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First cutting of alfalfa progresses in Minnesota

A west-central Minnesota dairy farmer says their first cutting of alfalfa is progressing.

Suzanne Vold of Glenwood tells Brownfield persistent rain and drizzle has given way to warmer and dryer weather.

“We had a good day yesterday and are looking forward to another good day in the field today, and then we should be done with our alfalfa haylage, or baleage as we put it up as.”

The latest USDA Crop Progress report says the first cutting of alfalfa in Minnesota is 14 percent complete, three days behind normal.

Vold says mild conditions through the winter caused a few problems for her alfalfa crop.

“We had a few spots with winterkill, and I think our biggest fear was because we had very odd weather at the end of February, beginning of March.  It was warm, the snow was gone; then it got cold again for a while.”

Vold attributes the lack of winterkill to leaving cover on continuous alfalfa acres.

She says they only take a fourth crop from ground that will be plowed in the fall.