Favorable Weather Ahead For Midwestern Hay Growers

May 28, 2014

Hay growers in the Upper Midwest can expect relatively tame weather during the 2014 growing season, says Elwynn Taylor, climatologist with Iowa State University Extension.

“The way things are shaping up, the weather should be slightly on the favorable side for both forage and row crops in this part of the country this summer,” he adds.

While a cooler-than-normal spring has set back corn and soybean planting in many parts of the region, the alfalfa crop appears to be in decent shape. “Corn begins to grow at 50 degrees,” says Taylor. “But alfalfa can grow once the temperature reaches 35 degrees. In most parts of the Midwest, there has been some growth.”

This spring’s ample precipitation has also benefitted forage crops. “There are a few dry areas, but in most of Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois, along with the southern quarter of Minnesota, we’ve seen normal to above precipitation for May.”

The absence of a strong La Niña weather pattern heading into the season is a key factor in Taylor’s growing-season outlook. “That’s a great relief,” he says. A La Niña, characterized by lower-than-normal surface-water temperatures in the central Pacific Ocean, typically brings dry weather.

Click here to see more...

Video: How Can We Grow More Food With Less Impact?

For over two decades, Dr. Mitloehner has been at the forefront of research on how animal agriculture affects our air and our climate. With deep expertise in emissions and volatile organic compounds, his work initially focused on air quality in regions like California’s Central Valley—home to both the nation’s richest agricultural output and some of its poorest air quality.

In recent years, methane has taken center stage in climate discourse—not just scientifically, but politically. Once a topic reserved for technical discussions about manure management and feed efficiency, it has become a flashpoint in debates over sustainability, regulation, and even the legitimacy of livestock farming itself.

Dr. Frank Mitloehner, Professor and Air Quality Specialist with the CLEAR Center sits down with Associate Director for Communications at the CLEAR Center, Joe Proudman.