Purdue News

October 30, 1998 Hoosier haylift inventory builds, hay to move soon WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- The generosity of Indiana hay producers has swelled the Hoosier Haylift inventory to the point where trucks will be starting for Oklahoma ahead of schedule. Since the kickoff Sept. 29, Indiana hay producers from 30 counties have pledged a total of 13,000 small square bales, 252 small round bales, and 1,320 large round bales, said Joe Pearson, Indiana's assistant commissioner of agriculture. The Hoosier Haylift is a relief effort intended to help Oklahoma and Texas cattle producers who had feed supplies wiped out by what may become a year-long drought. Many producers there are faced with either selling out herds they have spent decades developing or going broke feeding them. The first hay shipments are earmarked for Oklahoma, where the state department of agriculture has a system for equitably distributing the hay to needy producers. With so much hay already on hand in Indiana, Pearson said he had stepped up efforts to secure donated trucks and drivers as well as cash donations to help get the hay to where the cattle are. The initial plan was to start shipping hay in late November. The Indiana Forage Council has agreed to handle any monetary donations from those who have no hay but want to help. Checks payable to HAY LIFT should be sent to Hoosier Hay Lift, c/o Indiana Forage Council Inc., P.O. Box 66830, Indianapolis, IN 46266-6830. Organizations and individuals that want to offer transportation should call the Office of the Commissioner of Agriculture, (317) 232-8770. Purdue Cooperative Extension Service educators and Farm Service Agency staff are sharing county coordination duties in accepting hay pledges, arranging volunteer labor for loading, and promoting the effort. Purdue Extension forage specialist Keith Johnson said the amount of hay already pledged is significant, but more will be needed. Pledges will be taken until Thanksgiving, and hay will be shipped until Christmas. The donations are intended to help overwinter cattle herds. "Recent rains in Oklahoma and Texas will help winter annual forage growth, but cattle won't be able to graze those fields until March," Johnson said. "There's still a long period of time left that those cattle will need feed." Partners in the Hoosier Haylift are the AgriAmerica Radio Network, Indiana Agri-News, Indiana FFA, Indiana Farm Bureau Inc., Office of the Commissioner of Agriculture, Purdue Cooperative Extension Service and the USDA Farm Service Agency. Producers can call 888-EXT-INFO (888-398-4636) to get the phone number of the county coordinator in their area. A Hoosier Haylift Web page with more information on donating and a list of hay pledges by county has been created at https://www.anr.ces.purdue.edu/HAY/hay.html. Pledges have been received from Benton, Cass, Clark, Clinton, Daviess, DeKalb, Delaware, Dubois, Elkhart, Franklin, Grant, Jasper, Kosciusko, Lagrange, Marshall, Miami, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Noble, Porter, Pulaski, Randolph, Shelby, Sullivan, Switzerland, Tippecanoe, Wabash, Warrick and Wayne counties. CONTACTS: Pearson, (317) 232-8770; Johnson, (765) 494-4800; e-mail, johnsonk@ces.purdue.edu Compiled by Chris Sigurdson, (765) 494-8415; E-mail, sig@ecn.purdue.edu Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; e-mail, purduenews@purdue.edu To the Purdue News and Photos Page