Spring frost, summer drought and competition for land have reduced the supply of many forage seeds for next spring. So if you expect to plant new pasture, hay or even ornamental forages next year, order your seeds early.

Bruce Anderson, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension forage specialist, says alfalfa should have enough seed to meet demand, but some varieties will be in very short supply. Other legumes, like clover and birdsfoot trefoil, as well as native legumes, are in short supply, as are native warm-season grasses, as well as summer annual grasses like millet and forage sorghum.

Possibly the tightest market will be for cool-season grasses, especially or-chardgrass, but also bromegrass and some wheatgrasses, Anderson says.