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HomeNews2012 Hay Directory Available for Tennessee Livestock Producers

2012 Hay Directory Available for Tennessee Livestock Producers

Listing Serves as Helpful Drought Management Resource

The Tennessee Department of AgricultureNashville, TN – The 2012 Tennessee Hay Directory is now available to help livestock producers source locally grown forages. The directory is produced through a partnership between the Tennessee Department of Agriculture and the Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation and provides a listing of hay available for sale by county.

“With record temperatures and drought conditions, many Tennessee livestock producers are feeding hay at a time when they are normally cutting it for winter use,” state Agriculture Commissioner Julius Johnson said. “Although this is a service that we provide every year, it will be particularly helpful to farmers this year who are looking to buy or sell hay.”

The directory is available by visiting the Farm Bureau’s website at www.tnfarmbureau.org. The directory provides information on hay quantity, variety and bale type. Growers listed in the directory may also list hay quality, including percent of dry matter, protein and other nutritional values as tested through the University of Tennessee Extension.

Johnson says the Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program is helping Tennessee farmers better manage through weather extremes. “Many Tennessee producers are in a better position today to manage through drought and extreme weather because of the thousands of farm projects that have been funded across the state. This further underscores the importance of this investment in our rural economy.”

Since 2005, the department has helped farmers increase their hay and feed capacity and  improve operations by providing cost share funding for nearly 5,000 hay barns, 12,000 hay rings, 200 commodity sheds, 600 feed bins and 1,150 specialty farm projects that include irrigation systems, greenhouses and other management practices.

“Farmers are already involved in feeding this spring’s cutting of hay and with the weather outlook still remaining very dry, hay is becoming in short supply,” Tennessee Farm Bureau president Lacy Upchurch said. “We urge any farmers with hay to sell to please download an application on the Tennessee Hay Directory site or call the Tennessee Farm Bureau now. The drought is starting to take its toll on hay supplies for our livestock producers.”

Farmers with hay available for sale may place information in the Tennessee Hay Directory by downloading an application or by calling the Tennessee Farm Bureau at 931.388.7872 Ext. 2220.

Tennessee is a major producer of hay, which is used to support the state’s $1.3 billion livestock industry. In 2011, Tennessee farmers produced an estimated 3.9 million tons of hay valued at more than $332 million. Hay cutting began earlier than normal this year due to the warm spring, but many farmers have reported reduced hay yields in areas where rainfall has been inadequate.

UT Extension has launched a website that provides information and resources for farmers to help them manage through the historic and unseasonably hot and dry weather. The website at https://utextension.tennessee.edu/drought/ also includes links to Tennessee’s as well as other states’ hay directories and resources.

More information and a link to the hay directory can also be found on TDA’s website at www.tn.gov/agriculture.

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