Author: esandman

September 15th at Monument Farms Dairy, Weybridge

The Champlain Valley Farmer Coalition and UVM Extension’s Champlain Valley Crop, Soil, and Pasture Team co-hosted a farmer event on Strategies for the 2025 Corn Harvest. The group of thirteen farmers, three technical service providers, and five staff hosts met in Weybridge at Monument Farms Dairy. The event focused on how the exceptionally wet spring and dry summer had led to uneven corn growth and maturity, and created challenges for harvest timing, forage quality, and storage logistics.

Tom Eaton, Crop Consultant and Nutrient Management Planner from Agricultural Consulting Services, led a discussion on what this harvest season will look like for farmers, and shared advice for prioritizing which fields to harvest first. He covered the impacts of uneven maturity on feed quality and inventory planning, and silage preservation strategies for when crops come off in small batches. He also touched on soil health concerns, and fertility adjustments for looking ahead to 2026. In addition, Tom Eaton calculated dry matter percentages live in the field with corn samples that attendees had brought to the event.

Key Harvest Takeaways

Frost is the cutoff: After a killing frost, plants stop turning sugars into starches, so you’ll need to get that crop off as soon as possible. The longer the plants stay in the field, the more mycotoxins they will collect.

Small batches are OK: This year, it may be necessary to harvest in small batches. Use Ag Bags or smaller bunk silos so partial harvests can be sealed properly. Small harvest windows can be disruptive, so line up trucking, packing, and covering crews in advance, even for a day’s worth of chopping.

Check dry matter percentage: Target 30–40% whole-plant dry matter for good fermentation, especially with short or green corn. It is recommended to take whole plant dry matter measurements before you chop it to make sure that it will ferment properly.

Don’t assume poor yield = poor feed: While the growing season and corn crops were disappointing this year, in many cases, the feed itself is actually decent, based on tests that farmers and nutritionists are seeing.

Looking Ahead to 2026
When it comes to planning for next year, farmers should take notes on how each field responded to the exceptionally wet spring and dry summer pattern.

Population matters: More plants per acre aren’t always better—focus on spacing and singulation for yield. By increasing plants per acre, the plants will experience an increase in pressure. Great yields can be more difficult at 15-inch rows.

Nitrogen timing: Timing of nitrogen application is critical. If liquid and dry nitrogen are similarly priced, consider that liquid nitrogen is immediately plant available, and usually better for the crop. Always use urease inhibitors to prevent volatilization and leaching.

Building soil health: Finally, consider soil health practices like cover cropping and reduced tillage to implement after harvest and rebuild resilience for 2026. These practices improve soil health and erosion control through the winter. If you have questions or concerns about getting your cover crops in this fall, please reach out to CVFC staff or your local agronomists at UVM Extension.

Need Help?
Questions about cover crop timing or fall practices? Contact Champlain Valley Farmer Coalition staff or your UVM Extension agronomist

On July 9th, UVM Extension and the Champlain Valley Farmers Coalition hosted a mid-season corn evaluation at Richville Farms in Shorham, VT to discuss the challenges and adjustments they’ve made for this year’s crops.  Jeremy Chittenden shared an overview of the farm’s operations, cropping plans, and their experiences in this challenging season as well as past seasons.  Guest speaker Tom Eaton addressed key topics such as side-dressing, managing growth stunting, and anticipating harvest conditions. He was joined by Extension Agronomist Shawn Lucas, who shared insights on how a wet spring followed by a dry summer has affected soil conditions.

Over the period from February 1 to May 31 Addison County received over 15 inches of rainfall which is more than 4 inches over the normal value for that timespan.  Much of that rainfall came in May, when 6 inches of rain fell at the time when producers were hoping to terminate cover crops and plant summer crops.  This delayed planting for many producers many of whom were planting well into late June.  Unfortunately, during the period from June 1 until July 9 Addison County fields saw nearly 2 inches less rainfall than normal (with some areas receiving no rain at all).  Thus, once crops were planted, they were facing stress from lack of water shortly after emergence. We saw this firsthand at Richville Farms where the clay soils had hardened, leaving deep cracks from the lack of moisture. Of interest to the group was information on how dry soils intensify problems related to soil compaction, limited nutrient availability, and slowed crop productivity.

