Jon Paul Driver sits down with Dr. Carson Roberts, assistant research professor and state Extension specialist in forage agronomy at the University of Missouri, to examine whether companion crops help—or hurt—a new alfalfa stand.

Dr. Roberts draws on research comparing solo-seeded alfalfa, oat companion crops, herbicide programs and different irrigation levels.

They cover:

🌱 What an acceptable new alfalfa stand looks like—and why the first year affects the life of the stand

💧 How rainfall distribution and soil moisture shape establishment decisions

🚜 Fall field preparation, stale seedbeds, no-till planting and conserving spring moisture

📏 Why seeding depth, seed-to-soil contact and available moisture matter more than the tillage system

🌾 How oat companion crops can increase first-year tonnage while reducing alfalfa density and forage quality

☀️ Why companion crops are especially risky under dryland conditions

💰 Comparing yield, quality and gross returns on a dollars-per-acre basis

📈 Why companion crops performed differently during wet, low-price and dry, high-price hay markets

Dr. Roberts research shows that companion crops are not automatically good or bad. Under dryland conditions, competition for limited water can jeopardize the alfalfa stand. With adequate irrigation, the additional tonnage may pay—but only after accounting for forage quality, market prices and the long-term value of the stand.

Hosted by Jon Paul Driver

Sponsored by Krone – Dedicated to Hay and Forage Producers

🎧 Listen anywhere you get your podcasts

🔗 https://hay-kings.com

🎧 Episode 112 of the Hay Kings Podcast

📲 Listen anywhere you get your podcasts

Jon Paul Driver sits down again with Dr. Carson Roberts, assistant research professor and state Extension specialist in forage agronomy at the University of Missouri, to explore how light competition, root development, tillage and soil compaction affect alfalfa establishment.

Dr. Roberts explains why deep ripping can improve a field—or become an expensive exercise if later tillage and traffic rebuild the compaction layer.

They cover:

☀️ How alfalfa responds to the quality of sunlight beneath weeds and companion crops

🌱 Why even early oat termination can affect first-year alfalfa growth

🌾 Reducing companion-crop seeding rates to balance forage production, weed suppression and alfalfa density

🚜 Using stale seedbeds and terminated covers to control erosion without competing with alfalfa

⚠️ Potential allelopathic effects from rye and triticale residue

💧 How irrigation timing influences the depth and development of alfalfa roots

📏 Diagnosing the location of a compaction layer before setting a deep ripper

🛠️ Why disking and packing after ripping can rebuild the compaction you just removed

🌿 Using living roots to stabilize loosened soil after deep tillage

🛞 Concentrating field traffic in permanent lanes instead of compacting the entire stand

Carson’s research shows that better alfalfa establishment requires more than loosening the soil. Growers must manage light, moisture, field traffic and the order of tillage operations so young roots can reach—and continue using—the soil profile opened for them.

Hosted by Jon Paul Driver

Sponsored by Krone – Dedicated to Hay and Forage Producers

🔗 https://hay-kings.com

🎧 Episode 110 of the Hay Kings Podcast

📲 Listen anywhere you get your podcasts Jon Paul Driver sits down with Jacob Cummins of White Pine Flats Farms to talk about an unexpected return to dairying—not with 100 cows, but with two.

What started as a way for Jacob's kids to show dairy cattle has grown into a licensed micro dairy selling raw milk directly to consumers. Along the way, Jacob shares the challenges of navigating regulations, finding new revenue streams, and building a business that fits alongside a hay and beef operation.

They cover:

🥛 Why Jacob started a micro dairy after nearly 30 years out of the dairy business

🐄 The economics of selling milk directly to consumers

🌾 Diversifying a hay and beef operation with a new income stream

🏛️ Washington's dairy regulations and the realities of small-scale processing

🚜 Old tractors, Detroit Diesels, forage harvest and why older equipment still gets the job done

🌱 Trying pearl millet, improving grain establishment, and sharpening the pencil on today's farm

🤝 Why consumers want to know their farmers again

Jacob shares a practical look at building a small business that complements—not replaces—a family farm, while reflecting on why relationships, local food, and diversification may become increasingly important for agriculture.

Hosted by Jon Paul Driver

Sponsored by Krone – Dedicated to Hay and Forage Producers

🎧 Listen anywhere you get your podcasts

🔗 https://hay-kings.com