NOVEL NOTES
A monthly e-newsletter for forage producers.
Treatment of Tall Fescue pasture with Chaparral© Herbicide in the boot stage of growth reduces tall fescue seedheads
Tall Fescue Toxicosis is a syndrome that impacts the health and well-being of over 10 million beef cows and their calves. Various strategies have been used to reduce toxin loads, or to improve diet quality to partially mitigate the problem. In 2018 and 2019, the Amazing Grazing Team conducted demonstrations on eight farms (four/year) to…
Last Call for Spring Renovation Workshops
This year, the Alliance for Grassland Renewal is hosting 3 Novel Endophtye Tall Fescue Renovation Workshops. Speakers from across the US will cover topics such as Toxicosis Management, Establishment, Seed Quality and Testing, Economics and more. Registration is $40 and includes lunch and educational materials. Use the links below for more information or to register…
Triple Creek Journal: Three plants to keep an eye on
I have always been very interested in plants, but in recent years my interest has dramatically increased. I like to see a lot of diversity in pastures, and over the years I have tried to identify as many of the plants in our pastures as I can. Of course we have the old cool-season standbys…
Farmer Scholarships to attend the International Grassland Congress
We want to remind you that the International Grassland Congress will be held in Covington Kentucky, May 14-19, 2023. This is the first time this international conference will be hosted in the US since 1981. Funding is available to help cover your expenses to attend this conference. The registration cost is $600 for the entire time…
Fescue foot reported in Missouri cattle
Thursday, January 5, 2023 COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension specialists recently received several reports of Missouri cattle dying due to fescue foot, says MU Extension state forage specialist Craig Roberts. These significant losses show why beef producers should check herds for warning signs of fescue foot in early January, when it most often…
Registration Open for Spring Renovation Workshops
This year, the Alliance for Grassland Renewal is hosting 3 Novel Endophtye Tall Fescue Renovation Workshops. Speakers from across the US will cover topics such as Toxicosis Management, Establishment, Seed Quality and Testing, Economics and more. Registration is $40 and includes lunch and educational materials. Use the links below for more information or to register…
Plant mixtures of tall fescue cultivar/endophyte combinations for better fescue productivity, persistence, and soil sustainability
Renovating a pasture by replacing common toxic tall fescue with a novel variety typically entails choosing one single novel grass cultivar/novel endophyte combination (e.g., Jesup MaxQ, Texoma MaxQII, etc.). Effective management of the newly established stand requires making that stand as resilient as possible to disturbances, such as drought, while promoting the enhancement of essential…
Triple Creek Journal: Managing late winter challenges
February has always been a tough month for me on the farm. Whether we have good stockpile on the pasture or not we are usually feeding hay in February. Winter hay feeding for about 45 days is our normal expectation, and I actually enjoy it for about a month. Unfortunately, due to weather conditions in…
New Certified Dealers
In 2022, the Alliance for Grassland Renewal launched it’s Certified Dealer Program, to highlight those seed dealers and farm stores that carry novel endophyte tall fescue products, and have educated themselves on these products by attending a workshop. In February of 2023, we added three new dealers to the program. You can find their full…
Registration Open for Spring Renovation Workshops
This year, the Alliance for Grassland Renewal is hosting 3 Novel Endophtye Tall Fescue Renovation Workshops. Speakers from across the US will cover topics such as Toxicosis Management, Establishment, Seed Quality and Testing, Economics and more. Registration is $40 and includes lunch and educational materials. Use the links below for more information or to register…
Adaptive Management is Key to Grazing Success
Reprinted with permission from Hay and Forage Grower, January 2023. Interest in controlled grazing management has increased in recent years, in large part due to increased input costs. The promise of growing more grass with fewer inputs is intriguing, and some would suggest that there is only one way to get that done. Systems like…
Triple Creek Journal: Bale Grazing compliments Hay Unrolling during winter feeding
January, 2023. The dominant forages in our forage system include tall fescue, dallisgrass, crabgrass, red clover and white clover. There are many other minor species but those five account for a pretty high percentage of the biomass production. Twenty years ago we had very heavy tall fescue stands, and as a result we usually had…
Understanding Endophytes: The history and morphology of endophytes and comparison of endophyte-infected tall fescue in the US
Tall fescue is a dominant grass across the US Tall fescue is a deep-rooted, persistent perennial grass that is considered high-quality forage for livestock. Tall fescue originated from Europe and was likely brought here by early European settlers. Kentucky 31 (KY-31), infamous fescue cultivar released in 1942, is well adapted to the eastern states and…
Triple Creek Journal: Life Goes On.
