The University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment is pleased to announce an immersive hands-on learning experience for hay producers. The workshop "Producing Hay for Horse Markets: Quality Hay Takes Effort" will occur June 27 at Judge Farms in Carlisle, Kentucky. 

"This workshop will help hay producers better understand what horse owners are looking for in their hay and how to measure quality on their farms," said Ray Smith, UK Department of Plant and Soil Sciences extension professor and state forage specialist. “Participants will also see innovative technologies, such as seeding pastures using drones, and hear the latest research from the UK Forage Extension Program team.” 

Geared towards enhancing hay producers’ skills, the program will provide practical insights into improving hay quality with a specific focus on the needs of horse owners. The workshop will cover key topics such as effective marketing strategies for hay, innovative methods for seeding alfalfa hay fields using drones and in-field demonstrations on harvesting top-quality hay. 

James Judge, owner of Judge Farms, will showcase how he efficiently utilizes small, irregular fields on ridgetops in northern Kentucky to produce premium alfalfa hay. Additionally, he will demonstrate the latest advancements in drone technology for seeding, spraying and fertilizing. 

Registration is open until June 24 and begins at 5:30 p.m. on the event day. A meal will be served at 6 p.m. followed by informational meetings and demonstrations until 8 p.m. The cost is $10 per participant. Attendees are encouraged to RSVP by visiting https://tinyurl.com/QualityHay and bringing the registration fee to the event.  

For more information about the UK Forage Extension Program and its resources, visit https://forages.ca.uky.edu. 

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Writer: Jordan Strickler, jstrickler@uky.edu                                                                                           

The Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment is an Equal Opportunity Organization with respect to education and employment and authorization to provide research, education information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function without regard to economic or social status and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information, age, veteran status, physical or mental disability or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.