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Articles by Jordan Penrose
Pasture review: Your end-of-growing-season evaluation
As the growing season is coming to an end, did you get what you wanted out of your pastures and hay fields? Each year presents us with new and different challenges, and this year the overall consensus would probably be the rain. But the rain has just been a big focus here the past couple of months, with some parts of the state seeing around a full year’s amount of rain in just a couple of months.
Plan now for shortage or surplus this hay season
As hay season kicks into gear, now is the time to assess your fields and plan ahead—whether you’re facing a shortage or sitting on surplus. We’re seeing mixed results across hayfields this season. Some look promising, others less so. But here’s the good news: it’s still early enough to develop a solid strategy. The sooner you plan, the more options you’ll have when it comes to managing your hay supply. Running Short on hay?
Plan now for shortage or surplus this hay season
As hay season kicks into gear, now is the time to assess your fields and plan ahead—whether you’re facing a shortage or sitting on surplus. We’re seeing mixed results across hayfields this season. Some look promising, others less so. But here’s the good news: it’s still early enough to develop a solid strategy. The sooner you plan, the more options you’ll have when it comes to managing your hay supply. k9amkDEC@?8m#F??:?8 $9@CE @?
Hay Season Strategy: Plan Now for Shortage or Surplus
By Jordan Penrose As hay season kicks into gear, now is the time to assess your fields and plan ahead—whether you’re facing a shortage or sitting on surplus. We’re seeing mixed results across hayfields this season. Some look promising, others less so. But here’s the good news: it’s still early enough to develop a solid strategy. The sooner you plan, the more options you’ll have when it comes to managing your hay supply. Running short on hay?
Are you ready for hay season? 5 essentials for a successful first cutting
Making hay in western Pennsylvania (Farm and Dairy file photo) Now that it is May, the making of stored forages is approaching fast and has even started for some. But are you actually ready for the upcoming hay-making season? There is a lot that goes on during this time of the year, plus we must deal with whatever Mother Nature throws at us. Last year, we had to deal with wet conditions to get first cutting hay made.
Get ready for February frost seeding
By Emma Matcham, Kyle Verhoff, Jordan Penrose, Ohio State Extension Frost seeding is a relatively inexpensive practice that can introduce more legumes, and thus more nitrogen fixation, into many pastures. Below are some answers to frequent questions related to frost seeding. When should I frost seed? February is the optimal time for frost seeding in most of Ohio.
Winter Is Time For Planning
By Jordan Penrose Winter is an excellent time of the year for planning things on the farm for the upcoming year. Winter offers that rare chance for you to slow down, reflect, and plan. As the new year approaches people start thinking and talking about their resolutions, or what they would like to do better or differently. Have you ever thought about applying the same principle to your farm? Setting goals now can help you make the upcoming year go smoother and maybe even less stressful.
Year-end reflection for forage managers: pastures, hay quality & lessons learned
Farm and Dairy file photo. As we approach the end of the year, I think this is a great time to reflect on the past year to see what went right and what went wrong. As managers of forage, our fields are always teaching us something. With the end of the year here, now is the time to look back at the lessons, the good, the bad, the muddy and the dry. With reflection, the first thing that comes into my mind right now is this winter. As I am writing this, we are preparing for our next round of snow.
When it comes to weeds, what is the best course of action?
This year has seemed to be another year for weeds. Last year, I wrote an article for Farm and Dairy, “How to manage weeds in a drought,” because the weeds were more noticeable due to the short supply of grass. This year, the weather has been a little different for us in southeastern Ohio, where I am located, but we still have had drought conditions in the latter part of summer, reaching D1 Moderate Drought on the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Make plans now for August seeding
This year, for us in southeastern Ohio, April is when we went from being more towards the dry side to going towards the wet side for weather. I would say that is what it seemed to be like for the whole southeastern part of the state that was affected by the drought last year, and the effects of that drought lasted up into April and some past that. In April, we had a lot of questions about how the forages would respond to coming out of the drought.
Drought Damaged Pasture; What’s next?
By Jordan Penrose Drought conditions have affected most of Ohio at one point or more this summer and fall, and we need to consider the long-term effects that this could have on forages. Where I am at in Morgan County, in the southeastern part of the state we are still in D4 Exceptional Drought, and most farmers have been feeding hay and hauling water for a couple of months now. Forages have taken the back seat for now, as we try to make sure livestock have feed and water.
