AG NEWS
October 2007
Agent Column
Submitted by: Jennifer L. Conte
Extension Program Educator
CCE Equine
HEY! We need HAY!!
Do you have hay??? Do you need hay?? Well CCE Equine is here to help. I am sure you have heard the term “hay burners”? I know I do all the time when I am out meeting new people in the agricultural community and I tell them I work in the horse program - they get a disappointed, glazed look on their face and say “oh you work with hay burners”. CCE Equine is hoping to make “burning hay” into a good thing by creating hay resource network that will benefit all farmers.
I get phone calls or emails about hay and straw for horses almost every day. Hay is in high demand right now. A few weeks ago I saw an article about the State of Maryland Department of Agriculture creating a “Hay and Straw Directory” for the entire state addressing the needs of their farmers by creating a list of farms offering hay for sale. They divided the farms by counties in their state so people could find the farms that sell and grow hay in their area. This plan inspired me.
Horse owners in our area are in need of hay and don’t know where to get it. Farmers who don’t traditionally sell to horse operations have an untapped market out there. Saratoga County has the largest number of horses of any county in the state of New York. Washington County’s horses have gone up by 44% in 5 years. That is whole lot of hay burning, considering the average horse eats 20-25lbs of hay per day.
Here is a great chance to create a network that will benefit all of the ag community.
CCE Equine is creating list on their website,www.cceequine.org., of services for all farmers. The first one of these will be the “hay for sale” listing. This list will be updated periodically. If you have hay to sell and would like to be listed on a website for FREE please contact me at or at 885-8995 and you will be added. We will also send out an email to our e-list that has over 1,000 members. You will get calls!!
Please send me your contact information: how best to reach you; address, phone number, cell number and email. I also need to know your hay type, size of bales, whether you deliver. Price is not necessary as it fluctuates. Snail mail, email or call me with your information. The horses and I are looking forward to hearing from you!