Alfalfa for hay/plot

[BenAllgood]

You might be trying to make a good situation better and end up making it worse. Nonetheless...

Unless I misunderstand, you own the land and it borders other land you own? Then the comment about not being a farm for NRCS purposes is irrelevant. FSA and the local county committee ultimately have the power to decide what is and what is not a farm. Besides, for FSA purposes, the definition of a farm is different from the definition of a tract of ag land. If, for whatever reason this supposition about it not being something hurts you - or doesn't help, then go to FSA. They are the only USDA agency can make the determination for program purposes. NRCS might decide on the need for conservation on the land but they do not determine what is and isn't ag land.

Back to the situation. Alfalfa is a killer crop for harvest and for feeding whitetails. But, it takes some management to grow. Seeded yet this fall you will see no alfalfa, but planted with a cover crop...like fall oats (I know someone will want to argue against oats but I have reasons for it) farmer might get a harvest or two out of it next growing season. You will probably want to negotiate when farmer can take the last cutting to leave time for your fall needs.

If there are other inter seeded plants in the alfalfa is a point of negotiation for you and farmer. Mindset is everything.

Traditionally pure stands of alfalfa produce a lower tonnage but higher total protein production, good for dairy. In my experience alfalfa is usually seeded with another perennial forage - like grass -to increase tonnage and lower total protein percentages. It's still good enough for dairy and more than useful in beef production in certain situations.

Yes, I own the land, and it borders mine. In Kentucky, for tax purposes in the county, a farm is 10 or more acres. I was under the assumption the FSA went off the tax roll maps, but I guess that was wrong.

I sent him some oats to put in as a cover crop, so that could work out well.

I'll talk to him and see what we can come up with. Basically, I want a big food plot, and having a tradeoff where the farmer could use the land rent free seemed like a good idea. The corn coming off late this year put a damper on my late fall food plot I thought. But, if he leaves some and mows it, that could work out.

 

[TWIG]

Alfalfa has been a key to my success for many years. Most of the corn has been chopped for silage in my area and all the beans are in the yellowing phase. Deer run right through standing beans for fresh growth alfalfa.

 

[BenAllgood]

Alfalfa has been a key to my success for many years. Most of the corn has been chopped for silage in my area and all the beans are in the yellowing phase. Deer run right through standing beans for fresh growth alfalfa.

Is there anything else grown with the alfalfa to extend the usage, or when do they stop using it? Is it hayed?

 

[FarmerDan]

Is there anything else grown with the alfalfa to extend the usage, or when do they stop using it? Is it hayed?

I deeply appreciate your curiosity but I don't understand some of your concerns/questions. To go back to the top, your farmer suggested alfalfa in response to your desires. Why? Does 'farmer' milk cows in a dairy operation? To me that's where alfalfa fits in an ag enterprise. I am sure there are other fringe uses. For the most part alfalfa is harvested as haylage or baled for hay. Lactating beef cows could benefit from it but there are cheaper sources - like pasture grazing. It can be used by the producer or sold to other producers who need a high protein forage. In the best production scenarios pure stands of alfalfa are common. I have never been in such a position. In my experience alfalfas are mixed with grasses like orchardgrass or timothy, neither of which have much value as a deer food (I think). Clover is a suitable but less valuable cattle food source and will grow almost anywhere, especially where alfalfa will not. So, maybe you are back around to considering the standard rye nurse crop - clover situation not just as a cover crop but for harvest as hay?

 

[BenAllgood]

I deeply appreciate your curiosity but I don't understand some of your concerns/questions. To go back to the top, your farmer suggested alfalfa in response to your desires. Why? Does 'farmer' milk cows in a dairy operation? To me that's where alfalfa fits in an ag enterprise. I am sure there are other fringe uses. For the most part alfalfa is harvested as haylage or baled for hay. Lactating beef cows could benefit from it but there are cheaper sources - like pasture grazing. It can be used by the producer or sold to other producers who need a high protein forage. In the best production scenarios pure stands of alfalfa are common. I have never been in such a position. In my experience alfalfas are mixed with grasses like orchardgrass or timothy, neither of which have much value as a deer food (I think). Clover is a suitable but less valuable cattle food source and will grow almost anywhere, especially where alfalfa will not. So, maybe you are back around to considering the standard rye nurse crop - clover situation not just as a cover crop but for harvest as hay?

@FarmerDan , those were questions for @TWIG . Sorry for the confusion.

