Podcast: Corn, cattle farmers can work together to extend forage supplies

This year’s drought has taken a significant toll on grazing land and hay supplies, two critical feed sources for Nebraska’s beef producers, said Paxton farmer Jon Holzfaster in this podcast.

In fact, he said, the USDA reported that 98 percent of Nebraska’s pasture and rangeland was in poor to very poor condition.

"This is important for beef producers because much of a beef cattle’s diet is forage, from calving through finishing. And cow-calf operations rely significantly on range and grazing land," he said. In total, beef cattle achieve about 70 percent of their growth on forage, and drought years limit hay supplies and raise prices.

There are opportunities for corn farmers to work with cattle producers to graze cattle on cornstalk residue left in the field after harvest or take advantage of baled cornstalk residue, he said. "It’s a good way to stretch forage supplies, and we encourage both beef and corn producers to consider the opportunity," Holzfaster said.

To help, the University of Nebraska created a drought resources page, which includes everything from fact sheets to webinars.



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