Alfalfa just starting to bloom again

The rain is too late for the alfalfa crop in the Southeast.  That from Vince Braun from Skyline Harvest near Blumenort.  He says "This latest rainfall really doesn't help a whole lot with that crop.  It needs a whole lot more moisture and it would have been better to get it in August already to help with further cuts."

While most producers took off three cuts this year he figures the hoped for fourth cut is not going to be an option.  "There is definitely a shortage of good alfalfa for a lot of the dairies in this area.  There are dairies buying feed elsewhere in the province.  For some dairies they have been paying up to $0.10 per pound which is considerably higher than what would normally be paid.  We tend to pay around here between $0.04 and $0.07 per pound for good alfalfa."

Braun says of his three cuts this year the first was the best he put up.  "First cut seemed to be highest yield and also seemed to be the best quality crop that have been coming off with feed values from 150-170."

As he looks ahead he hopes for a good amount of snowfall this winter to get a good cover to reduce any winter kill and give the alfalfa a good start next spring.