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In the News - February 2008
Arkansans top haymakers at national forage conference

Perennial Favorites- Harold and Jimmie Lee Sitlington of Springdale take a break during mid-summer harvest of 2007. As participants in the county’s Quality Forage program, Sitlington Farms always contends for top awards in the national AFGC Bermuda hay contest. Photo by Robert Seay

BENTONVILLE, Ark. - Arkansas growers walked away with the top three awards in the Bermuda Hay Division of the 2008 American Forage and Grassland Conference.

Benton County Agent Robert Seay with the U of A Cooperative Extension Service said that over the last eight years, producers in the "Quality Forage" project, sponsored locally and by the University of Arkansas, captured the top award as well as 21 of the 23 Bermuda hay quality awards presented by the AFGC, held in Lexington, Ky.

The national award winner this year was Paul Arnold of Pea Ridge with a Greenfield variety entry. A Greenfield variety entry has been the top award winner each year.

"This entry was possibly the highest quality Bermuda hay ever produced in Arkansas and the nation with a score of 22 percent Crude Protein, 73 percent total digestible nutrients, a Relative Feed Value of 149 and Relative Feed Quality of 179," said Seay.

Second place went to Jack Kelly of Pea Ridge with a Vaughn’s Bermuda variety entry. Third place award was presented to Billy Sitlington of Springdale with a Greenfield variety entry. Sitlington has been one of the most consistent national contestants, having won the AFGC contest in 2003 and placing second on two occasions.

Other "Quality Forage" producers placing in the Top 10 were: Jim Singleton of Maysville; David Holcombe of Jay, Okla.; Larry Miser of Pea Ridge; Sherrill Dodd of Garfield and Wally Millsap of Gentry..

The local Quality Forage program, which began in 1998, is also sponsored by many agri-businesses which have helped to make it a "one-of-a-kind" project, according to Seay.

Producer accomplishments in areas of yield, quality, fertilizer efficiency and environmental management practices over the last 10 years continue to receive local, area and national attention, the agent said.

For more information on the Quality Forage program or its participating producers contact Seay at (479) 271-1060 or rseay@uaex.edu.

The Cooperative Extension Service is part of the U of A Division of Agriculture.

February 22, 2008

Media Contact: Lamar James
Extension Communications Specialists
U of A Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
(501) 671-2187 or (501) 753-0207
ljames@uaex.edu

Related Link

• Forage and Pasture