# Alfalfa Challenges



## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

This is another article from Hay and Forage grower about alfalfa's future with some thoughts on why alfalfa has been very slow to progress compared to other crops.....and some interesting thoughts on the future of this legume like the r&d being done in Wisconsin on developing a alfalfa harvester that separates the leaves from the stems.....with both being utilized.

Regards, Mike

http://hayandforage.com/alfalfa/facing-alfalfa-s-challenges


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## hog987 (Apr 5, 2011)

I wounder how that harvester would work?


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

hog987 said:


> I wounder how that harvester would work?


Great question. Lots of things a person could speculate on....like harvesting at higher moisture% and utilizing some sort of stripper with maybe a light drying unit for the leaves as they were processed. It would be interesting to see the r&d of this harvester.

Regards, Mike


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## hog987 (Apr 5, 2011)

I would think it would have to be something to strip the leaves when wet or would just end up with a pile of powder.


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## aawhite (Jan 16, 2012)

So could the alfalfa powder be stored in bags or a bulk bin and metered out as a high protein supplement? I have wondered about that from time to time, as we ground alfalfa into our commodity sheds and watched the cloud of green dust float away.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

There was a alfalfa plant north of here a few yrs back that striped the leaves from the hay after it was baled.They sold it as a high protein leaf product and I believe they pelleted it.

It was one of those "Value Added" projects that failed.MnVAP was the name of it at Perham,Mn.The stems were supposed to go to a power plant at Granite Falls and make electricity threw a gasification process.Anyway after they sold shares to get it going on per acre basis.And farmers planted the alfalfa,bought new hay eq,etc.The plug was pulled on the power plant refurbishing to gasification.Politics I guess they didn't get the $ they were promised.

The plant MnVAP continued to run as a pelleting plant with various products but without a good market for the stems it struggled.Along with EPA on their but about a little dust.I'm not sure what has become of it I haven't been threw there in a few yrs but it was operating at that time.They have pulled there website I noticed.

When this plant signed up farmers to grow hay selling shares alf was about $160 a ton.Well when the plant didn't take it all it flooded the market in this area with semi loads of hay ay every salebarn and the price dropped to $60 

So what looked good on paper ended up being a disaster.


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