The 2008 farm bill authorized the Alfalfa & Forage Research Program, but Congress has yet to pony up the money. The Washington, D.C. Fly-In in February may have done its job and opened the beginning of an alfalfa/forage research program. The Supreme Court, through the Sackett case, did what Congress hasn’t done in curbing one of the EPA’s strict regulations — wetlands....More

It will take time for the alfalfa/forage industry to make Washington, D.C., inroads that cotton, corn, soybeans and other commodities have achieved over many years. Nationally there has been a 16 percent drop in alfalfa acreage in the last 10 years. The word sustainable has some punch. It needs to be targeted to legislators, regulators and environmentalists, and it’s important to emphasize that every grower is a sustainable farmer....More

The dairy industry could see a boost in milk production, thanks to a new alfalfa variety, N-R-Gee, that is highly digestible, and predicted to increase milk production up to 3.3 pounds of milk per day....More

Alfalfa is worth about $8 billion each year because of its role in domestic beef cattle and dairy industries. Livestock which graze extensively on alfalfa often develop pasture bloat, a form of severe indigestion. Researchers have been studying condensed tannins as a bloat remedy....More

The Sacramento-San Joaquin Valley Water Reliability Act is designed to restore water to farms and rural areas, protect property rights and eliminate the $12 billion peripheral canal. Standardized hay testing is a major CAFA focus in 2012....More