2026 forage webinar series continues Jan. 7
The I-29 Moo University and the Northern Plains Forage Association forage webinar series continues from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Jan. 7 with a variety of forage topics including an overview of virtual fencing, winter grazing and a hay market outlook.
Presenters this month include:
Yijie Xiong, Nebraska Extension specialist, notes labor is tight, and input costs aren’t getting any cheaper. If you’re looking for ways to stretch your forage further, virtual fencing might be a tool worth adding to your operation. These GPS-enabled collars allow you to create or move paddock boundaries from your phone or computer.
No posts, no reels, no fence to drag across the pasture. That makes it easier to rotate cattle more frequently, adjust grazing patterns on the fly, and make better use of your existing forage without adding to your workload.
Xiong joined the University of Nebraska department of animal science in 2020 as an assistant professor and Extension precision livestock management specialist. She has a split appointment between animal science and the department of biological systems engineering.
Shelby Gruss notes that Interestin grazing cover crops and winter annuals has increased in recent years. Research on grazing winter and summer annuals in Iowa has been concentrated in southern Iowa, but because of differences in growing conditions, data on growth potential from the northern half of the state and the I-29 corridor, she will explore practical strategies to extend the grazing season into winter.
She’ll discuss approaches for maximizing available forage, including management techniques and system adaptations that support livestock performance during the colder months for Siouxland.
Gruss is an assistant professor and forage Extension specialist. Gruss joined the Iowa State University Department of agronomy in November 2023. In her role she covers forage management: Hay, pasture and silage.
Amber Friedrichsen will provide the hay market report from what she is seeing across the country and across the country. She will discuss the impact of high cattle prices, weather and other plant pressures in her discussion.
She is managing editor for Hay & Forage Grower. Amber Friedrichsen joined the Hay & Forage Grower staff as an associate editor in May 2023. In July 2024, she has assumed the role of managing editor. Friedrichsen also served as the editorial intern in 2021 and 2022. She graduated from Iowa State University in May 2023 with a double major in agricultural communication and agronomy. Friedrichsen grew up and worked on her family’s diversified crop and livestock farm in eastern Iowa near Clinton.
There is no fee to participate in the webinar; however, registration is required at least one hour before the webinar. Register online at:
Due to requests from participants who want to document education in our webinars, beginning in January 2026 requests for a “Certificate of Attendance” will be available when requested with the registration. There is a requirement to be logged on to each webinar for at least 85% of the total minutes of the program. With the requirements met, you will receive an email to collect the charge. Each certificate will be $5 to cover the cost of handling and shipping.
For more information contact: in Iowa, Fred M. Hall, 712-737-4230; in Minnesota, Jim Salfer, 320-203-6093; or in South Dakota, Sara Bauder, 605-995-7378; or in Nebraska Ben Beckman, 402-254-6821 or Kortney Harpestad, 402-472-3571.
