Hay and pasture production is a leading component of agriculture production in Elliott County. According to the 2017 United States Department of Agriculture Statistics Service data indicated 20,500 tons of hay are harvested on approximately 7,900 acres of farm land in the county. Therefore, the Elliott County Agriculture Council and CEA for ANR felt that forage testing was essential for the farmers in Elliott County and signed up to participate in the East Kentucky Hay Contest for the second consecutive year.

Hay samples were collected by Elliott County ANR agent, Keith Center, with assistance from members of the Elliott County Ag Council, Jimmy K. Rice, John Whitley and Glen Willie Skaggs, as well as members of the Elliott County High School FFA Chapter, Taylor Whitley, Aaron Adams and Garrett Barker, from October 1-19, 2018. Producers had the opportunity to submit samples in the following categories: Hay Class (Alfalfa, Alfalfa/Grass, Mixed, Grass and Summer Annual) Silage Class (Alfalfa, Alfalfa/Grass, Mixed, Grass, Small Grain and Summer Annual). Participation increased in Elliott County from 15 producers submitting 27 hay samples in the Hay class (grass or mixed hay) in 2017 to 38 producers submitting 73 hay samples in 2018, in the Hay Class (grass or mixed hay) and silage class (grass or mixed silage). Grass hay/silage is defined as grass that contains less than 10% legumes whereas mixed hay/silage is defined as grass that contains between 10% - 80% clover. Samples were delivered by ANR agent (Keith Center) to the Robinson Center for Appalachian Resource Sustainability (RCARS) in Jackson, Kentucky on October 22, 2018 to be analyzed by Dr. Tom Keene, University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Agronomy Specialist in Plant and Soil Science and the Kentucky Department of Agriculture Forage Testing team member’s (Kim and Pam).

Four hundred and ninety-five samples were submitted from 15 counties in the 2018 East Kentucky Hay Contest, making it the largest amount of samples collected in the contest history! Elliott County had the second most samples submitted for the contest with 73 samples while Carter County submitted the most samples with 118. Elliott County had three producers place in the top 10 in the grass hay division, two producers place in the top 10 in the mixed grass hay division as Donnie Rose placed first in the mixed grass hay division overall! Two producers placed in the top 10 in the grass haylage division, and three producers placed in the top 10 in the mixed haylage division with Glen Lyons placing 3^rd overall in the division. On October 26, 2018 the East Kentucky Hay Contest Results were revealed to all participants at Younce Farm in Johnson County. An event will be planned later in November for all the participants of Elliott County to get together and be recognized for their accomplishments and be presented their awards!