Forage's future - Beyond just feed, It's nutrition

Sep 06, 2023

The essence of cattle farming in North America is tied to forage. Given the challenges of recent years, like droughts, squeezing more value from every acre is crucial.

Now, there's a rising appetite for new forage breeds, especially those that can enhance milk and beef output. And the numbers tell the tale. The forage seed market, valued at $22,808 million USD in 2021, might see a twofold surge by 2031.

But what's behind this surge? One word: digestibility. Livestock benefits more from crops that they can easily digest. A primary focus in this direction is alfalfa. By reducing lignin in its stems, its digestibility is increased. And that's not all. With its high protein content, alfalfa might soon find its way into plant-based dishes too.

Besides alfalfa, there's BMR corn, identified nearly 100 years ago. Known for their higher fiber digestibility, its modern versions are showing promising results, at par with conventional hybrids.

However, the forage story isn't just about digestibility. The entire nutritional composition, including traits like resistance to diseases and ability to survive harsh winters, defines its real value.

Source : wisconsinagconnection

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.