Optimizing the Alfalfa Harvest for Dairy Success

Jun 16, 2025

By Catherine Dehdashti

As spring brought warmer temperatures and rain, Minnesota’s alfalfa fields hosted many a winged creature, as well as University of Minnesota Extension educators conducting the work of the Alfalfa Harvest Alert Program.

Now in its 29th year, the collaboration between Extension and the Central Minnesota Forage Council serves farmers gearing up for the first cut of alfalfa, a valuable component of dairy cow diets.

The Alfalfa Harvest Alert helps forage producers make timely and informed decisions about when to harvest. Local Extension educators, like Jackie Estrem and Taylor Herbert, take scissors-cut samples and work with a lab to analyze them, providing data to optimize yield and quality.

Source : umn.edu

Video: What Causes Ear Necrosis in Pigs? - Alison Jeffery

In this episode of The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, Alison Jeffery, a PhD candidate at the University of Saskatchewan, discusses emerging research on ear necrosis in pigs. She explains the role of Fusobacterium necrophorum, how ear biting may introduce bacteria into damaged tissue, and what researchers are learning about disease progression, welfare, prevention, and future management tools. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Ear necrosis is not only an infectious disease challenge, it is also a welfare issue shaped by behavior, tissue damage, and the farm environment."

Meet the guest: Alison Jeffery / alison-jeffery is a PhD candidate in Large Animal Clinical Sciences at the University of Saskatchewan. Her research focuses on improving swine health and welfare by understanding and mitigating ear necrosis in pigs. Her background includes swine research, producer support, laboratory work, and studies in animal science and veterinary microbiology. Learn more from Alison Jeffery on The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, available on all major platforms.