Any crop is a forage crop if most of the plant makes good food for farm animals. The most important forage crops are grasses, especially bluegrass and timothy. Clover and alfalfa are also important forage crops. Bluegrass, timothy, clover, and alfalfa are good grazing crops —that is, animals may walk around over the pasture nipping off the tops of the plants. These crops make good hay, too. They can be cut, dried, and stored as winter food for stock.
Corn may also be called a forage crop. While it is green the stem, leaves, and young ears are sometimes cut into small pieces and stored in silos. The cut-up corn, or silage, stays green and makes excellent food for cattle in the wintertime. And in the fall after the corn is husked, cattle are sometimes turned into a cornfield. They eat the corn that is left and any parts of the stalks and leaves which are still good. Clover, alfalfa, and sorghums may also be packed in silos.
