The potential of a pasture can only be realized when the conditions of growing forage are optimized. Learn how to find the current and potential forage yield of a pasture — and if improvements are worth the investment.
Some poor-quality hay can’t supply basic nutritional requirements to livestock or allow for proper growth, lactation, pregnancy or work, but livestock owners can avoid problems by understanding basic principles related to hay, legume, mixed-grass or legume hay.
Poisonous plants are a major cause of economic loss to the livestock industry. Two poisonous plants common to Oregon are poison hemlock and Western water hemlock. Ingestion of either by humans or livestock typically results in death.
Late winter and early spring can be a perilous time for livestock. It's a time when even a full stomach won't stave off starvation. That's why livestock managers must pay close attention to the health of their animals.
Silage-making has been used to reduce the concentrations of toxins in a variety of crops. But in the case of poison hemlock, the opposite is true — making silage out of it actually increases one of its toxic alkaloids.
Companion planting can attract beneficial insects, serve as a trap crop for pests, improve soil health, and much more. This list was created by a retail nursery employee and offers some suggestions of herbs and flowers that can be used as companions to vegetable crops.
In this episode, Scott Leavengood is joined by Eric Jones and Eliza Nelson to discuss the increasing popularity of maple syrup production in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest.
Scott Leavengood, Eric Jones, Eliza Nelson |
May 2023 |
Podcast episode