As we move through midsummer, it’s time to evaluate our forage situation. Depending on your location, meadow hay harvest might be starting, you could be on your second cutting of alfalfa, or preparing to cut warm-season annual crops soon. Ben Beckman, Nebraska Extension Forage Systems Educator.

Late rains have improved the appearance of native range across parts of Nebraska, but green is not always the same as growth. Ben Beckman, Nebraska Extension Forage Systems Educator.

What does it cost to rent pasture this year? The final 2026 Nebraska Cash Rental Rates Survey results are now available. Shannon Sand, Nebraska Ag Economics Extension Educator.

With summer annual grasses like sorghum-sudan, pearl millet, and forage sorghum coming into their own, getting good hay put up can be a bit of a challenge — especially when you’re dealing with thick stems and drying delays. A few simple steps can go a long way in making sure your hay is both high quality and safe to feed. Ben Beckman, Nebraska Extension Forage Systems Educator.

Heat stress is often talked about with feedlot cattle, but animals on pasture can be at risk too. All livestock can struggle when high temperatures, humidity, low wind, and warm nights stack together. Ben Beckman, Nebraska Extension Forage Systems Educator.

Make plans now to attend the 2026 Nebraska Grazing Conference in Kearney on August 4th and 5th. For 26 years, the Nebraska Grazing Conference has served as a forum for advancing the science and practice of grazing management by bringing together producers, researchers, educators, conservation professionals, and industry leaders from across the Great Plains. Mitch Stephenson, Nebraska Extension Range Management Specialist.

Clean water is critical for cattle health, especially during heat events. However, dry conditions can make water quality worse. As water evaporates, salts and minerals become more concentrated. In some locations, this can cause cattle to limit intake, refuse water, or develop health issues. Ben Beckman, Nebraska Extension Forage Systems Educator.

Summer thunderstorms can quickly turn good hay drying weather into wet windrows. That does not mean the hay is a total loss, but rain on cut forage can reduce both yield and quality. Ben Beckman, Nebraska Extension Forage Systems Educator.

As we enter a period of hotter and drier weather, grasshoppers will begin to move into crops from field edges. In the coming weeks, be sure to scout your fields to ensure defoliation from grasshopper feeding is kept at a minimum. Samantha Daniel, Nebraska Extension Crops and Water Educator.

Sorghum, sorghum-sudangrass, and sudangrass can be valuable emergency forages in dry years, but they carry one major livestock risk: prussic acid, or hydrogen cyanide — HCN. Ben Beckman, Nebraska Extension Forage Systems Educator.