Green Fields :
It ’ s Not Just Grass
Story and Photos by melane kinney hoffmann
Whether you are driving , running , or cycling along the Ag Reserve ’ s scenic rural roads , the wide expanses of waving green grasses that line your path for much of the late spring and summer are beautiful to the eye and the soul . What looks like tall , lush lawn to the uninitiated , however , is actually the result of the hard work of the Ag Reserve ’ s numerous hay farmers . Those green fields provide the food that sustains the thousands of cows , horses , sheep , and goats in the County . What looks simply like fields of green grass in fact is a complex crop . Hay is a linchpin for any rural community that values livestock .
If you enjoy buying local beef , pork , or lamb , or you are one of the many hundreds of people who live in an urban or suburban area and board a horse or two in the Ag Reserve , do you know where their hay comes from ? Do you know how it is produced , and how much they eat , and how that varies by season as pasture grass growth changes ? In yet another example of the many benefits of the “ buy local ” movement , that major source of food is both produced by farmers nearby , and consumed by animals here , reducing the expense and carbon footprint of long-distance shipping of such a large , heavy , and bulky food product .
Montgomery County Office of Agriculture data shows that more than 160 farms in the County grow various types of hay on about 7500 acres . They produce almost 16,000 tons per year . Hay is typically bound up into “ square ” bales ( actually rectangular ), with from 7 to as many as 20 “ flakes ” that can be separated , or the large round bales you often see in rows along the edge of fields after they are cut , baled , and moved for storage . Types of hay eaten by livestock include Timothy , Orchard Grass , and less commonly , clover and alfalfa . Hay makes up the majority of a horse ’ s or cow ’ s diet in the winter months when pastures are dormant , and an average horse eats 15 to 25 pounds of hay per day , or about half a square bale , depending on the horse ’ s size , breed , and
plenty I summer growing 2024 15