By Fred M. Hall
The I-29 Moo University and the Northern Plains Forage Association have joined forces to continue the 2024 Forage Webinar Series with a fast-paced evening program on Tuesday, Dec. 10 from 7 to 9 p.m.
The program will feature six presenters with only 10 to 20 minutes to outline the most important bullet points of their topics concerning forage production.
Presenters are nationally recognized leaders on their topics.
Madelynn Wuestenberg is an agricultural climatologist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, dedicated to enhancing climate resilience in Iowa’s agriculture and food systems. In her role, which began in January 2024, Wuestenberg engages with farmers, landowners and industry members on climate-related challenges, delivering research-based insights and actionable solutions.
A native of Slater, Wuestenberg’s deep connection to agriculture comes from her family’s farming background. She earned a bachelor's degree in 2022 and a master’s degree in agricultural meteorology in 2023, both from Iowa State. Her graduate research focused on assessing the environmental impacts of climate change using advanced agroecosystem models.
Amber Friedrichsen, editor of Hay & Forage Grower, will give an overview of alfalfa growing conditions, harvest conditions and forage test results so far this year. Friedrichsen grew up on a farm in eastern Iowa and graduated from Iowa State in 2023 with degrees in agricultural communications and agronomy. While in college, Friedrichsen served as the editorial intern for Hay & Forage Grower for two summers and was an associate editor before assuming her current position.
Deb Sumac is a supervisory research geneticist with the USDA Agricultural Research Service. She focuses on the diseases and pathogens of alfalfa with collaborations to develop a reference genome sequence for alfalfa and universal DNA markers for alfalfa breeding. Sumac will discuss disease pressure in alfalfa.
Scott Newell is the alfalfa outreach specialist with UW-Madison Extension. He will discuss the potential effects of 2024 weather conditions on 2025 alfalfa production, as well as the possible ramifications of the 2025 weather forecast on alfalfa.
An Iowa State agronomy graduate, Newell did his graduate work in alfalfa genetics at UC Davis under Charlie Brummer. Eager to be back in the Midwest, Newell supports alfalfa outreach and education nationally, specifically in the upper Midwest. He is focused on improving alfalfa competitiveness to ensure it remains a key part of the U.S. agriculture landscape and dairy ration, providing all the benefits of a perennial legume to a diversified rotational system.
Everett Thomas has worked as an agronomist in northern New York for over 50 years, first for Cornell University and then for 27 years at the William H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute in Chazy, New York. While at Miner Institute, his responsibilities included crop production for its herd of 350 Holstein dairy cows. He was also involved in applied research and teaching an undergraduate course in forages.
Thomas is president of Oak Point Agronomics and involved in forage crop consulting in the United States and internationally. He’s writer/editor for the Miner Institute Farm Report and is the author of almost 700 technical and popular press articles, including about 200 articles for Hoard’s Dairyman.
Thomas will discuss weather influences on alfalfa-grass seeding rates on the yield and quality of forage grasses.
Jason Johnson is an associate professor and extension economist in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Texas A&M. Johnson is also a registered investment advisor regulated by the Texas State Securities Board, CRD# 141350. His educational programming focuses on all economic aspects of crop and livestock production blending traditional risk management strategies with more specific recommendations for family financial planning.
Johnson will discuss the economics of forage storage structures.
There is no fee to attend the webinar, but participants must register at least one hour prior to the webinar at https://go.iastate.edu/FORAGE2024.
Source : iastate.edu