The Prairie Star: Montana Ag Newspaper

A cool, wet spring throughout the west put most crops a little bit behind, including hay. But the slight differences in weather the rest of the summer have led to different crop quality in Montana and Wy-oming.

Vern Pluhar, who farms southeast of Jordan, Mont., said he had really good weather in April, May and up through mid-June. Due to the good spring weather, he got his grain hay and dryland grass alfalfa planted early, which turned out to be a good thing since the rest of the summer has been hot and dry. However, it has also been a summer without any damaging storms or wind.

“Things have basically burned up, dried up,” said Pluhar. He grows the hay for his commercial Angus cow-calf operation and raises other small grains and peas.

Last year's hay crop was better, said Pluhar. This year as soon as it began to dry up, it was time to cut the hay. So, Pluhar got it up in good condition.

“Everything was excellent,” he said.

Normally a dry area, there also is no irrigation in Garfield County where he lives. Pluhar said they are always scrambling for the thing that will produce more forage on dryland.

Joe Geringer has been farming in Wheatland, Wyo., for 50 years.

“I grow straight alfalfa, and then I've got some straight orchard grass,” he said. “Both are irrigated.”

Geringer also raises corn and pinto beans, marketing everything.

Wyoming also experienced a cool spring which left his alfalfa behind normal. But, it caught up and now they are taking a second cutting down. And, his grass has continued at a fairly normal pace.

Geringer said they usually do a third cutting with the possibility of a fourth.

Right now the first cutting of alfalfa was a little less than in previous years, but Geringer said it looks like it is going to be a reasonably good year.

He expects to average around five-and-a-half ton on the alfalfa and about three ton on the grass.

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