MACON – Georgia Farm Bureau is accepting entries of dry Bermudagrass hay, any variety, until October 30 for the organization’s 35th Annual Quality Hay Contest.
Hay entered in the contest will be tested at a University of Georgia lab using the Relative Forage Quality Test, which provides an analysis of the nutritional value of the hay. Winners will be determined by the RFQ analysis.
Winners will be announced at the GFB convention in December. Prizes will be presented to the top five producers.
The first-place winner will receive the free use of a Vermeer wheel rake for one year, courtesy of the Vermeer Corporation. The winner will have the option to buy the rake at a reduced price at the end of the year.
“If you grow any variety of Bermudagrass hay, entering this contest is a great way to have the nutritional quality of your hay analyzed,” said Ware County Farm Bureau President Victor Aldridge, Sr. “Everyone who enters hay samples in this contest will benefit from learning what management adjustments they can make to their hay fields to improve the quality of their hay.”
Contest rules, applications and instructions for submitting samples are available at the Ware County Farm Bureau office or may be downloaded by visiting www.gfb.ag/Hay-Contest.
All hay entered must have been grown in Georgia on a field with at least 25 days of maturity or regrowth. Hay samples should be naturally dried in the field.
Any sample with moisture above 18 percent will be disqualified. Any samples with nitrates above 4,500 parts per million will be disqualified.
Fill a one-gallon, zip-lock bag with hay taken from the center of at least five different bales (rolls or squares) that come from the same field and cut under uniform conditions. Hay samples should be taken with a hay probe.
Contact your county UGA Extension office if you need a probe or assistance taking samples.
Contestants must be a GFB member to enter and have their own membership number. If you aren’t a member, you may join at the county GFB office or at https://www.gfb.org/join/jointoday.
Hay producers may enter more than one sample and will receive RFQ analysis for all samples submitted. There is a $25 entry fee for each sample entered to cover the cost of the lab analysis.
Contestants submitting multiple samples, however, may only place in the contest’s top five for their sample with the highest RFQ score.
Checks to cover the entry fee should be made payable to GFB. Entry fees, forms and samples should be sent to the GFB Public Policy Department 1620 Bass Road Macon, Ga., 31210. Entry fees, forms and samples may also may be taken to your county GFB office.
Previous first-place winners of the contest may enter samples to having them officially analyzed but are not eligible for prizes for five years after winning.
Comments