Faulkner County Agriculture Update
January 5, 2024
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The staff at the Faulkner County Extension Office wanted me to invite producers out next Friday January 12 for a drop by event.
Come on out and say hi and let's discuss how I can help you!
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Weather
Today we got the first snowfall of the year. It was pretty while it fell but it didn't last long. We have more rain in the forecast for the majority of the week. Temperatures will be cold next week with some hard freezes predicted.
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Production Meetings
Remember that the Soybean and Corn Meeting is coming up on Monday morning January 8, 2024 at the Conway County Fairgrounds in Morrilton.
8:30 - Registration
8:45 - Corn Production
9:30 - Soybean Production
10:15 - Break
10:30 - Corn and Soybean Economics
11:15 - Soybean Weed Control
12:00 - Lunch
Rice Meeting - The rice meeting will be held on February 28, 2024 at Yesterday's in Morrilton.
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Four Fryar Center workshops to focus on risk management for farmers
From Economist Hunter Biram:
I am excited to announce price and production risk management workshops slated for January and February 2024! These workshops will consist of agricultural economists from the UA Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness who specialize in various areas of agricultural risk management. Topics will include commodity marketing in the cash market, optimal crop insurance coverage, finding breakeven prices using a crop enterprise budget, and livestock marketing and management.
These workshops are titled the Fryar Agricultural Risk Management Workshops, or F.A.R.M. Workshops named for the Fryar Price Risk Management Center of Excellence. The dates and locations for each workshop are:
January 10th in Jonesboro, Arkansas
January 11th in Stuttgart, Arkansas
February 1st in Newport, Arkansas
February 2nd in Searcy, Arkansas
Lunch will be provided at all workshops.
More details, such as venues and registration, can be found at this link:
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Cooperative Extension Service to host four federal crop insurance workshops in early 2024
From Economist Hunter Biram:
For my farmers who want to learn more about using crop insurance as a risk management tool!
I am excited to announce Federal Crop Insurance Workshops to be held in January and February 2024. These workshops will consist of faculty from the UA Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness and USDA-RMA Risk Navigators who have expertise in crop insurance. Topics include how to buy crop insurance, yield and revenue insurance, whole farm insurance for fruit and vegetable growers, and pasture and forage insurance.
The dates and locations for each workshop are:
January 19th in Batesville, Arkansas
January 22nd in Pine Bluff, Arkansas
January 30th in Forrest City, Arkansas
February 20th in Monticello, Arkansas
A meal is provided and participants will receive a workbook written by Agricultural Economics faculty with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.
More details, such as venues and registration, can be found at this link:
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Wheat
Wheat is looking good around the county. I didn't get to walk many fields this week but the ones I did are tillering good.
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2024 River Valley Beef Conference
The 2024 River Valley Beef Conference is fast approaching. This year it will be held at the I-40 Livestock Auction in Ozark on February 20, 2024.
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Hay Feeding Management to Reduce Losses
Kenny Simon, Instructor – Forages
Maggie Justice, PhD- Extension Beef Cattle Specialist- Assistant Professor
In addition to evaluating hay storage practices to reduce hay losses, cattle producers should evaluate their feeding practices as well. The most common method of feeding hay is delivering the hay from the hay lot or barn to the cattle. It is up to the producer to decide: 1) how much hay should be offered, a one-day supply or up to a week’s supply, 2) how will the bales be fed, in rolls or by unrolling the hay, and 3) whether to use a hay feeder.
Research has shown that cows can consume most of their hay intake during the first few hours of access. Limiting access to hay to 5-6 hours per day can potentially reduce hay waste. However, this should only be done with hay that meets the nutritional needs of the cow. Limit-time feeding with poor quality hay will cause under nourishment and production losses.
Other options include different feeding methods. Feeding hay in rings can cut feeding waste by half compared to unprotected access. Ring feeders with a metal skirt around the bottom reduce waste more than pipe feeders. Hay feeders can also be a less wasteful method than manger type feeders. Unrolling hay can increase waste if more hay is offered than consumed in a short time. Grinding or processing hay can increase consumption and reduce waste to less than 1 percent if fed in large feeders, such as recycling heavy equipment tires or large troughs. Research has shown that processed hay fed on the ground was just as wasteful as other methods.
