardgrass and applied each inoculant product per their labels to different sections of the windrows using a small sprayer just before chopping. Material was then chopped into a forage wagon where material from each section was segregated and collected. Approximately 250-275 grams of material were then placed into vacuum seal bags and sealed to simulate bunk packing. Samples were kept in black plastic totes at ambient temperatures until removal to obtain the ensiling durations outlined in Table 2 at which point they were frozen to stop fermentation or other biological activity. Samples will be analyzed for pH and fermentation profiles as per Table 2.

Trial 2: Silage inoculant efficacy under varying dry matter conditions

Another trial will be conducted this year using the same existing stand of orchard grass that will be mowed and this time wilted to three different dry matter contents, representing forage that is too wet, ideal, and too dry. We will then apply one of the inoculant products at three different rates representing the rate according to the label, 2x the rate on the label, and 3x the rate on the label. Inoculant application, sample vacuum sealing, and sample storage and retention time will be the same as described for Trial 1. Stay tuned for results!