The management of forages is challenging but we need not make it overly complicated. Animal nutritionists are now emphasizing the need for feeding only the best quality forage to get the best livestock performance. Even for livestock being fed substantial amounts of grain, there is a move toward greatly improving the quality of forage being fed. This is true for both confinement feeding and pasture-based systems. This is being accomplished through harvest and storage management as well as the use of genetically modern forages.
The importance of forage management has greatly increased in recent times. Grain, partially a substitute for high quality forage, can no longer be counted on to be inexpensive. The price farmers receive for their products have generally not kept pace with inflation. Many livestock farms using confinement feeding systems have improved their timeliness of harvesting forages and their storage management. Many farms have chosen to move to MIG (management intensive grazing). This has enabled both types of farms to reduce costs and, in many cases, increase production. These improvements were based mainly on utilizing our existing forages.
Historically the United States has put great emphasis on breeding crops such as corn, soybeans, and alfalfa. North America has been surpassed when it comes to other forages, particularly grasses. Europe and New Zealand retained a forage-based agriculture because they never had the advantage that the United States had in grain production. World economics are changing and most domestic seed companies are trying to catch up.
In the late 1980’s Modern Forage Systems, formerly of Ferndale Washington, a pioneer in the search for better grasses, first turned to New Zealand for improved grasses. New Zealand has some of the finest pastures in the world. New Zealanders also were not bashful in pointing out some of our needed improvements. Many varieties are now being imported from New Zealand and are improving North American forage stands.
The Netherlands (Holland) came into the picture later on when it was found that their grasses were just as superb as New Zealand grasses. This small and beautiful country is Europe’s leader in forage seed development and production. Their grasses offer the advantage of greater winter hardiness and later maturity as they were bred for continental Europe. Many of their varieties have been tested and top rated in both United States and Canadian studies.
It should be clear why progressive farmers are turning to New Zealand and European grasses. These places only grow the best. Their seed industry, of which Barenbrug is a leader, invests heavily in developing the varieties, and there are intensive university and government trials to prove them out. Their forage based livestock systems depend on high quality forages. One pound of high quality grass can produce one pound of milk in a dairy cow! The return from grain feeding is considerably less.
Next chapter:>Forages for Profit