We had a big loss to our farm a few weeks ago. My mom, Ninalei Bader Poore (Nina), passed away; she was 91. She had been in a slow decline the last two years, but she stayed positive as she approached the end of life. Life changed for her dramatically in 2015 when my Dad…
Why are cow-calf producers slow to adopt science proven technology?
I have worked with the beef industry all my career, and one thing is clear; only a very small proportion of producers quickly adopt management practices and technological advances that I might help develop. As I grow older I think more and more about this as I want my life’s work to matter. To help…
Creative Mix Yields Winning Results
As a horseman specializing in challenging horses, Reed Edwards is used to coming up with creative solutions. It is no surprise he applied the same approach to forages. “I’m used to doing oddball stuff and I’m somewhat adventurous,” says the Laurens, South Carolina, horseman and hay producer. His choice of an alfalfa and novel endophyte…
Save the Date: Spring Workshops are set
Dates are set for three in-person Novel Endophyte Tall Fescue Renovation Workshops. All workshops will include discussions on toxicosis, establishment, quality control and cost share opportunities as well as hands on drill calibration and tours of variety plots. Registration links will be open at the beginning of the year. Registration is currently open for the…
New Certified Dealers
In 2022, the Alliance for Grassland Renewal launched it’s Certified Dealer Program, to highlight those seed dealers and farm stores that carry novel endophyte tall fescue products, and have educated themselves on these products by attending a workshop. For December of 2022, we are adding two dealers to the program. You can find their full…
Triple Creek Journal: The Miracle of Life
It has been a busy month at Triple Creek with our calving season which started October 16. We started with the heifers that were synchronized and bred AI for the 4th time last year. I have been resistant to using AI in the past because I thought it was a lot of effort for the…
Alliance launches Certified Dealer Program
In 2022, the Alliance for Grassland Renewal launched it’s Certified Dealer Program, to highlight those seed dealers and farm stores that carry novel endophyte tall fescue products, and have educated themselves on these products by attending a workshop. For November of 2022, we are adding three dealers to the program. You can find their full…
Developing a Herbicide Tolerant Red Clover
Adding red clover into grass-based pastures has many benefits but red clover is highly susceptible to herbicides, such as 2,4-D, used for broadleaf weed management in pastures. In 2005, Dr. Norman Taylor began a project to create a 2,4-D tolerant red clover for Kentucky by crossing a 2,4-D tolerant red clover line from the University…
Many factors dictate how often to move cattle
A myth can be defined in several ways, but it is often thought to be something that has been repeatedly stated over a period of years such that it becomes accepted truth when, in fact, it isn’t. Often, a myth is only partially true. At last month’s Kentucky Grazing School, a quartet of grazing myths…
Triple Creek Journal: What to do when the tall fescue stands finally thin out
It continues to be a strange year with alternating dry and wet periods. We were very dry through September and then the last day of the month we had Hurricane Ian come through and leave us 3.5 inches of rain, with a similar amount across most of North Carolina and South Central Virginia. Since that…
New Resource: Comparison of Commercially Available Novel-Endophyte Tall Fescue Forage Varieties
Novel-endophyte (NE) tall fescue is a productive, persistent grass plant for the Fescue Belt of the United States, where the soils and climate support tall fescue. Novel-endophyte tall fescue supports a high level of animal performance comparable to endophyte-free (EF) tall fescue, while delivering the agronomic performance expected from toxic KY-31 tall fescue. The NE…
Soil and Grasslands serve each other
Each morning, we experience some of the many services of soil — soft cotton fibers from which to arise, clean water to wash our face, firm ground to stand on, and the aromas of brewed coffee, baking pastries, and sizzling bacon. Benefits we derive from soil and its processes are called ecosystem services. Biomass production…
Fall Planting Guide
PLANTINGFor best results and maximum benefit, all toxic tall fescue and troublesome annual grasses including cheatgrass, rescue grass and unwanted ryegrassshould be killed prior to the blooming stage before establishing a novel endophyte tall fescue. A firm seedbed is important for good stand establishment. Seed can be drilled into a prepared, firm seedbed, no-tilled into…
Triple Creek Journal: There is a whole world of plants out there….What’s in your pasture?
