Weed-free hay: Know your farmer; know your hay

By Ellen Nelson
Larimer County Weed District

The first cutting of hay is on the ground in local fields. Farmers are gambling with the weather for the optimum time to cut and bale their crop with a goal of capturing the maximum nutrition and avoiding rain that could necessitate additional drying time in the field.

Livestock owners, especially horse owners, are contacting growers and calculating how many tons they need to fill their barns for the winter.

When planning a hay purchase, consider exactly what you are bringing home to your property. Many horse owners have long-standing relationships with local hay growers and may be very familiar with the fields where their hay is produced. If you purchase hay from a neighbor, you have the added benefit of knowing the fields your hay comes from. You may drive by these fields every day, observing that the fields are well cared for, and knowing you won't be bringing noxious weeds onto your property with the hay.

One of the most significant ways that weeds are spread is through hay and forage for livestock. You may spend hundreds of dollars and thousands of hours eradicating undesirable plants from your pastures, only to bring home a bale of hay that could introduce noxious weeds. The seeds may fall out of the hay as you move it and as you feed it, they may be dispersed by wind and water, and they may be ingested by your horse and pass through in manure to infest your entire pasture.

The certified weed-free forage program is implemented by the Colorado Department of Agriculture and is a way for those of us who are unable to purchase hay from fields that we are intimately familiar with to "Know Our Farmer." The certification assures the buyer that the fields have been inspected prior to harvest, and that there are no propagative plant parts of noxious weeds present in the hay. The Colorado Department of Agriculture web site has a list of certified producers throughout the state.

Certified hay will cost more, but ask anyone who has bought hay from an unknown source, and the following year found a new weed in their pastures, about the real costs of "cheap hay."

The Larimer County Weed District is actively working with producers that have noxious weeds in their hayfields to help them control and eradicate these weeds. Most producers are eager to learn about new herbicides that are effective against invasive and difficult to control weeds, such as leafy spurge and Canada thistle.

Unfortunately, there are still sales of hay from fields infested with noxious weeds. Even during transport, noxious weed seeds can be distributed as this hay moves along roads and highways.

Consumers are participating in programs designed around the concept of "Know Your Farmer –Know Your Food." These programs emphasize supporting local food economies and keeping dollars in the community. These concepts are doubly important when managing forage purchases to keep pastures free of noxious weeds.

If you must purchase hay from an unknown source, or at an auction, insist on certified weed-free forage; it's just another way to "Know Your Farmer."

For more information on weeds, weed identification, pasture management, herbicide recommendations and site visits, contact the Larimer County Weed District at 498-5768.