Ohlde Family Farms, based near Firth, Nebraska, has been busy with silage chopping this season.
Levi Ohlde, who helps manage the family-owned operation, reports that they have been at it for nearly three weeks. After beginning their chopping in Kansas, the team moved north and has been working through irrigated fields in southeast Nebraska.
“The crop conditions are good, especially on irrigated fields, and it’s probably the best feed we’ve seen since we started managing Prairieland Dairy in 2019,” Levi said.
Operating two choppers and using eight semis to transport the silage, he said the team is making steady progress despite some dry conditions. While the dry ground makes moving equipment easier, the focus remains on achieving the ideal moisture content for perfect silage.
Levi explained that they aim for whole plant moisture between 63% and 68% to ensure quality feed, with an emphasis on high starch levels and digestibility to support their dairy cattle.
Ohlde Family Farms relies on advanced technology in their silage operations. With GPS, row sensing, header height controls, and machine sync, both choppers share yield data and work efficiently together.
And though the days can be long, Levi says the work keeps them busy and engaged. The farm also turns to the H-2A program for additional labor to manage the workload during the busy season.
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