Reading Time: 2 minutes Bad news for forage growers: Seed is in short supply and prices are “through the roof” heading into spring. “The prices reflect the supply,” said Heather Kerschbaumer of Golden Acre Seeds in Fairview. “We’re advising anybody who’s planning on doing any reseeding to go to your seed supplier and get your orders in early.” Forage […] Read more
Forage growers, get your seed lined up soon
Alberta forage growers can expect limited seed supplies and high prices for almost all forage types this upcoming spring
Forage seed industry wants Western Canada to be a GM alfalfa-free zone
Seed growers say keeping GM alfalfa out of Western Canada would save current export markets and open the door to additional sales
Reading Time: 3 minutes Alfalfa seed growers in Alberta could stand to gain a huge market advantage over their neighbours to the south — if the industry can keep GM alfalfa out of Western Canada. “We’ve got access to potential market gains by picking up markets that are possibly going to be lost in the States,” said Heather Kerschbaumer, […] Read more
Alfalfa seed: a growing industry
Reading Time: < 1 minute It’s a good time to be an alfalfa seed grower, says the president of the Alfalfa Seed Commission. “It’s been a fantastic industry to be in the last few years, with tremendous growth,” said Darren Nikkel, an Enchant-area seed grower who spoke at the Alberta Forage Industry Network AGM in mid-March. After hitting a low […] Read more
Improve performance with a sweet treat for your cattle — afternoon-cut forage
Sugar concentration in forages peaks about 11 to 13 hours after sunrise — and can be as much as five per cent higher
Reading Time: 2 minutes Make hay while the sun shines’ is good advice in more ways than one, says a federal research scientist. “There’s fairly strong evidence that shows, by increasing the sugar concentration in forages, you can improve the performance of ruminants,” said Gilles Bélanger, who spoke during a recent Beef Cattle Research Council webinar. “If you want […] Read more
Poor hay causing concern
Reading Time: < 1 minute Up to one-half of Alberta hay supplies may be of lower quality, says a provincial beef and forage specialist. “Protein levels in a lot of hay that was cut late or damaged by rain over the summer, is testing 25 to 30 per cent lower than normal,” said Barry Yaremcio, noting that skinny cows have […] Read more
Expert says it’s a good time to reseed forage stands
There are several reasons for rejuvenating forage stands this year, but limited seed supplies are a reason to move quickly
Reading Time: 2 minutes This year may be a good time to look at reseeding forage stands. “Because of tough financial times, we’ve been allowing some of our forage stands to just go from year to year,” said Grant Lastiwka, a forage and livestock business specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. “In addition, many forage stands that were […] Read more
New forage research papers available online
Three new papers look at tall fescue, barley after perennial forages, and slender wheat grass
Reading Time: < 1 minute The website ForageBeef.ca has added some new research papers to its collection. Yield and nutritive value of irrigated tall fescue compared with orchardgrass: In monocultures or mixed with alfalfa. This work is by Donald Thompson of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge Research Centre and can be read here. Barley yield and nutrient uptake in rotation after […] Read more
Website offers latest info on forage and beef research
Approximately 200 research papers have been added to www.foragebeef.ca over the past year
Reading Time: 2 minutes The website foragebeef.ca contains the latest information on forage and beef research for producers in Canada and the northern United States. “The site summarizes research for farmers and ranchers,” said Ken Ziegler, provincial beef and forage specialist. “It’s a unique approach to developing and organizing North American research information for the Canadian forage and beef […] Read more
New forage resources available
Reading Time: < 1 minute Foragebeef.ca has added new fact sheets and a research paper. The fact sheets are: Oats, Triticale and Corn Winter Grazing Comparison — an update on winter grazing; Triticale Swath Grazing Demonstration Project; and a financial analysis entitled Will a hay shed pay? by Alberta Agriculture economist Dale Kaliel. Also available is a paper titled: Effect […] Read more
Advocating for forage crops is critical work and needs to continue
The Canadian Forage and Grassland Association works on a tight budget, but is in it for the long haul
Reading Time: 3 minutes Recent reports on the financial situation of the Canadian Forage and Grassland Association suggest its future is grim. But while we’ll be on a tight budget in the coming year, the association is on firm financial footing and we intend on being around for a long time. In fact, the need for an organization like […] Read more
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