Other Forage

The forage sorghum family of plants plays a huge role in summer forage production across much of the country. The most common ones used in forage agriculture are forage sorghum, sudangrass and sorghum-sudan hybrids.

Small-grain winter annual grass crops are commonly used as forages across the U.S. in many livestock production systems as grazed and stored (hay and silage) forages. Small- grain crops include wheat, oats, rye, triticale and barley.

Timothy hay is Washington state’s largest- and highest-valued grass hay commodity. Timothy hay in the Pacific Northwest is primarily grown for export to Japan to be used for feed in dairy herds. In the lower Columbia Basin, researchers have received yields up to 10 tons per acre per year in three cuttings, but most farmers get two cuttings and receive around 5 to 7 tons per acre per year.

Across the nation, farmers are using different practices to care for the land and harvest healthy crops. One particular Kansas farmer found a new way to improve the land, and the idea is catching on.

I grew up in the Midwest grain belt where corn, beans and wheat were homogenous commodities – one had no real advantage over another.

The series of severe droughts between 2007 and 2012 resulted in substantial decreases in cattle numbers – and enterprises – in the eastern U.S.