The 2017 growing season has been one of extremes. As I write this column, the region of drought stress is growing across the state. Other parts of Iowa and the Midwest have seen excess rains and flooding, and hail damage has taken a few wide swaths across some counties.

The result is that some cattle producers may be short on feed because they used some of the feed supply normally fed in the winter for cows on pasture to get them through this summer.

Many producers were able to harvest a very good first cutting of hay. And, there are some that have salvaged their corn crop through silage harvest and have an abundance of very high quality feed available....