With the large amount of rain Maine has experienced this summer, it has been a challenge to produce quality hay for Maine’s livestock industry. If hay growers did not take advantage of excellent weather for dry hay production at the end of May and very early part of June, they are now faced with crops that are of low nutritional quality and weather patterns that are not conducive to good drying.

“Many livestock owners purchase their hay from other growers,” says Rick Kersbergen of the Cooperative Extension faculty in Waldo County. “Supplies may be low this year due to the weather.”

University of Maine Cooperative Extension maintains a “hay directory” for producers looking to market their hay and for livestock farmers looking to purchase hay. The website https://www.umext.maine.edu/Waldo/hay/ is currently being revised for 2009. Growers who have hay for sale can contact the UMaine Extension Waldo County office by calling 800/287-1426 to be added to the directory. There is also a form available on the Web site for updates. Inquires can be directed to Sonia Antunes at santunes@umext.maine.edu.

University of Maine Cooperative Extension also offers numerous resources for growers and purchasers of hay and hay products. The listing of resources includes information on hay quality, testing labs, sampling as well as equine fact sheets, online at https://www.umaine.edu/livestock/hay.htm