It has been another good month for us in Southern Virginia. Our wet July turned to a not too wet and not too hot August, with just enough rain so that we were never dry. Over the last twenty years we have done everything we can to discourage the growth of tall fescue including fertilizing…
Frontal Grazing is a Key Grazing Management Technique
I have been learning how to manage grazing with beef cattle on our farms at Virgilina , near the VA/NC line, for most of my life. I have seen the rise of great temporary grazing equipment, the dramatic improvement of electric fence energizers and the wondrous “fault finder” fence tester, among many other great new…
Albert Mallicoat shares his experience renovating to Texoma MaxQ II
Albert Mallicoat is our featured fescue seed producer for the fall issue of The Fence Post and like all producers you will see similarities and differences in his operation to yours. He purchased Pennington’s Texoma MaxQ II, the novel endophyte tall fescue developed by the Noble Foundation for the Central and South-Central U.S. and this…
Don’t Make a Mistake-Calibrate!
Grain drill calibration is a critical, yet often ignored, part of successful forage establishment and pasture renovation. Planting lower seed rates than recommended can result in thin stands that are susceptible to weed encroachment. Planting more than the recommended seeding rate is undesirable due to increased seed costs. As drills wear, and tires and cogs…
Triple Creek Journal: Our most diverse pastures.
It has been a mixed summer with a slow start in May and June, but better grazing conditions in July. At Virgilina we had a very dry winter and spring. When we had rain in May and June it seemed to always be followed by high temperatures and wind, so it was not very effective. …
Toxic Endophyte Infection in Georgia Fescue Pastures is Severe and Widespread
Tall fescue, a year-round forage in Georgia There are more than 30 million acres of tall fescue in the United States with 1 million acres in Georgia alone, which are primarily in the north Georgia. It is a cool season perennial grass available for grazing for an extended period from early spring to fall. Furthermore,…
Pasture Plant Diversity Field Day
Pasture Plant Diversity Field Day and Workshop at Beaver Creek Farm, NC was a big success! Over 100 farmers, conservationists, extension agents and others gathered at Beaver Creek Farm in Surry County, NC on July 25 to explore the topic of plant diversity as it relates to the productivity and management of pastures. The event…
Novel endophyte tall fescue is a tough plant and it does not have to be babied.
I would like to set something straight with this article. I am afraid that our emphasis on taking good care of your new stands of novel endophyte tall fescue have created the misconception that it is a weak plant that needs to be babied to survive. This is true for many alternative forage crops including…
July 2022 Seed Crop Update
Spring 2021 was the driest and hottest spring on record. As a result, we had an early harvest. In contrast, Spring 2022 in the Willamette Valley, was one of the coolest and wettest years on record. Our best guess today is that we expect our Willamette Valley, Oregon crop to be 7-8 days later than…
Triple Creek Journal: What a difference rain makes
My colleague Johnny Rogers has often said “what we recommend always works so much better when it rains” and that is so true. We often have dry spells through the year in the area where we both live and farm, and the soils are very shallow. Everything that could be plowed was farmed hard with…
The Solution to Fescue Toxicosis is Discovered at Last!
