Hay is big business! It’s made in every province in Canada, and in every state in the United States.

Hay is as old as farming itself. Well over 2,000 years ago the Roman agricultural writer, Columella, described making hay as "throwing hay loosely together for a few days to heat and concoct itself and then cool before putting into the mow."

Ever since that time, farmers have been striving to improve hay making methods. But by 1850 "modern" hay making tools still consisted only of scythes and forks.

But it was in the 1950s, with the help of scientists and engineers, that roughage was transformed into forage, forage into hay, and hay into a dependable, efficient, and profitable crop. And it has been in the past 25 years that major changes have occurred in packaging, preserving, measuring quality, feeding and marketing this crop.

In recent years the big rectangular baler has gained popularity.

Alfalfa is the most important forage legume grown in Canada and the United States, and for good reason. Alfalfa has the highest yield potential of any adapted perennial forage legume. It is also the most popular crop for dairy farmers because of the high protein content. It also provides energy, minerals, vitamins, and has a high substitution value for grain.

Alfalfa is a versatile crop, which can be used for pasture, hay, silage, green-chop, soil improvements, soil conservation and human consumption. In addition, it is grown over a wide range of soil and climatic conditions.

It always puzzles me why some people treat hay as if it’s a weed. A few years ago, hay was in short supply in eastern Ontario and it had to be brought in from other areas of the province. Many livestock farmers had to buy expensive, and in many cases, poor quality hay.

This summer, farmers in Saskatchewan and Alberta are facing the worst drought in 133 years. It’s a huge disaster for the western cattle ranchers. They have large numbers of cattle and will have to feed them imported hay until the growing season next year.

Eastern Ontario farmers have been blessed with a bumper crop and are proud to donate extra hay for Hay West. But as it was pointed out in media stories, the hay is only a drop in the bucket of what western farmers need. Many hay fields in eastern Ontario won’t be cut because there is a bumper crop of hay everywhere. And a lot of hay will spoil and rot because there are no buyers. What a shame!

If you farmed in Renfrew County in the mid-1960s, you’ll remember we had three terribly dry summers. Farmers either sold their cattle for rock bottom prices or imported expensive hay. It taught me to never take hay for granted. Make lots of high quality hay and store the extra hay — it will come in handy sometime.

The one vital step in making high quality hay is the manner in which the hay is harvested and handled. The major consideration is to dry the forage quickly and save the leaves. The leaves of a legume hay are the high protein low fibre portion of the plant.

The important rule is "do not rake or bale when the plants are too dry and brittle."

Poor hay curing conditions are at least as great a concern as the concern for hay being too dry when handled. Hay not properly dried (having 18 to 22 per cent moisture or more, depending on the bale density) will often develop mold, which dramatically reduces its suitability as a cash crop, particularly for the horses.

Many farmers use preservatives, such as propionic acid, as aids in reducing molds in hay. Organic acids also allows baling at a slightly higher moisture levels, thus reducing the likelihood of rain damage and allowing retention of more leaves.