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Staff Reports

MACON, Ga. – Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB) is accepting entries of Bermudagrass hay until
Oct. 31 for its 2023 GFB Quality Hay Contest. Hay entered in the contest will be tested at a
University of Georgia lab using the Relative Forage Quality (RFQ) Test, which provides an
analysis of the nutritional value of the hay. Winners will be determined by the RFQ analysis.
Winners will be announced at the GFB convention in December. Prizes will be presented to
the top five producers. The first-place winner will receive the free use of a Vermeer mid-sized
trailed mower for one year, courtesy of the Vermeer Corporation. The winner will have the
option to purchase the mower at a reduced price at the end of the year.
Contest rules, applications and instructions for submitting samples are available at the
Wilcox County or Crisp County Farm Bureau offices or may be downloaded at
www.gfb.ag/HayContest. All hay entered must have been grown in Georgia on a field with at
least 25 days of maturity or regrowth. Hay samples should be naturally dried in the field and
taken from the center of at least five different bales (rolls or squares) that come from the same
field. Contestants must be a Georgia Farm Bureau member to enter the contest.
There is a $20 entry fee for each sample entered in the contest to cover the cost of the lab
analysis. Hay producers may enter more than one sample and will receive RFQ analysis for all
samples submitted. Contestants submitting multiple samples, however, may only place in the
contest’s top five for the sample with the highest RFQ score.
Checks to cover the entry fee should be made payable to Georgia Farm Bureau. Entry fees,
forms and samples should be sent to the GFB Public Policy Department 1620 Bass Road Macon,
Ga., 31210. Entry fees, forms and samples may also be taken to your county Farm Bureau office.
Previous first-place winners of the GFB Hay Contest may enter their samples for the purpose
of having them officially analyzed but are not eligible to win any prizes in the contest for five
years after winning.
GFB is also accepting listings for its online hay directory. Farm Bureau members with hay
for sale or who offer custom harvesting or custom sprigging services are invited to list their hay

and/or services in the GFB Quality Hay Directory published on the GFB website. Hay for sale or
services can be listed or removed from the directory throughout the year.
To be included in GFB’s online hay directory, complete a submission form by visiting your
county Farm Bureau office or online at www.gfb.ag/hay . Hay producers who enter the GFB
Quality Hay Contest receive a free listing in the GFB Hay Directory. Hay producers who don’t
enter the hay contest but would like to list their hay for sale should include a $10 check made
payable to Georgia Farm Bureau for each listing of hay, custom harvesting or custom sprigging.
Multiple listings are allowed.