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Timely Topics
Hay production in Rockbridge County is an important land use choice and it has implications for all residents, hence this column’s title. Your columnist addresses some aspect of hay production regularly in this space because land devoted to hay production in Rockbridge plays an outsized role in the expectations many have of our landscape in Rockbridge.
Our county’s scenic beauty is an important factor that makes Rockbridge a destination for people and the commerce that comes with them. According to the 2022 Census of Agriculture, the 22,176 acres of Rockbridge devoted to hay production makes up about 17% of the open land in our viewsheds and serves a critical role in supporting the 49% of our open views that are utilized as pasture. Think of the Rockbridge landscapes you have seen painted or photographed, how many feature round bales of hay somewhere in the image?
Many of the acres in Rockbridge devoted to hay production are owned by someone who does not harvest hay or otherwise farm. These landowners have a farmer harvest hay from their acreage who then moves the hay and feeds it to livestock kept at another location. The non-farming landowner, in most cases, can then qualify for agricultural use-value assessment for real estate tax purposes, allowing the landowner to realize a substantial savings in real estate tax.
But the economics of hay production has gotten steadily worse over the years with equipment costs inflating at a rate four or five times faster than the value of the hay. More farmer-landowner discussions are going to take place regarding the viability of some hay meadows due to their relatively small size or remote location.
The last week of January will provide a great opportunity for anyone interested in gaining a better understanding of the most current hay production practices, technology, and utilization strategies. The annual Virginia Forage and Grasslands Winter Conference is being offered at four different locations around the state Jan. 28-31 with a livestreaming viewing option available on Jan. 31.
Featured speakers include Chris Teutsch, Extension forage specialist with University of Kentucky, and Jessica Williamson, hay and forage specialist for Massey Ferguson Agricultural Equipment Corporation, as well as a panel of local hay producers at each conference location.
The closest conference location to Rockbridge will be Weyers Cave on Friday, Jan. 31, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Cost of the program is $50 and includes lunch and printed materials from the conference. To register, learn more about the conference, and see other attendance options, go to vaforages.org and click on “Events” and then “2025 Winter Forage Conference.” If you cannot access this information electronically, contact Tom Stanley through the Rockbridge Extension office at (540) 463-4734 or by email at [email protected] for more information and assistance registering.
