Ray and Stephanie Tucker and their son Nathan farm 5000 acres in north central Kentucky, an 8th generation farm family.

When it comes to grass hay and pasture production, early-season management sets the tone for the entire year. What happens at green-up influences stand density, forage response, nutrient efficiency, and ultimately how much you can get out of every acre. Building a strong forage program isn’t about chasing a single pass or product. It’s about supporting soil function, nutrient availability, and plant health from the start. If soil conditions or nutrient availability limit growth at green-up, those challenges can carry through the rest of the season and impact both yield and forage quality.  That’s why many hay and pasture growers focus on programs that support early nutrient efficiency and soil function — not fertilizer alone. In many hay and pasture systems, early fertility focuses heavily on nitrogen to drive growth. While nitrogen can increase biomass, it doesn’t always improve forage quality or feed value. Bigger plants don’t automatically mean better hay. In some cases, bulk without balance can lead to more waste and less efficient utilization.

Applied together, EARTHQUAKE Liquid Humic and Forage Factor are Farmer-Proven to be effective and give your hay fields and pastures the growth, density, and quality you want!

Have you ever asked yourself … “How much of the fertilizer I applied, is actually getting utilized by the crop?” We recommend a base saturation soil test and to amend accordingly. And we also suggest THINK SOIL FIRST!

To best answer this question, it helps to understand the process of humification. Humification is the natural conversion of organic matter into humic substances by microorganisms in the soil.

The microbes in your soil contribute to: breaking down organic matter, increasing the availability of nutrients, carbon sequestration, moisture retention, drainage, soil structure, and suppression of pests and pathogens. They work hand-in-hand with root systems!

2025 will be year number five in Texas for Sugar Creek Ag. Growing grass in the Lone Star State can be difficult, whether it is too wet or, more times than not … too dry!