What comes next for drought-affected forages?
Drought conditions have affected most of Ohio this summer and fall, and we need to consider the long-term effects that this could have on forages. Where I am at in Morgan County, in the southeastern part of the state, we are still classified as D4 exceptional drought status, and most farmers have been feeding hay and hauling water for a couple of months now. Forages have taken the back seat for now, as we try to make sure livestock have feed and water.
How to manage weeds in a drought
With fall approaching, though it doesn’t seem like it, weeds are more noticeable here. In southeastern Ohio, we are extremely dry with very little to no grass left in the pastures, and the weeds more noticeable. In Morgan County, the weeds that I have been getting the most questions about are spotted knapweed, hemp dogbane, cocklebur and johnson grass. Some other noticeable weeds that I am seeing as well are ironweed, Canada thistle, horsenettle, bedstraw and others.
What’s your hay outlook?
With first cutting progressing across the state, now is the time to evaluate your hay outlook for the year. Here are some questions to ask yourself: How have your yields been? What do you think your next cutting will look like? Do you have any leftover hay from years before? By asking yourself these questions, you are going to come to one of three conclusions: you are right on track, you have an abundant supply or you have a low supply.
How to manage your pastures for calving
As the winter season continues for us and spring is fast approaching, it is time for spring calving. For some calving season has started and for the rest who calve in the spring, calving season is starting soon. Since the start of the year here in Ohio, we have seen a wide variation of weather conditions. We have had cold and warm temperatures, rain and snow and it’s also been muddy. Most people in Ohio calve outside on pasture, and that can be tough on the pastures.
Managing pastures for winter
Wintertime is here, for good or for bad, and managing pasture with livestock can be tricky in the winter. You have some factors to consider during the winter, such as grazing management, forage quality, supplemental feeding, and planning for the future. Let’s take a look at these key aspects to see if any can improve your pastures during the winter.
Managing your pastures for winter
Wintertime is here, for good or for bad, and managing pasture with livestock can be tricky in the winter. You have some factors to consider during the winter, such as grazing management, forage quality, supplemental feeding and planning for the future. Let’s take a look at these key aspects to see if any can improve your pastures during the winter. Depending on your grazing strategy, stocking density and how your forages produced this year will factor into where you are at right now.
There’s Potential for Poisoning During Fall Grazing
By Jordan Penrose With fall fast approaching, it may be time to assess potential problems that could arise when livestock are grazing, such as trees and grasses. A good practice of walking or driving through your pastures will help you know what is growing in or around them. Buckeye Poisoning A potential problem that may be overlooked in the fall is Buckeye Poisoning. Buckeye poisoning occurs from the nuts that fall from the buckeye trees.
There is potential for poisoning during fall grazing
With fall fast approaching, it may be time to assess potential problems that could arise when livestock are grazing, such as trees and grasses. A good practice of walking or driving through your pastures will help you know what is growing in or around them. A potential problem that may be overlooked in the fall is buckeye poisoning, which results from the nuts that fall from buckeye trees. According to the Ohio Department of Natural Recourses, buckeye trees prefer moist, well-drained soils.
Frost seeding for pasture renovation
By Jordan Penrose, Ohio State University Extension Educator, Gallia County At the start of 2023 in southeastern Ohio, we have faced muddy conditions. One of the areas that have taken the biggest hit is the pastures the livestock are staying on. I guess that some of you are trying to find the best ways to limit the damage to your pastures. We are facing the same thing on my family’s farm.
Winter Pasture Management
By Jordan Penrose Here in Ohio, winter can vary from one part of the state to the other. If I were to ask you, what are a couple things that we can think of as farmers that comes along with winter? Answers will probably be similar like cold and snow, but another one is likely mud. In early November you may have thought some mud would be nice because of how dry the fall was.
Johnsongrass; Feed or Weed?
By Jordan Penrose Recently Christine Gelley wrote an article “Johnsongrass: Friend or Foe?”, it was an excellent article, and if you haven’t read it, I highly recommend that you do so. But, I bet that many of you like me have noticed johnsongrass showing up in pasture and hay fields a lot more over the past few years and especially this year. Let me start by giving some history on johnsongrass.
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