Nicollet & Sibley County Ag News
June 2023
Welcome to our new Extension Educator!
Hello, everyone! My name is Sam Schoenbauer. I am very excited to join University of Minnesota Extension and to have the opportunity to get to know the individuals involved in agriculture in Nicollet and Sibley counties!
I come from an extensive beef background thanks to my involvement on my family’s purebred shorthorn cow/ calf operation just south of Hamburg, MN. I was involved in Carver County 4-H for 14 years showing beef, dairy, and swine as well as being involved in the photography contest.
Last summer I was the Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources Intern for Extension in Carver County, where I learned more about the breadth of agriculture and got a glimpse into the wide variety of programming Extension has to offer.
I recently graduated from South Dakota State University with a degree in Agricultural Communications. I stayed very actively involved in agriculture through many different clubs and organizations during my time in college.
Feel free to reach out to me with any questions or just to chat! I look forward to learning more about agriculture in Nicollet and Sibley counties and getting to meet all those involved.
Nicollet County Farm Family of the Year
Sibley County Farm Family of the Year
Asmus family honored with the AURI Innovator of the Year Award
Alfalfa Scissor Cut Reports
The Alfalfa Scissor-cut Harvest Alert is being updated regularly as alfalfa growth accelerates. The goal of this project is to alert alfalfa growers to start first crop harvest when the crop is at a level of quality that matches animal nutrition goals without undercutting yield potential. The alfalfa scissor-cut harvest alert program is not a prescription for any particular harvest date but can be a go-to decision tool for those alfalfa producers that are busy managing other crops in the rotation during one of the busiest seasons on the farm.
Fresh cut samples of alfalfa are collected when the height of the stand reaches between 14 and 16 inches tall. Project cooperators are sampling at least twice a week usually Monday and Thursday until harvest. These samples are submitted to our lab partner, Dairyland lab, to analyze according to standard forage quality parameters. Quality and maturity will also be estimated through an equation called the “Predictive Equation for Alfalfa Quality” (PEAQ). This process uses the stage of maturity and height of the tallest stems to estimate relative forage value (RFV). Updates will be shared through at z.umn.edu/MNCropNews and z.umn.edu/AlfalfaHarvestAlert.
Connect with us!
Nicollet County Extension Office
Sibley County Extension Office
Email: mnext-sibley@umn.edu
Website: https://extension.umn.edu/local/sibley
Location: 111 8th Street, Gaylord, MN, USA
Phone: 507-237-4100
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064563436926