I recently got an email from a colleague asking me if I had heard of the new protein tub with a feed additive that is the ultimate solution to the problem of fescue toxicosis. I followed up and looked at the advertising and at the research that evaluated the supplement product containing the newly discovered…
Pasture renovation improves forage quality for schools horses
Horses at a Central Kentucky career and technical high school have lush paddocks to graze on this school year thanks to help from the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. Locust Trace AgriScience Center is a school in Lexington that introduces high school students in Fayette and Woodford counties to many agriculture disciplines. Equine science is one of the…
The Strength to Change
Working the land makes agricultural producers farm strong, but pivoting to new, unfamiliar practices takes a different kind of strength. The strength to change. There is gym strong and then there is farm strong. Gym strong looks good. Weights, trainers, protein drinks and persistence sculpt a magazine-ready physique. There’s nothing wrong with gym strong. Farm…
Hay could be in short supply next winter
Have you started thinking about next winter’s hay supply? The question seems ludicrous given that we are in the beginning of the hay making season. But is it? Kenny Burdine doesn’t think so. The extension agricultural economist with the University of Kentucky says it’s never too early to plan for winter hay needs, especially this…
Triple Creek Journal: May should be our best month!
May should be the best month for a grazier in our region. You never know about April; where we are on the NC/VA border, April often “comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb” just as the saying goes. We usually can enjoy turning out by April 15. The first couple of…
From Villain to Superhero: A Crabgrass Story
As temperatures begin to warm up across the state, our warm season pastures are beginning to green up and many are in the process of determining what forages will be utilized for the next few months. The pastures throughout Georgia are dominated by warm season perennial forages bermudagrass or bahiagrass, that are relied on heavily…
Making your ranch drought proof
DROUGHT IS A POSSIBILITY in all climates and environments. When I was in Arkansas the driest year on record for my location was right at 30 inches of rain in 2012. This would seem to be a pretty good year in central and western Oklahoma, but was tragic when considering this was a 40 to…
Just how ‘hot’ is tall fescue?
It is expected that the vast majority of tall fescue in Georgia and other places in the U.S. is infected by the toxic endophyte, but there is a lack of clear and precise information about the nature and extent of endophyte infection in the tall fescue stands. To address this lack of information, we conducted…
Novel Endophyte Fescue Conversion begins in the spring
Kentucky 31 (K31) tall fescue is without question the dominant forage species and cultivar in Missouri and it is for good reason. E.N. Fergus, forage specialist from the University of Kentucky in the 1930s and 1940s, did a great favor for the livestock industry, when he propagated K31 fescue. Fescue in general is palatable with…
Evaluating costs and benefits of renovating endophyte-infected pastures
Nearly 98% of Missouri’s pastureland is tall fescue infected with an endophyte that can cause fescue toxicosis in grazing livestock. Fescue toxicosis lowers reproduction rates, milk production, gain and weaning weights. It also causes health problems, including lameness and heat stress. By replacing toxic fescue with other forages, producers eliminate animal exposure to the harmful…
Triple Creek Journal: Our worst year for winter annuals ever!
In 2013 we killed about 25 acres of our Kentucky 31-based pastures and started using annuals to upgrade our forage program, with future conversion to Novel Endophyte Tall Fescue in mind. We really liked the winter and summer annuals for our young growing stock, and for the pasture-based beef program that was developing at that…
Last chance to register for in persons spring workshops
Spaces remain for both the Tennessee and Maryland Novel Tall Fescue Renovation Workshops on March 23 and 30th, respectively. Program includes experts from around the country, educational materials, hands on demonstrations and lunch! For more info or to register, visit our workshop page here: https://grasslandrenewal.org/workshops/
Keeping Your New Year’s Resolution: Tall Fescue Replacement Information
Earlier this year, Matt Poore made a New Year’s resolution to convert acres of toxic tall fescue to novel endophyte fescue on his farm (see previous Novel Notes article). I jumped on the bandwagon and made the same resolution. Even though the non-toxic seed that completes these fescue conversions won’t go in the ground until…
Triple Creek Journal: Renovating a novel endophyte tall fescue pasture
We planted our first novel endophyte tall fescue in the autumn of 2000. It was a difficult time for us as my dad had suffered a major heart attack in late September and we were all at the hospital in Lynchburg when we should have been planting the fescue. The planting, which had been planned…
Control Seedheads in Cool Season Forages for Improved Pasture Quality and Effective Renovation
Cool-season perennial grasses like tall fescue, orchardgrass and bluegrass are very important in many pasture systems. Each of these grasses only produces seedheads during the spring, and managing to prevent those seedheads from reaching maturity will improve the quality of the pasture during late spring and summer, and will be a critical first step in…
Understanding Fescue Variety Terminology
All fescue varieties are not the same In fescue seed advertisements, one may see terminology like “endophyte-free, friendly or novel endophyte, beneficial endophyte or toxic endophyte.” Some ads may not mention an endophyte at all. All fescue varieties are not the same; therefore, producers need to have a clear understanding of the differences among varieties…
Spring Workshop Registrations Now Open
The Alliance for Grassland Renewal is proud to once again offer virtual and in-person workshops for producers, extension, conservation, and industry professionals. Our 2022 Virtual Novel Tall Fescue Renovation Workshop will be held on March 8th, beginning at 6 pm (ET). Registration is just $15 for the 3 hour program and includes a recording of…
My New Year’s Resolution: Renovate Some Tall Fescue Pasture in 2022!
