Wild weather for hay - The effects of weather on forage harvest

Kim Cassida<cassida@msu.edu>, Michigan State University Extension -

Join the Field Crops Virtual Breakfast Series on July 11 when Kim Cassida, MSU Extension forage and cover crops specialist will discuss how weather can impact the hay harvest.

a green hayfield that has been partially mowed
Photo by Kim Cassida, MSU Extension

There may not be a crop more sensitive to the weather than hay.  Multiple times per year, hay producers juggle harvest timing for optimum yield and quality with the essential need to get the crop dry quickly. MSU Extension forage and cover crops specialist Kim Cassida will discuss how weather affects hay harvest decisions, nutritional quality, and drying rates and what hay producers can do to cope with weather curve balls during the Field Crops Virtual Breakfast Series on July 11. 

In addition to Cassida, an updated weather outlook will be provided. 

Decorative image.

The Michigan State University Extension Field Crops Virtual Breakfast Series is live via Zoom every Thursday morning from 7 – 8 a.m., March 21 through Sept. 19. Topics are flexible and loosely established at the beginning of the season and can change to address rapidly changing concerns such as flooding and drought. Each year brings different challenges, and this series is designed to meet the needs of our field crop producers no matter what the conditions may dictate.

Each week, restricted-use pesticide recertification (RUP) credits and certified crop advisor (CCA) continuing education unit credits will also be available. To receive recertification credits, participants must be on the live Zoom session.

After RUP and CCA credit information, attendees can leave or stay on for a less formal Q&A discussion with farmers, educators and specialists that lasts until 8 a.m. In addition to the scheduled speaker for the day, other MSU Extension campus specialists and educators with field crops responsibility are frequently part of the call and are available to answer any question related to relevant circumstances happening in their area of expertise.

Participating is easy and free! Participants must sign up to receive an email notification with instructions for joining the Virtual Breakfast Series. You only need to do this once to receive the Zoom link and call-in phone number in the weekly email reminders that are sent every Wednesday and Thursday. Participants receiving emails can opt in or out at any time.

Sign up for Field Crops Virtual Breakfast Series 

If you cannot participate in the live session at 7 a.m., you can view the recorded version at any time. However, only the live session will be eligible for RUP and CCA credits. Recordings will be closed-captioned and available at the Field Crops Virtual Breakfast webpage and the MSU Extension field crops team social media platforms: Facebook, Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts and Twitter. 

If you are unable to sign up online, call the Lapeer County MSU Extension office at 810-667-0341.

Follow us on Facebook, Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts and Twitter for breaking news.

 

 

 

 

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

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