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How To Pick ‘Em – Variety Selection

First of Four Alfalfa Livestream Webinars

December 3, 2020 • 11:00am CST

Tune in as industry specialists talk about how to pick alfalfa varieties to reach your forage goals. Some topics we’ll discuss include:

• Unlocking the selection puzzle – how to match the variety to your forage goals
• Essential questions to consider when selecting a variety
• How to evaluate ROI – what matters?
• How to mitigate risk when selecting a variety
• Advancements to improve performance

Do newer alfalfa varieties really lead to more profit?
Find out what the experts say!

Panelist Include:

• Dr. Don Miller – Director of Product Development, Alforex Seeds
  • Don is currently the Director of Product Development for Alforex Seeds and is based out of Nampa Idaho.  During his forty year career in the public and private industry, Dr. Miller has authored or co-authored numerous agricultural publications and conducted 300 plus training seminars for Universities and Grower organizations.   Dr. Miller has developed or co-developed 150 alfalfa, 6 red clover and one Teff grass variety during his plant breeding career. For the last 5 years he has been featured as the alfalfa “Ask the Alfalfa Expert” on a popular Midwest Radio Program. His most recent activities has been in the introduction of Hi-Salt®, Hi-Ton® and Hi-Gest® alfalfa technologies; and their adaption by progressive growers all across the U.S.
• Kevin Jarek – University of Wisconsin, Extension
  • Kevin Jarek currently serves as the Crops and Soils Agent in Outagamie County for the University of Wisconsin – Madison, Division of Extension. Kevin has worked in this role for the past 21 years with a primary emphasis on forage production and management. Kevin is a member of the Midwest Forage Association (MFA) and currently serves as advisor to the Outagamie Forage Council. Kevin’s research and demonstration activities have included fungicide use on alfalfa, evaluating twin-row corn silage production, evaluating improved alfalfa varieties, alfalfa seeding rates, and alternative forages. Kevin’s roots are in Wisconsin, having grown up on a dairy farm in Shawano County and earning both his Bachelors and Masters degrees in Agricultural Education from the University of Wisconsin – River Falls.
• Drew Heisey – Bovine Supply Plus, Inc., Hornell, NY
  • Drew grew up in western New York and has been part of agriculture since graduating with a Business Degree from Messiah College.   Drew wears multiples hats that focus on improving the business of agriculture for his customers.      Drew serves as President of Upstate Applications, Inc  – a warehouse fogging service that reduces spoilage and shrink loss for Potato and Onion farms in the Northeast,  and also,  Turf Masters – an application service company for residential and commercial properties.As President of Bovine Supply Plus, LLC in Hornell, NY,  Drew’s business is focused on the distribution of Corn, Soybean Small Grains and  forages – including Alforex Seeds.  Drew became interested in the seed business while working for his grandfather – Jay Heisey – who was a respected Mycogen Seed dealer in Pennsylvania.  Upon his grandfather’s retirement, Drew purchased the business and launched Bovine Supply Plus in Western New York.  Working with agronomists and nutritionists, Bovine Supply Plus is uniquely positioned to meet the desired cropping needs of western New York farms and enjoys a unique perspective of what quality forages can provide to the dairy producer.
• Mitch Sudhoff – Burtch Seed, Celina, OH
  • Mitch grew up in North West Ohio on my Family’s Dairy, Beef and Grain Farm. His family owned and operated Tri County Nutrition where we serviced producers with Nutrition Work and feed products from ADM/Moormans. Mitch started his Ag career at a young age milking cows and moving feed sacks. He graduated from Wright State University with a Bachelors Degree in Applied Science in Agriculture with an Associates Degree in Ag Business.After college Mitch pursued a career with Burtch Seed Company as a Seed Advisor with a full line of Alforex Alfalfa and forage products. He has been working with Burtch Seed Company and Alforex Seed for 6 years. Mitch is 29 years old and happily married with 2 daughters and a son. Currently, his brothers and Mitch are transitioning to owner/operators of Padua Farms Inc, where they raise 2500 head of beef, 50,000 finishing turkey’s and grain farm 2100 acres. Mitch is excited to be a fourth generation farmer where he will raise my kids on the same family farms he grew up working on.

Watch for more educational Alfalfa Livestream webinars!
The second episode airs January 7, 2021.

Four part Alfalfa Livestream webinar series brought to you by Alforex Seeds.
Partnering with Hay & Forage Grower and Hoard’s Dairymen.