Over my career, I have seen many solutions to the tall fescue problem suggested, tested, and then eventually shown to be ineffective. I have personally been involved in many studies that tested various feed additives, forage management approaches, energy and protein supplementation programs and cattle with fescue tolerance. While some of this work is encouraging,…
Weed Control Options for Newly Established Tall Fescue
Renovating a pasture takes guts. To hook up to a cutting harrow or sprayer full of glyphosate to kill green pastures and embark on a nerve-wracking journey is no easy feat. But when you make it to the end and see young tall fescue plants popping up, you likely have a great feeling of accomplishment.…
Triple Creek Journal: Feeding management for high nitrate hay
For many years, we made all our hay on the farm near Virgilina, VA. Most of that hay was toxic KY-31 tall fescue. This took a lot of effort, and we fertilized and pushed for a strong first cutting, which is more reliable than later cuttings due to the weather in our area. We would…
Virtual Workshop for Producers March 8th
The Alliance for Grassland Renewal is proud to be offering a virtual workshop from producers on March 8th. This three hour evening program will include presentations on tall fescue toxicosis and endophyte types, improving animal performance, establishment, seed quality and on-farm economics. Registration will be available soon, watch your email for more details or check…
Pasture Research Illustrates Benefits of Endophytes to Grass and Animal
Introduction: Demonstrating the benefit of non-toxic endophyte-infected pasture grasses on animal performance is well documented and is equal to that of non-infected tall fescue. However, it is more difficult to demonstrate that which the endophyte imparts on the grass. Research conducted by the University of Georgia, in collaboration with Agrinostics Ltd. Co., is demonstrating endophyte…
Triple Creek Journal: We are using a variety of hay feeding methods this year.
As winter approaches we continue to be extremely dry. We have not had more than a few tenths of an inch of rain at a time since late September, and it was already dry then. Our stockpiled tall fescue pastures have the least available grazing seen in recent years; less than half of normal. We…
Bale Grazing at it’s Best
Greg Halich is an economist by trade. Halich’s day job is performed at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, but by nights and weekends he raises grass-fed beef cattle. He considers himself a slightly above average rotational grazer, mostly limited by time, but if you really want to get him excited, just ask what he…
In person workshops planned for March 2022
The Alliance for Grassland Renewal is please to announce dates for two in-person workshops in March of 2022. One Wednesday, March 23rd, a one-day, producer focused workshop will be held in Spring Hill, Tennessee in collaboration with the University of Tennessee. One week later, the workshop will be held in Boonsboro, Maryland on March 30th,…
Comparison of Commercially Available Novel-Endophyte Tall Fescue Forage Varieties now available from NC Cooperative Extension.
