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Central Wisconsin grower happy with first crop alfalfa
Climate has prompted a central Wisconsin dairy farmer to park the planter and harvest first-crop alfalfa.
T.J. Draeger raises corn, soybeans, and alfalfa close to Marathon Metropolis. He tells Brownfield the frequent rains have made his alfalfa look implausible. “We had good carryover from final yr so it gave us the chance to really chase high quality over amount, so it’s a bit of shorter than some years, however in lots of locations it’s nonetheless knee-high.”
Draeger says this yr’s first-crop is significantly better than it was a yr in the past. “Our sugar contents are good. The protein ranges are excessive. I feel our cows are actually going to like first-crop this yr, that’s for positive.”
And he’s feeling lucky as a result of there have been no winterkill points. “We have been form of biting our fingernails fairly a bit this winter hoping that our new seeding got here by but it surely’s wanting nice. We’re truly taking it together with our first-crop this yr.”
Draeger says he’ll wrap up first-crop hay over the vacation weekend, after which he’s hoping fields dry out sufficient to complete planting. “We’ve acquired about two good days of planting corn and beans to go after which we’ll be accomplished, however I do know numerous guys which might be sitting a bit of worse for put on than we’re, however I do know numerous guys which might be additionally accomplished.”
Subject situations fluctuate broadly in Wisconsin due to the frequent rains and totally different soil sorts.
