Utilizing Warm-Season Grasses in Forage Production in a Changing Climate

Project Overview

FNC07-664
Project Type: Farmer/Rancher
Funds awarded in 2007: $5,700.00
Projected End Date: 12/31/2007
Region: North Central
State: Minnesota
Project Coordinator:

Commodities

  • Agronomic: grass (misc. annual), grass (misc. perennial), grass (turfgrass, sod)

Practices

  • Animal Production: feed/forage

    Summary:

    500 acres total, 496.5 acres actually. Rents ground. Strictly grows hay, mostly for horses. That’s what it started out to be. Hayseed came out of Canada. 30 % to 40 % alfalfa and orchard grass, meadow brome, and express timothy (a finer stemmed and heavier grained timothy with smaller head than regular timothy). 4 kinds of alfalfa that are very winter hardy.

    Project objectives:

    I would like to try something like this again but not the warm-season grasses, they just won’t produce here. They would probably do well in Nebraska or the most southern Michigan area.

    Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and should not be construed to represent any official USDA or U.S. Government determination or policy.