Green grass and lots of rain is putting smiles on the faces of local farmers, as they work to harvest their first cut of the season!
Following last year’s drought, dry conditions resulted in shortages, where many were unable to harvest a second cut of silage or hay, due to dead grass or other diseases.
It was a really tough time, many anxious moments while being worried if they would have enough food to feed their livestock and in some cases, considering the need to downsize in order to better manage the farm.
Grass silage is an extremely important food source for beef and dairy farmers, providing more nutrients, increasing feed intake and reducing cost, compared to traditional haying methods.
There are three main components to silage: harvesting, packing and fermentation.
Farmers harvest the grass by cutting it down into small pieces while they still have a high moisture content. It’s then transported to the farm for storage where it’s tightly packed down into a silo or under heavy plastic for the winter or drought months.
After it’s sealed up and away from oxygen, the sugars in the plant ferment into lactic acid. This lowers the pH, essentially preventing it from rotting.
We’ve had some fantastic weather over the past few weeks, crops are growing and they’re looking healthy, all we can do is keep Mother Nature on our side!
Adrian J.
