The Southeastern Hay Contest continues to evolve. This year, it is undergoing a massive change!!! Since 2004, the Southeastern Hay Contest has been spotlighting high quality hay and forage production in the Southeast. The SE Hay Contest is run in conjunction with the Sunbelt Ag Expo and our winners are announced each year on the first day of the Expo. Our goal is to demonstrate the potential to produce high quality hay and baleage, showcase the management abilities of our SE growers, and highlight the technology and equipment that make it all possible! Building on the success of the first 10 years of this annual event, we are excited to announce a MAJOR EXPANSION of this contest! Massey Ferguson has joined us as the title sponsor for the SE Hay Contest! They will be providing the Grand Prize of a new Massey Ferguson RK Series rotary rake for the 2016 hay production season AND a $1000 cash prize! Additionally, Massey Ferguson will be providing the 1st Prize winner in the Warm Season Perennial Grass Category with the use of a new DM Series Professional disc mower for the 2016 hay production season! We are also excited to announce that each of the 7 categories have been sponsored by more of our industry partners (see our sponsors page). These sponsorships will provide cash awards to the top 3 places in each category (1st prize $125, 2nd prize $75, and 3rd prize $50)! Here are a few other noteworthy points:
- The SE Hay Directory (which was actually added in 2014) continues the same as last year. As time goes on, more and more people are finding that it is more economical for them to buy in high-quality forage rather than trying to make it themselves. But, connecting with producers of high-quality hay is usually the challenge. This is the niche that the SE Hay Directory fills. Read more about the SE Hay Directory on page 4 of the SE Hay Contest and Hay Directory Rules and Entry Form.
- A seventh category has been added for 2015. We split the “Perennial Peanut and Alfalfa Hay” category into two different categories to make it a fairer opportunity for our perennial peanut producers.
- To more rightfully show this is a multi-state effort (not just UGA Extension), a stand-alone website has been created for the Contest (https://sehaycontest.wordpress.com). Here is a bitly link to it: https://bit.ly/SEHayContest2015. Additionally, there has been a Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/SEHayContest) and Twitter account (https://twitter.com/SEHayContest) created. Please follow us on these social media pages and help us to promote the Contest by sharing these links.
- The deadline for entry into the SE Hay Contest is 5 p.m. on Monday, September 28, 2015. No “ifs, ands, or buts.”