Preparation can be the difference between a productive hay season and a stressful one. That’s why it’s important to start preparing now to maximize both yield and forage quality, according to John Deere marketing manager Jaylene Ballesteros.
To get the most from your equipment, she says it’s helpful to establish goals for the season. Ask yourself: Are you planning to feed hay to your own herd? Are you selling it? Is it going into a silage program?
“At John Deere, we have a diverse portfolio of technology and offer several crop-processing features that can help you meet your goals, no matter your operation size or type,” Ballesteros said.
For Iowa producer Scott Birker, making high-quality hay to feed his cow-calf herd is his main goal for the season. He shares that good forage management pays off when it comes to cattle health and productivity.
“It makes calving and weaning easier. It really makes everything easier when you start with high-quality forages,” he said.
Birker uses a John Deere 1 series round baler with gate speed and weave automation. Weave automation is a recently launched baler feature designed to help streamline the baling process by automatically weaving the baler over the windrow to consistently create square-shouldered bales. It also enhances feed quality by minimizing potential contamination of debris that can be introduced by driving over windrows.
“Our goal is to make sure producers have confidence in their haying equipment, so no matter the time frame, circumstances or who’s in the seat, they can expect a consistent, quality-made round bale every time, with less operation input,” Ballesteros said.
Birker works closely with his local John Deere dealer to ensure equipment is ready for the season and to identify opportunities for improvement. He plans to pinpoint the highest-yielding areas within the hayfields to further maximize production this year.
“If you’re interested in deeper-yield data to know if your investments on inputs are paying off, or you are simply looking to track your bale count and moisture, setting up your equipment ahead of time is the best way to ensure you meet your goals,” Ballesteros says. “Whether that’s adding precision technology to your existing equipment or it’s with new equipment that you just purchased, your John Deere dealer can help ensure you’re set up for success.”
Limiting weeds also improves the quality of harvested forage.
“Everyone’s situation is worthy of being discussed, because every producer has unique needs that are far more than just ‘I want to kill weeds dead,’” said Abe Smith, range and pasture specialist with Corteva Agriscience. “It’s about trying to meet the long-term goals for that operation.”
Noxious weeds like thistle, ragweed and horsenettle can quickly reduce the productivity of pastures and hayfields, making early control key to limit lasting impacts. “The only way you put pounds of beef across the scale is by putting pounds of forage on that pasture,” Smith said.
The Let’s Talk Grazing and Raising event, hosted by Corteva Agriscience, John Deere and Zoetis, was held during National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s 2026 Cattle Industry Convention in Nashville, Tennessee.
