In July, Vermont was hit hard by flooding. Farm fields and crops throughout the state were flooded with their fate unclear. We have posted flood related resources on our Northwest Crops & Soils webpage and just added a few more timely resources there on managing flooded corn silage at harvest and mitigating silt and microbe …
Tag Archives: hay
Flood Resources and Help for the Farming Community
Vermont has been hit hard by this recent round of storms, as some know and have experience more closely than others. It has left a devastating mark on the agricultural landscape of our small state. As a Team, we have always helped our community through difficult times and this will be no different! If you …
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July On-farm Field Day Opportunities
It’s July already, and we wanted to share a few on-farm workshops coming up this month that UVM Extension Northwest Crops & Soils Program is organizing or collaborating on… Friday, July 14, 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Ken Leach and Joanne Chickering, Pawlet, VT. Discussion of drought stress and management considerations for following year as …
Influence of Cutting Height on Forage Quality
Harvest management is an integral component of producing high-quality forage. Often harvest timing and speed are discussed but equally important is the cutting height. While many grazing farmers have adopted the practice of leaving more un-grazed material in the pasture, many hay fields are still harvested as low as possible. This, in combination with frequent …
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Time to evaluate your forage stands for winter injury!
WHAT IS WINTER INJURY? Our harsh winter environment in northern New England can be surprisingly damaging to the plants we grow. Conditions like freeze/thaw events with fluctuating temperatures or desiccation due to lack of water can be a main driver for winter injury or winter kill. Perennial forage stands, particularly alfalfa, are no exception. Therefore, …
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It’s time for Frost Seeding!
Spring is right around the corner, but it isn’t too late to think about forage improvements! Frost seeding is a simple practice that can help improve pasture and hay field yield, quality, and composition over time. The general principle of frost seeding is to broadcast forage seed onto pastures or hay fields in early spring when the …
Rain Putting a Damper on Your Forages? Options Available
Rain, rain, go away, we haven’t been able to harvest our hay…or plant our forages! If you’ve been singing this song, you are not alone. With this wet weather, farmers across the region have seen poor corn germination, challenging hay harvest windows, and field conditions making planting difficult. While it has been tough going so …
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Armyworm Alert
Armyworms were spotted in Addison County Vermont on June 12, 2017. Please don’t panic but do scout your corn and grass fields for armyworm caterpillars. True Armyworm, Pseudaletia unipuncta, are typically spotted each year on some acreage in Vermont — crops most affected are grasses including field corn, grass hay and pasture crops. It is …
Gearing Up for Spring: Improve Your Pasture & Hayland through Frost Seeding
With the spring-like weather these past few days, now’s the time to consider frost seeding as a cost-effective method to improve forage diversity and quality in your hayland and pastures. Frost seeding is a low cost seeding strategy that relies on the action of the soil freezing and thawing to achieve the seed-to-soil contact needed …
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Recent Rain Creates Stress on Crops
Recent intense rainfall events have caused flooding, ponding, and soil saturation in many of our corn and hay fields. What are the prospects for these crops? Corn Fields Beautiful and dry spring weather allowed most folks to get corn planted in a timely fashion. We’ve seen corn around the state that is just about knee …