Digging up several corn stalks, we found that root penetration was surprisingly good in this particular field despite late planting and early-season wet conditions. Mr. Chittenden thought this might have been because they were able to broadcast liquid manure via drag-line as a sidedress a few weeks after emergence, which provided both moisture and nutrients at a critical time in crop development.  In addition to examining root development and compaction, we scouted for pests such as wireworms and cutworms. Fortunately, the late planting meant that these pests had already completed their life cycle and did not impact this year’s crop. Early-season insect scouting remains a valuable tool to help determine causes of poor stand establishment, and using reputable insecticides and herbicides can protect crops from emerging threats.

This season’s weather has also required adjustments in nitrogen management. Tom emphasized that many fields may need an extra boost of nitrogen to maximize tonnage at harvest. The biggest challenge with side-dressing this year has been timing—waiting for sufficient rainfall and again highlighting the potential benefits from the drag-line liquid manure side-dress application at Richville Farms. Incorporating urea requires about ½ inch of rain, so carefully timing applications around precipitation events is essential. Without rain, high heat significantly increases the risk of volatilization. Producers are encouraged to take a Pre-Side-dress Nitrate Tests (PSNT) to confirm nitrogen needs and plan side-dressing accordingly.  For more on PSNT and soil testing in general, visit the UVM Agricultural and Environmental Testing Lab .

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Credit: Kate Longfield

Credit: Kate Longfield

On May 8th, farmers and technical service providers gathered at Nea-Toch Farm, in Ferrisburgh, VT to discuss harvesting cover crops as forage and strategies for terminating cover crops without the use of herbicide sprays. UVM Extension, in collaboration with the Champlain Valley Farmers Coalition, hosted a workshop that outlined the pros and cons of non-chemical termination methods and highlighted how Nea-Toch Farm has successfully implemented these practices. 

Under an overcast sky, attendees—including Extension agronomist Shawn Lucas, Howard Vander -Wey, and several farmers and service providers—discussed topics such as herbicide-free cover crop termination, the farm’s transition from corn to increasing production of other forage options such as sorghum-sudangrass, and how these changes have impacted soil health. 

Nea-Toch Farm has been in operation for over 48 years, currently milking 335 cows. The farm grows its own forages and manages over 950 acres of crops, with approximately 300 acres in corn. A key component of their soil health strategy has been the long-term incorporation of cover crops. For more than 15 years, they have been cover cropping their fields and have observed significant improvements in soil organic matter, compaction, and fertility. 

Nea-Toch Farm has been experimenting with different cover crop species and termination methods for over the last decade and found success with a technique that involves taking an early cut of the cover crop for feed, then tilling the remaining sod into the soil. This method incorporates organic matter into the top few inches of soil, making nutrients more accessible to plants. It also reduces the need for herbicide sprays while improving soil health for the subsequent crop. During the workshop, attendees viewed a thriving field of triticale and rye, which the farm plans to harvest for feed before tilling in the residue and planting directly into it. 

Given the success of their cover cropping program, the farm is now gradually shifting away from corn silage and incorporating more sorghum-sudangrass into their rotation. This crop has been a valuable supplement to corn silage due to its comparable sugar content and its deep, fibrous root system, which Howard Vander-Wey has observed to help alleviate compaction in their heavy clay soils. They have also noted improved soil structure and weed suppression. Additionally, Sorghum-Sudan has proven easy to bale and store, making the logistical transition a smooth one. 

As different seasons bring different challenges and opportunities, Nea-Toch Farm continues to explore different practices and evaluate what is working for them. While the spring of 2025 has been particularly wet, they planted rye and triticale in the fall of 2024; they are now seeing a boost in growth as the weather warms. Both crops will be harvested for feed, reinforcing the farm’s ability to integrate soil health practices with practical, productive forage systems. 

Picture Taken by Emma Sandman, UVM Extension, Rye Field 

Picture taken by Emma Sandman, UVM Extension, Triticale

In this issue:

• Management of Fall-Planted Cover Crops in Spring
• Estimating Spring Nitrogen Availability From Cover Crops
• Is my Grass Ready to be Grazed Again?

Click the link bellow to read more!