As we wrap up 2025, southeast Ohio’s forage producers can look back on a year that felt like Mother Nature couldn’t make up her mind. Coming off the severe drought of 2024 that thinned stands and stressed pastures, many of us hoped for a kinder season.
Spring started promisingly with ample rainfall — some areas received up to 8 inches above normal — helping cool-season grasses green up and allowing for early grazing. Pastures recovered somewhat from the previous year’s damage, and first-cut hay yields were decent in spots where fields dried out enough to harvest.
But as summer rolled in, the script flipped. Heavy spring rains gave way to erratic patterns, with spotty showers and prolonged dry spells. August was particularly brutal, recording the driest on record in places like Athens County, with deficits of 2.5 to 3.5 inches statewide in pockets. This rapid-onset drought hit southeast Ohio hard, slowing growth, inviting weeds into weakened stands and forcing many to feed hay early or use sacrifice lots to rest pastures.
Hay quality suffered too — delayed harvests from wet spring conditions led to mature, stemmy crops with lower relative feed values, often below 100. Spotty rains meant uneven curing, and some second or third cuttings were disappointing. Weed pressure was the highest I’ve heard in years, thanks to overgrazing on stressed forages and thin spots opening the door to invasives.
Livestock producers adapted as best they could: early weaning in some cases, supplementing with stored feeds and scouting for issues like prussic acid in warm-season annuals after frosts. Many turned to resources like the new forage planting calendar from Ohio State University or fact sheets on renovating tired pastures. Emergency haying and grazing on CRP acres provided relief in drought-designated counties, and calls to extension offices spiked for advice on soil testing, fertility and rotational strategies.
Looking ahead to 2026, there’s cautious optimism. La Niña patterns suggest a variable winter with potential for above-normal precipitation, which could replenish soil moisture depleted by back-to-back dry stretches. A wetter winter would set us up nicely for spring establishment —critical after thin stands this year. Focus on soil tests now to correct pH and nutrients; southeast Ohio’s acidic soils often need lime to support legumes like clover or birdsfoot trefoil.
Plan for overseeding or full renovations in weak fields — early spring with no-till drills is ideal but watch for autotoxicity in alfalfa. Consider diverse mixes, including warm-season annuals for summer slump coverage. Rotational grazing, cross-fencing and water development will pay dividends. Programs like EQIP through NRCS can help fund improvements.
As always, your local extension educator is here to help with plans, forage testing or pasture walks. Here’s to a greener, more productive 2026; we’ve earned it after this year’s challenges.
