For individuals like me who depend on the local market for hay, it is always a welcome sight to see the first cutting and baling of hay complete on Carroll County farms. Weather permitting, area farmers usually begin to make their first cutting of hay during the middle of May. With an optimistic hope for sufficient rainfall, this will be the first of four cuttings from mid-May through mid-October.

With hay fields spread throughout our area ranging in size from two acres up to 50 acres, the magnitude of hay production for Carroll County is not always noticeable. The fact is, however, these fields of varying size add up to more than 5,000 acres of well-managed farm land. Along with being some of the most beautiful acreage in our county, these fields produce 4 to 6 tons of hay per acre, or an estimated yield of 30,000 tons annually.

The different grasses producing this hay yield are fescue, bermuda, orchard, annual rye, or rye grass. Many fields are intermixed with white or red clover. Some hay fields have been invaded by the unpopular plant Kudzu and are mowed with the Kudzu-grass combination making a very suitable hay.

Lespedeza, which is a common and popular forage for our area, is part of our area’s combined hay crop as well. While other well-known grasses for hay production, such as bahia, timothy and alfalfa, are not totally suited for our area, these grasses in the form of hay are many times shipped in from other states to meet our local hay demand.

This agricultural product is a multi-million dollar business for our local economy. With products needed such as fuel, lime, fertilizer, herbicides and equipment to produce hay, the dollar value of this product is very significant to our local economy. Hay production is needed to meet a growing demand since our county is in the top two or three in the state for cattle numbers and production, and in the top 10 for Georgia for horses. Add sheep, goats and donkeys to the overall animal picture for our area, and it is then easy to see why hay production is so important for Carroll County.

(Taylor is a Carroll County resident and local forester.)