BROOKINGS, S.D. – South Dakota State University Extension, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension, the Northern Plains Forage Association and I-29 Moo University will co-host a Forage Field Day in August.
Forage Field Day is from 9:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. CST on Aug. 7, 2023, at the SDSU Southeast Research Farm near Beresford, South Dakota, and will focus on forage sorghum (a warm-season annual grass), and on forage equipment.
The day will include talks from commodity experts, including Brent Bean, the agronomy director of the United Sorghum Checkoff Program; Jeff Jackson, an alfalfa and forage specialist with Croplan; Dan Funke, a forage producer in northeastern Iowa; Andrew DeJong, a hay and forage product specialist with New Holland; Jim Salfer, a University of Minnesota dairy Extension educator; and Fred Hall, an Iowa State University Extension and Outreach dairy specialist.
There will also be a plot tour of a sorghum variety trial, including a male sterile sugar sorghum line; a panel discussion with local forage growers, moderated by Fieldstone Consulting Nutrition and forage specialist Jim Paulsen; discussions about on-site equipment; and an ice cream social. There will be an optional farm tour after the 3:45 p.m. adjournment.
“Forages are an unsung hero in the Midwest, and sorghum is especially overlooked,” said Sara Bauder, SDSU Extension Forage Field Specialist. “Interest in warm season forage grasses has increased over the past couple of years when drought has become a concern for many in the region, and this field day provides resources to new and experienced forage growers.”
Bauder said the forage equipment industry is constantly changing, and the field day will give attendees a hands-on look at new equipment, settings, safety and emerging technologies.
Registration is free for students and Northern Plains Forage Association members, including memberships purchased on-site, and $20 for non-members. To register, visit extension.sdstate.edu/events and search “Forage”.
For free registration or more information, contact Sara Bauder, SDSU Extension Forage Field Specialist, at Sara.Bauder@sdstate.edu.
