ORANGE CITY, Iowa – The 2022 I-29 Moo University Dairy Webinar Series continues Wednesday, May 4 from noon to 1 p.m. with a focus on producing quality alfalfa during the webinar “Make Your Best Alfalfa Ever in 2022”.
Dairy farmers and allied industry representatives are invited to join CROPLAN Alfalfa and Forage Specialist Jeff Jackson as he discusses when to harvest alfalfa and the decisions that can be difficult and that are based on food quality needs and certain environmental impacts.
“Quality forage is the foundation of dairy cow rations and making top quality alfalfa helps control costs,” says Fred Hall, Dairy Specialist at ISU Extension and Outreach. “Jeff Jackson is a nationally recognized alfalfa guru and will provide useful information to growers.”
Jackson will discuss the factors that will help produce great alfalfa in 2022, answering questions such as:
· Tracking in the field… What can we learn from what we find in the field?
· How did the first cut go and what does my crop’s health look like?
· Are we keeping alfalfa or do we have another plan to move forward this year?
· Are there any in-season management decisions that we need to keep in mind?
· How about dealing with those pesky insects that tend to visit alfalfa stands every season?
Jackson grew up on a diverse family farm in northwest Iowa, growing corn, soybeans, oats and alfalfa. Animal husbandry was also a very important part of his life, including cow/calf, calf rearing, birth to finish pig production and a flock of 80 ewes of commercial and registered Suffolk sheep. A graduate of South Dakota State University with a bachelor’s degree in animal science and a master’s degree in plant science, he was instrumental in his development as a forage specialist for CROPLAN. In this role, Jackson focuses on taking a crop from seed to livestock while having the biggest pile of high-quality feed possible, producing more milk, achieving higher weight gain and having a better return on investment on every forage acre. Spending the last 17 years of his career in the I-29 corridor of South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska and talking to producers/producers has given him many experiences and learnings that he enjoys sharing with those which are in production today.
There is no cost to participate in the webinar; however, pre-registration is required at least one hour prior to the webinar. Pre-register online at https://go.iastate.edu/OUEHPM.
For more information, contact: In Iowa, Fred M. Hall, 712-737-4230.