By Beau Neal
UK Extension Agent for Agriculture
First and foremost, I’d like to thank all those who came out to the 60th annual Woodford County Farm Tour this year! The committee had a great time planning everything, and we certainly hope you enjoyed taking part as much as we did!
It was also great to see everyone at the Twilight Festival this past weekend, thanks to all of you who stopped by our booth and chatted with us.
The summer has sure flown by, although some days the high temperatures made it feel like it was taking its time. Until recently, we have been blessed with adequate rain all season long, at least since that unusual spring drought that threw us for a loop. I do think, however, that most of the county received upwards of 1” from this last rain, which helped considerably.
Crop yields, including corn, soybeans and tobacco, should be favorable with the temperatures and rainfall we have had. I am just worried now about drier weather on our pastures going into fall, especially with the high temperatures forecast for this week. Although the last three to four falls have been unusually dry, we still recommend a fall pasture/hay seeding just like we always have, so make plans to go ahead and knock that out soon.
It is also a good time to begin thinking about your fall pasture fertilization needs. If you haven’t already, grab those soil samples and let’s get them analyzed to see where you stand. If pH is not where it needs to be, or potassium is lacking, it will certainly show the effects, and you are definitely not getting maximum production from your soil.
Also, don’t overgraze during this time. Allow the fields to rest/stockpile as much as possible while grasses are still actively growing. Continue clipping pastures aggressively to prevent mature weeds from producing seed. If weeds were dominant and taking over your pasture this year, go ahead and start planning a preventive weed control program for mid-February to mid-March. Early herbicide applications are critical in controlling buttercup and other problematic spring weeds. At this point in the year, herbicide application for weed control may not be the best use of your money. For now, mow those and plan on controlling a little better next year.
As always, with any of this, reach out if you need any assistance.
On a positive note, the cattle market has regained some traction and positivity after ticking down $30-$40/cwt in the last month due to an announcement to import 300 million metric tons of beef. I believe the dust from that has settled, and the basic principles of supply and demand are still the biggest players in the ballgame. After all, our cowherd remains the lowest it has been since the 1950s, and there still have been very few signs of herd rebuilding to this point.
Historically speaking, this cattle market is high, and I recommend not changing your value-added practices. Keep managing things to capitalize on premium this fall (wean calves a minimum of 45 days, if possible, vaccinate, feed them for continued gain, etc.).
My door is always open if you need anything; don’t hesitate to reach out. Enjoy the fall season!