Hay producers in Ontario have a new opportunity to move their product across the continent and overseas.
The Ontario Hay and Forage Co-operative was formed to develop a facility that is capable of compacting large amounts of hay for long-haul transportation.
Farmers who are interested in the program must commit to a long term supply contract and a membership with the co-op.
Larry Davis is a farmer from the Brantford area who is helping to spearhead the project.
“We can ship hay in North America without too much trouble, but to move it offshore it needs to be dry. Drier than what we can make it in Ontario, so selling hay isn't a big problem as long as you're selling it in Ontario or within North America. But to move it farther than that, the moisture in the hay from Southern Ontario kind of prohibits that. So we could see that there was a little bit of a mistake, if you want to call it that, in Southern Ontario hay, and that was preventing it from opening other markets but once we get this hay so that it's dry and compressed, the world is in our hands.”
Anyone who is interested in getting involved or learning more is encouraged to connect with the organization through their Twitter page @Ontariohay or by emailing vice-chair Don Rowntree at donrowntree@hotmail.com
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Larry Davis is a farmer from the Brantford area who is helping spearhead the project.
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Davis talked about the project at this week's Forage Focus Conference in Shakespeare.
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