Hay feeding demonstrations were conducted to evaluate temporary electric fence, placed 32” above ground, to control trampling of unrolled hay. Large round bales were unrolled, and an electrified poly wire was stretched down the middle of the length of the unrolled hay. Initial results indicated that the cows lined up along the hay line and did not trample or lay on the unrolled hay. In one demonstration, hay was fed to supply the daily pounds of total digestible nutrients required for the herd; hay utilization increased 6% by protecting the unrolled hay with an electric fence compared to the unrolled hay. Hay utilization was 85% with a range of 84-87% when unrolled and fed unprotected, figure 1. Hay utilization was 91% with a range of 86-95% when unrolled hay was protected with electrified poly wire, figure 2. A six-percentage unit increase in utilization saved the producer $3/bale or $90 for 30 bales. Based on the results, strip-feeding can reduce feeding losses and should be considered when hay is in short supply. One method of strip-feeding is illustrated in Figure 3. Strip feeding hay uses the same concept as strip grazing dormant forage. Stage hay bales along the edge of the feeding area. Start feeding at the end of the field closest to the water source. Unroll the hay and place an electric fence wire over the unrolled line of hay. Position the wire close to the edge of the unrolled hay line so cattle have to reach under the wire to eat. This forces the animals to line up, much like eating at a trough. Allow cattle to have access to the hay from only one side. Once the bale is consumed, the next bale is unrolled, and the electric fence moved. This method allows the hay to be unrolled on fresh, undisturbed ground and therefore improves utilization.
The amount of hay needed for the feeding season will vary depending on the feeding method. Each livestock operation is unique and therefore the preferred hay feeding method will vary from farm to farm. An effort should be made to minimize losses associated with hay feeding. Minimizing hay feeding demonstrations have been conducted as part of the University of Arkansas 300 Day Grazing program. A summary of the hay feeding methods and the amount of hay wasted with each method is shown in Table 1.
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Figure 1: Unrolling hay
Utilization 85% (range 84-87%)
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Figure 2: Unrolling and protecting hay
Utilization 91% (range 86-95%)
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Figure 3: Strip-Feeding Hay
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Disaster Assistance for 2023 Livestock Forage Losses
Producers in Faulkner and Perry Counties were designated a D3 (extreme drought) on the U.S. Drought Monitor on October 24, 2023, making those counties eligible for 2023 Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) benefits on mixed grass forage for grazing.
LFP provides compensation if you suffer grazing losses for covered livestock due to drought on privately owned or cash leased land or fire on federally managed land.
You must complete a CCC-853 (LFP Application) and the required supporting documentation no later than January 31, 2024, for 2023 losses.
Contact the Conway County USDA Service Center at 501-354-2000 ext. 2 to make an appointment or for additional information or visit fsa.usda.gov.
Deborah Bolin
County Executive Director
Conway/Faulkner/Perry and Van Buren County Farm Service Agency
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Livestock Market Report
The weekly livestock market report is available on the Arkansas Department of Agriculture website.
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Pesticide Applicator Training |
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There are two PAT trainings scheduled for Faulkner County. All trainings will be held at the Extension Office located at 844 Faulkner Street in Conway.
The dates are:
March 12, 2024 - 6:00 pm
May 14, 2024 - 2:00 pm
To register you can call the office at 501-329-8344 or email my administrative assistant Mindy Beard at rbeard@uada.edu.
The training will cost $20. If you bring a check please make it out to Faulkner County Extension Office.
The online course is still an option also. If you want to use the online options, the link is below.
If you happen to miss ours, I have a flyer below with the dates and places of the ones in Conway and Perry County also.
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Pesticide Applicator Training - March 12, 2024 at 6:00 pm and May 14, 2024 at 2:00 pm at the Faulkner County Extension Office, 844 Faulkner Street Conway. To register call 501-329-8344 or email Mindy Beard at rbeard@uada.edu.
Soybean and Corn Meeting - January 8, 2024 at the Conway County Fairgrounds in Morrilton.
River Valley Beef Conference - February 20, 2024 at the Ozark Sale Barn in Ozark Arkansas.
Rice Meeting - February 28, 2024, Yesterday's in Morrilton.
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