The Alliance for Grassland Renewal and the Amazing Grazing Program at North Carolina State University are happy to announce the publication of a new, peer-reviewed fact sheet focused on comparing the novel endophyte tall fescue products available to farmers. There are currently 7 novel endophtye tall fescue products on the market. While we often talk…
Economics of Tall Fescue Pasture Renovation
One of the most common questions I get regarding Novel Endophyte Tall Fescue is how much it will cost to establish it and whether or not it will pay off. This is a complex question because there are very many factors that will impact the financial outcome. To address the question, an agricultural economist at…
Alliance for Grassland Renewal hosts Symposium at NatGLC
There is great interest in improving ecosystem services from grasslands through adaptive grazing management. Short, intensive grazing bouts followed by long rest periods is the key to all rotational grazing management systems. Implementing proven grazing practices in an adaptive approach that addresses the environmental, economic and social needs of the system improves soil health (through…
Triple Creek Journal: Can You Find 4-leaf Clovers without Looking for Them?
As I continue to develop my skills as an adaptive grazier, I find that I am more tuned in to what is going on and I am making better and quicker decisions regarding pasture allocation and animal management. One of the goals of the Amazing Grazing Program is to get farmers to think about their…
Right Source, Rate, Timing and Placement: More Bang for The Pasture Fertilizer Buck
Since we visited last month, nitrogen price has continued to increase. Even so, nitrogen remains an important part of grassland ecosystems and is closely related to both dry matter yield and crude protein concentrations in grasses and non-leguminous forbs. At the Kentucky Forage and Grassland Council’s annual fall Kentucky Grazing Conference, Drs. John Grove and…
Pick a winter feed area with care
Outdoor winter feeding areas are likely to take a beating. Heavy hoof traffic and manure accumulation can cause soil compaction, erosion, and excess nutrient buildup. Allotting unfit acres for winter feeding can also negatively affect animal health and performance. So, how can these problems be prevented? The answer comes down to proper planning. Steve Boyles…
Triple Creek Journal: To fertilize or not to fertilize.
I have been interested in soils and their management for a long time. Everything we grow comes from the soil, and soil health is often the limiting factor for forage production and system resilience. On my own farm we have areas that have been under good management for a long time, and these are also…
Navigating High Fertilizer Prices in Ruminant Livestock Operations
In the last year, the cost of fertilizer had increased more than 55%, 60%, and 65%, for nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, respectively (Figure 1). The price of nitrogen could continue to increase due to the idling of N manufacturing capacity caused by weather issues and increased natural gas and shipping costs. Nitrogen prices could conceivably…
Economics of Tall Fescue Pasture Renovation
One of the most common questions I get regarding novel endophyte tall fescue is how much it will cost to establish it and whether or not it will pay off. This is a complex question because there are very many factors that will impact the financial outcome. To address the question, an agricultural economist at…
Creep-grazing brassica and small grain forages for fall-born calves
The Virginia Tech Shenandoah Valley Agricultural Research and Extension Center (SVAREC) switched from a spring-calving herd to fall-calving six years ago. At that time, a growing body of research indicating increased profitability realized by fall- vs. spring-calving herds when reliant on tall fescue forage. The AREC herd made the switch to stay relevant to Virginia…
Five Steps to Better Forage
There are many factors that influence successful forage production and many changes we can make in our own forage programs towards improvement. Below are five key steps that, if we as producers keep as the focus of our forage programs, will get us on the right path to improved forage systems. Step 1: TEST! As…
Comparison of Novel Endophtye Tall Fescue Varieties is Now Available
Tall Fescue planting season is upon us and we have had questions about which is the best Novel Endophtye Tall Fescue to plant. We have posted an article on the Alliance for Grassland Renewal that compares the commercially available varieties of Novel Endophyte Tall Fescues, along with KY-31 and a popular Endophyte-Free variety. The origin…
Triple Creek Journal: My Water Buddy.
