“Knowing just the right time to harvest hay can mean improved feed quality. The goal of this program is to give growers real-time hay sample analysis results to help them make the best decisions for harvest times on their operations,” notes Laurie Lancaster, AgSource Laboratories laboratory manager.
Fresh cut hay samples are taken by AgSource staff or by grower contributors. Samples travel straight from the field to the laboratory, which means they often have no source contamination, plant stress or mechanical loss issues. Growers are also invited to stop by the lab with samples.
The results are considered reliable but are not exact measurements of harvested feed quality. AgSource Laboratories, located in Jerome, Idaho, and formerly known as North West Labs, has been providing this free service for the past eight years.
Haywatch results for the 2013 season should be available beginning in April.
There are nine drop box locations, from Mountain Home to Paul. Prepaid mailers for free shipping are available to customers beyond the drop box regions.
To provide the best representation of multiple areas, AgSource Laboratories accepts samples from the Magic Valley, Treasure Valley and beyond. FG
—From AgSource Laboratories news release
