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Schmidt: NDSU corn silage project underway

By Staff | Dec 16, 2016

With the corn silage feeding season underway for most producers, I would like to take this opportunity to ask for producer assistance in a Corn Silage Project that county agents across the state are assisting NDSU specialists with. Goals of the Corn Silage program are similar to those of the 2015 Ditch Hay project.

The main goals of the Corn Silage Project are to determine quality and quantity of corn silage in North Dakota so that program content can be developed for local county agents to share with producers at meetings/workshops in their counties during the late summer or early fall of 2017.

Funding has been allotted for a total of 200 samples across the state with 7 of those samples to be collected in Pierce County. For your participation in the Corn Silage project and allowing me to come out to collect samples of your silage you will receive nutritional analysis results on your sample lot at no cost to you. This data can then be used to formulate a balanced ration.

Data collected from individual producers will be used to compile a report comparing silage quality characteristics across the state and by regions. Just like in the 2015 Ditch Hay Sampling project, the sample information used in compiling this data will be anonymous so only you, myself, and project leaders at NDSU will see your individual results.

At this point, I need interested producers to contact me at the Pierce County Extension office to let me know they are interested in participating. Once I know you are interested I will set up a time to come out to collect the sample. Project organizers have asked that all samples be collected and submitted by the end of February.

Thanks for your time and consideration in helping with this project! For questions or information about this project, please call the Pierce County Extension office at 776-6234 ext. 5.

Local Bull Buying Workshop Set for January 19th

In an effort to help producers manage risk, the Pierce County Extension office will be hosting a “Buying Bulls by the Numbers” workshop featuring Kris Ringwall, Dickinson Research Extension Center Beef Specialist. The “Buying Bulls by the Numbers” workshop is set to be held in Rugby on January 19th at 1:00pm at the Pierce County Courthouse.

Although risk never can be eliminated, bull selection workshops through the North Dakota State University Extension Service are offered to help producers decrease the risk of buying the wrong bull.

This session is designed to be a small hands-on individualized opportunity focusing on how beef producers can use estimated progeny differences (EPDs) and DNA in bull selection. The session will provide two to three hours of interaction with producers to help them better understand where they are, based on historic genetic inputs, and develop a selection plan that will move or maintain their production objectives. Ultimately, they will minimize the risk of spending money on the wrong bull.

Since these sessions are more individualized and require more one on one attention in addition to requiring pre-attendance input, preregistration is required.

Participants should plan to bring past, current and prospective sire registration numbers along with catalogs from prospective bull producers.

For more information or to register, call the Pierce County Extension Office at 776-6234 ext. 5.

Popular Seasonal Publications Expected to be Available at Start of New Year

The 2017 Weed Control Guides, Annual Research Reports for the Minot, Carrington, and Langdon Research Extension Centers, Projected 2017 Crop Budgets, Custom Farm Work Rates, and ND County Land Rents and Values are expected to become available at local county NDSU Extension offices after January 1, 2017. However, hard copies of the various Crop Variety Trial Results as well as a new supply of Farm Record books should have arrived at the Pierce County Extension office earlier this week. Crop Variety Trial Results can also be found at the following link www.ag.ndsu.edu/publications/crops.