I have worked around livestock all my life. When I was a kid, my chores were all at the barn and included keeping our milk goats, horses, mules, and donkeys fed and watered. There was some complaining from all my sisters over my assignment being all outdoors while theirs all involved housework. As we got…
The Case for Hay Testing
One of my favorite activities as an Extension specialist is helping beef cattle producers put together nutritionally sound, cost-effective winter-feeding programs for cows and backgrounding calves. Here in central Missouri, that almost always includes some level of hay feeding for part of the year. Yet one of my biggest frustrations comes when asking a producer…
Time to stockpile forages for late autumn and winter grazing
It is time to start stockpiling late summer and early autumn growth of forages for grazing in the late autumn and winter. The practice of allowing forage to accumulate rather than grazing it or making it into hay has great potential to extend the grazing season and reduce winter feeding costs. Once other pastures are…
Fall Armyworm Moth Numbers Increasing
Fall armyworm (FAW) is a migratory pest that re-infests Kentucky each summer and is killed by frost in the fall. It often shows up later in the season after corn has tassled and lost its attractiveness to this pest. But it has been a recurring pest of pastures, and there have been several outbreaks in…
Symposium at 8th National GLC Conference Announced: “Renovate to Regenerate: Establishing ecologically beneficial cool-season perennial mixtures in the tall fescue belt”.
The Alliance for Grassland Renewal is excited to invite you to participate in a symposium at the 8th National GLC conference, December 6-9, 2021 in Myrtle Beach, SC. The focus of the symposium is how to use regenerative grazing principles to develop highly productive perennial pastures for the tall fescue belt. There is great interest…
Triple Creek Journal: Weaning on pasture.
We have weaned our calves since I was a little kid and we started improving our cows. In our area of southern Virginia, tobacco has dominated farm activity, so most of the calves from our neighbors have been weaned on the trailer on the way to the stockyard. Many of the problems with animal health in…
Drought Affects Seed Size and Your Novel Endophyte Tall Fescue Renovation Practices
The impact of the drought and heat conditions on seed production in Oregon’s Willamette Valley was outlined in a report written by Drew Denman on July 15. Drew pointed out that seed production in 2021 will be reduced by 40-50% as a result of the climatic conditions. Reduced seed yield raises concerns beyond the availability…
Oregon’s Willamette Valley Conditions to impact fall seed availability
Affectionately known as the “The Valley”, Willamette Valley is a fertile growing region, where most of the forage type grass seed is produced in the US. Acreage is highly sought after, and every acre counts in the final production yield for all companies that have ownership in the Valley. This year, several challenges are mounting…
Dung Beetles are an Indicator of a Healthy Pasture Ecosystem
Triple Creek Journal, July 2021 I continue to enjoy being at Triple Creek Ranch, my family’s cattle farm near Virgilina, VA, nearly every day. Recently, I finally took a short trip to see my Mom and some old friends in my home town of Flagstaff, Arizona. It felt strange to leave the farm in the care…
Turning Your Thoughts Into Reality
If you have some farm projects you have been thinking about over the past several years but just haven’t had the motivation to get it done, you’re not alone. Most people go through life having a lot of good ideas, but until they take time to put it on paper and make it a priority,…
Reduce Wintering Cost with Stockpiled Fescue
Ever rising input costs have beef cattle producers constantly looking at ways to lower production expenses and maintain profitability. Production budgets show the largest expense category for cow/calf enterprises to be winter feeding costs. Because of this, beef and forage researchers have focused heavily on ways producers can lower this major production expense. One method…
I want to be proud of my cows!
