Hay

“I” state farmers intend to plant more corn and fewer soybeans this spring compared to last year, according to a prospective plantings report.

The animals are smelling green grass and are tired of eating their winter vittles. The rye looks great, but the cool temps have slowed its growth enough that I have decided to delay the usual turnout a few days.

Some of the highlights I came away with from the Illinois Grazing Lands Coalition’s 2025 Grazing Conference are: soil microbes help the water percolate through the soil and cover crops help feed the soil microbes which make them multiply.

Meet Mindy Orschell, AgriNews’ new From the Fields contributor in southern Indiana.

The futures market is reacting as expected with all this tariff news creating plenty of uncertainty which usually trends lower as most players look to eliminate risk.

Tags on bags of livestock feed must meet specific standards.

Illinois cattlemen have an abundant supply of low-cost feed available for their herds with the millions of acres of corn grown each year in the state.

American Farmland Trust focuses on protecting farmland, keeping farmers on the land and promoting sound farming practices.

Tight supplies of cattle and resilient demand for beef are expected to support fed steer prices this year, according to projections at the Agricultural Outlook Forum.

As March hit, we finally got some relief on the weather and had some nice days that first week. February stayed ugly until the end and muddy, muddy, muddy.

It is a new day for agriculture, said Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins.

So far, this winter has been pretty friendly to the winter chores. We might be concerned about the lack of moisture for next spring’s crops, but right now dry is good.

Brrr, it’s cold outside. My sheep need good hay in their bellies to keep them warm during this time. That’s why I tested my hay and found out it averages only 8.75% crude protein.

Cattle numbers are down in the United States and the cattle market is focused on providing incentives to cattlemen for herd rebuilding.

The CattleFax Outlook Seminar, held as part of CattleCon 2025 in San Antonio, shared expert market and weather analysis.

The Hayden family of Hayden Grove Farms was honored as a finalist for the 2025 Indiana Farm Family of the Year Award.

The Warner Family Farm was honored as a finalist in this year’s Indiana Farm Family of the Year competition.

Scott Halpin’s term as Illinois Farm Service Agency executive director concluded with the change of federal administrations.

It’s cold outside, so it must be meeting time. Besides the meetings I talked about last month there is the Northern Indiana Grazing Conference on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 at the Michiana Event Center in beautiful Shipshewana, Indiana.

Are you used to writing 2025 yet? Always amazing how time passes so quickly. This year I am super excited about the new year. I am making an extra effort to be positive and focus on family and friends.

AgriNews has followed the Rahn family throughout the year. This is the last in a series of updates about the family members and the decisions they make on their farm.

Two central Illinois agriculture teachers already had plenty on their plates as they watched and listened to the news.

The 2024 Hay Quality Seminar was hosted by the Indiana Forage Council and Purdue University Extension this fall.

Winners of the Hoosier Hay Contest were announced at the 2024 Hay Quality seminar.

Illinois and Indiana had the highest amount of agricultural land lost to development in the Midwest over a 20-year period.

Harvest may be finished on Clay Geyer’s farm in northern Indiana, but his work is far from over.

Have you started your holiday decorating? I did see some cute ornaments to make using scrap wool felt. I have a bunch of scraps from the felted coasters I made using my Scottish blackface wool.

As a high school student, Richard Siedenburg did not plan to join his dad farming, but that changed after spending time in other countries in the U.S. Army and Army Reserves.

Examples of typical and not-so-common cover crops used in corn and soybean rotations were featured in a recent plot tour on the Farm Progress Show grounds.

We are in that tough phase between decent residue grazing and great stockpile grazing. It is the hardest time of the year for grazing management.

The Beef Quality Assurance training and certification program will be offered at 11 sites in Indiana.

We hosted a farm and mill tour as part of our county’s Farm Stroll. The local University of Illinois Extension office coordinates the day with small farms and more in Boone County participating.

Between harvest and preparing for the state corn-husking competition, From the Fields contributor Clay Geyer has a busy October ahead of him.

Corn harvest started on the Rahn farm at the middle of September, which is typical for them.

Beef production spans generations in the Hanson and Kuipers family in Iroquois County where they operate a forage-based program utilizing a paddock grazing system along with growing corn, soybeans and wheat.

After waiting, not so patiently, for the corn to mature, we finally had a field last week get mature enough to start chopping. Now we will race to stay ahead of the corn getting too mature.

It certainly has dried up in a hurry and pastures are showing the ill effects of that. We have had some hot days, but for the most part temperatures have been moderate, so it could have been worse.

As harvest season approaches in northern Indiana, farmers like Clay Geyer are preparing their equipment and fields for the crucial months ahead.

Wheat is strategically planted on the Rahn farm to provide opportunities for manure applications and tiling projects.

Raices Latinas, a nonprofit coalition dedicated to promoting the agricultural contributions of Latino and Latine community in McHenry County, will host its second farm tour on Aug. 27.

I hope you readers saw the recent AgriNews article on sheep grazing under solar farms. Land stays in production while generating electricity for the grid and cash for shepherds while saving on mowing and spraying costs.

I’ve been busy with the granddaughters’ fair schedule of showing. The oldest one can now drive, so that helps a lot, but grandpa still drives the truck and trailer to the shows.

Sometimes, you just need to let the rest of the world go and enjoy those moments that bring you joy.

Livestock managers and owners are invited to join University of Illinois Extension for the Storing Forages: Balancing Cost and Performance workshop on Thursday, Sept. 19.

Summer is in full swing on Clay Geyer’s home fields, where he’s on the lookout for — and has already found — some plant diseases and weeds.

Wet and hot conditions in northern Illinois are impacting crop growth, as well as providing an opportunity for increased disease pressure this year.

Does your corn have stunted, yellowing plants along the edges of the field? If so, you’re not alone. It’s a common occurrence that agronomists call edge effect.

Maybe it’s time to put some eggs in a different basket — that is, livestock. And since cattle prices are formidable for newcomers, I suggest a more reasonable approach to diversification: sheep.

Clay Geyer, former From the Fields columnist, is back this year to share updates from his farm in northern Indiana.

Summer is finally here in northern Illinois. Temperatures are going to be hot this weekend. We call it Georgia weather, teasing our daughter who lives in Georgia. Luckily, we have had more rain than they have had.