 

[swat1018]

Lots of good choices. You could broadcast rye, oats, radish, etc into the corn when it starts to dry down. I have had mixed results with this, definitely better with 36" rows, than today's norm. I've also seen deer dig in snow to get at my alfalfa. Hard to beat mowed corn in my part of the world, though.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

I have a buddy with a big spread who started with a couple acres and is slowly converting most of 70 or so acres of plots to alfalfa because of its draw and nutrition. He will drill wheat and oats into it in the fall so he has some green for late season. I’m about to go all in alfalfa as soon as this spring if I can get set up for it. I feel it may be the single best crop for deer all things considered. Even moreso than beans imo.

 

[Hoytvectrix]

I have a buddy with a big spread who started with a couple acres and is slowly converting most of 70 or so acres of plots to alfalfa because of its draw and nutrition. He will drill wheat and oats into it in the fall so he has some green for late season. I’m about to go all in alfalfa as soon as this spring if I can get set up for it. I feel it may be the single best crop for deer all things considered. Even moreso than beans imo.

I tend to agree. I think one of the biggest issues with alfalfa is just getting established correctly. I have had some luck frost seeding a tiny plot that had an amazing stand for a few years. All of my best alfalfa plots have been drilled in, though. It works best if you are following beans or some kind of clean ag field. Otherwise, you will be fighting weeds. The drilling in wheat or oats is an interesting approach. I might have to try that.

 

[PoorSand]

My thought on alfalfa is that how attractive the alfalfa is to deer depends on what's in the soil. I remember reading a university publication years ago saying that if the soil is below target on potassium then alfalfa will uptake extra phosphorous. On the other hand, if there is excess potassium in the soil, alfalfa will uptake more potassium than it needs. It also seems to me that when I apply gypsum on my alfalfa, I get more deer. Case in point is I have two acres of alfalfa with gypsum that is a few inches tall and two acres beside it that didn't get gypsum the last two years and that alfalfa is over a foot tall and woody. The deer focused their grazing on the alfalfa that had gypsum in the soil. I think the deer will gravitate to whatever plants have the protein, vitamins, and minerals they are not getting elsewhere.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

My thought on alfalfa is that how attractive the alfalfa is to deer depends on what's in the soil. I remember reading a university publication years ago saying that if the soil is below target on potassium then alfalfa will uptake extra phosphorous. On the other hand, if there is excess potassium in the soil, alfalfa will uptake more potassium than it needs. It also seems to me that when I apply gypsum on my alfalfa, I get more deer. Case in point is I have two acres of alfalfa with gypsum that is a few inches tall and two acres beside it that didn't get gypsum the last two years and that alfalfa is over a foot tall and woody. The deer focused their grazing on the alfalfa that had gypsum in the soil. I think the deer will gravitate to whatever plants have the protein, vitamins, and minerals they are not getting elsewhere.

My buddy hits it with Boron when it starts looking poor and it greens right up.

@Hoytvectrix are you planting roundup ready alfalfa and still having weed issues?

 

[TWIG]

Is there anything else grown with the alfalfa to extend the usage, or when do they stop using it? Is it hayed?

Here in PA, farmers usually get 3 cuttings off an alfalfa field. The last cutting of the season generally takes place right around this time and then we'll get a few weeks of fresh growth before frost hits. Deer around here consume alfalfa the entirety of our hunting season so it definitely has a drawing power through January.

On a smaller scale field of alfalfa you could easily get away with mowing it several times a year with a lawn mower. Fresh trim before the bow opener and another trim late in October to sweeten things up for the rut.

 

[Hoytvectrix]

My buddy hits it with Boron when it starts looking poor and it greens right up.

@Hoytvectrix are you planting roundup ready alfalfa and still having weed issues?

It's funny that you mentioned boron, because I knew several dairy farmers that pushed calcium and boron together for their alfalfa.

I have not tried any roundup ready alfalfa yet. I have been moving more towards planting mixtures with clover and chicory. Roundup ready would certainly help with weed pressure, but I kind of feel like it becomes a crutch eventually. I feel like I had good enough success with Winter King 2 and vernal alfalfas that if I go back to planting a pure alfalfa stand again I would lean that way. But I'm always up for trying something new.

 

[BenAllgood]

Well, you guys have me thinking I'm going to ask the farmer to go ahead with his suggestion of alfalfa, and if it doesn't interfere with his hay needs, to add oats or wheat at the last cutting each year. It seems like that would give me a non-interrupted, large food plot for almost the whole year.

 

[BenAllgood]

Lime going on to prep for alfalfa.

 

[Angus 1895]

If he uses nurse oats to start it. You will have a lot of deer !

Good luck!