Triple Creek Journal, June 2021 Over the next year I am going to write a monthly update on our farm activities and what I am thinking relative to producing beef in a toxic fescue environment. I will try to describe the challenges we face and solutions that we find. Being on the farm daily during…
Summer annuals trump the slump
Cool-season grasses are the star of the show during the spring and fall, but these forages tend to get stage fright during the hot, dry summer months. Planting summer annuals can mitigate the effects of a summer slump and ensure steady forage production the entire season. Summer annuals such as pearl millet, crabgrass, and sorghum-sudangrass…
Extend Grazing with Summer Stockpile
Summer stockpiling is a system that excludes grazing from a portion of pasture acres during spring and summer in order to have forage for late-summer and early-fall grazing. This practice allows other pastures to stockpilefor winter grazing. The main goal is to provide a high quality, grazable forage during late summer, when cool season pasture…
Notes from the 2021 Fescue Renovation Workshop
When a group of interested individuals met for the 2021 Novel Tall Fescue Renovation Workshop on March 23 at the MU Southwest Research Center looking for answers to fescue questions, they were not disappointed. The line-up of expert speakers on the subject was impressive. Opening the workshop, Craig Roberts, MU Extension Program Director of Agronomy,…
Managed Grazing from a Distance
As the face of the American farmer changes, so do some of the methodologies, technologies, and results. This is no different for the young cattlemen trying to get started in the business or starting new roots away from the family farm. The reality is that many of us have jobs and homes away from the…
Virginia Releases Tall Fescue Fact Sheets
The USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service and Virginia Tech recently released five fact sheets on tall fescue. Each are just 1 page (front and back) and contain valuable information on understanding and managing novel endophyte tall fescue. They are: Fescue toxicosis – What it is and how it costs youStrategies to mitigate tall fescue toxicosisSample…
Tall Fescue Pasture Renovation Made Simple
Animal performance problems related to toxic tall fescue are well documented, and there are many things that you can do to help with the problem. Changes in nutrition, fertilization and animal genetics all may benefit animals suffering from eating fescue toxins, but nothing works like growing forage without toxins. There are many “systems” for replacing…
When your plow is a pencil…
Dwight Eisenhower said “Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil and you are a thousand miles from the corn field.” With that as a caution, I am going to foray into pencil farming for just a bit. At a recent meeting I was asked what I would plant if I could start…
How You Manage Your Pastures Might be Important for You and Your Country!
Quite likely, we’ve all given thought to how we might manage our land in the best manner to be as productive as possible, while helping to protect the environment from harmful chemicals and to limit nutrient loss to adjacent streams. But have you considered that how you manage your land might be equally important in…
Adaptive Grazing Management Provides Multiple Benefits
Concepts about grazing management continue to evolve, but the fundamental principal of short grazing bouts followed by relatively long rest periods doesn’t change. Managed rotational grazing in some form goes back to the domestication of livestock. The rotational grazing system may be implemented in various ways, ranging from movement through many permanent paddocks, to herding…
Alliance Hosts Successful Workshops in 2021
The Alliance for Grassland Renewal hosted three Novel Tall Fescue Renovation Workshops in 2021. The first was virtual, and welcomed 120 producers, extension agents and veterinarians for a three night program in late February. In March, traditional one day workshops were held in Mt. Vernon, MO and Lexington, KY and welcomed 16 and 20 attendees,…
Learn to Allocate Pasture in Square Paces
How many square feet in an acre? Most of you can answer 43,560. Now, how many square yards in an acre? This is not usually common knowledge, but it is 4840. Why is that important? Read on to find out. The most critical aspect of adaptive grazing management is to target short grazing bouts at…
Last chance to register for Novel Tall Fescue Renovation Workshops
The Alliance for Grassland Renewal has two final workshops for 2021 coming up: March 23 in Mt. Vernon, MO and March 25 in Lexington, KY. Both events will be in-person, full day workshops focused on understanding tall fescue toxicosis, and establishing and managing novel tall fescue varieties. Spaces are limited, cost to attend is $65,…
Control Efforts for Poison Hemlock and Buttercups Begin in Late Winter
Late winter is one of the best times of the year to assess fields and fencerows for presence of cool-season weeds. Further, the preferred time to implement control tactics can often be in March as daytime air temperatures begin to rise and are maintained above 55F. This is when cool-season weeds are younger and begin…
Multi-generational Farm Family Adds Novel Fescues to Their Operation
Gene and Glenda Fay Brown have been married for 61 years and live on their Century Farm in Cedar County, Missouri. After high school graduation, Gene purchased his first 100 acres of land and needed to pay for it. He took off for Kansas City and a job at the Firestone Tire Rubber Plant, rooming…
Fertilizer Nitrogen Sources for Forage Production
As the 2021 forage production season approaches, nitrogen (N) management will be a key component of soil fertility programs for pastures and hayfields. The objective of this article is to provide an update on the fertilizer N sources that can be used to increase both yield and forage quality and inhibitors/stabilizers that can be used…
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