UK Specialist/Agent/Industry Partnership Results in successful hay day at the Robinson Center for Appalachian Resource Sustainability: Improving Hay quality for the producer and consumer in Eastern Kentucky

UK Personnel Involved: Jimmy Henning, Bob Coleman, Jessica Morris, Reed Graham, Charles May, Sarah Fanin, Paul Sizemore, Wade Turner, Daniel Wilson

Producing high quality hay has been a priority of many hay and livestock producers in Eastern Kentucky for over two decades as a result of the successful East Kentucky Hay Contest. Over recent years a large percentage of our primary hay ground has been affected and/or damaged by flood waters. Experiencing this has led to specialist, agents, area equipment representatives and producers to join together to establish a program to educate area producers on ways the quality of the hay can be improved through the use of proper techniques and equipment. On June 1, a program called Hay 101 designed around hands on experience, was held at UK's Robinson Center for Appalachian Resource Sustainability in Jackson, KY. The evening began in the hay field as area equipment dealers Chad Allen and Todd Holbrook highlighted and demonstrated how to properly use the equipment in the hay field. They were accompanied by Dr. Jimmy Henning who incorporated the science behind why certain techniques improve overall hay quality. The economics of equipment choices as well as choosing the appropriate equipment for your operation were the key points shared with producers. After the field work was complete we met with Dr. Bob Coleman at the auditorium on sight to discuss the importance of hay sampling and how to read those results. Dr. Coleman also shared what values were critical to producers and consumers. To aide in his discussion, Dr. Coleman and Dr. Henning had different bales there that had been tested and the group was led through visuals and results for each bale. To conclude the program a survey was conducted by the agents. 

Results indicated that of those surveyed, 

-100% of participants learned something new that will better their hay quality. 

-100% of participants will implement something new they learned at this program on their own operation to improve hay quality.

-100% of participants after this program will evaluate the equipment that they will use and match it appropriately to the task they are going to do. 

-50% of participants will utilize a forage test on their hay this year that have not before.