Ag News
Georgia Farm Bureau taking Hay Contest entries until Oct. 30
Posted on Jul 22, 2026 at 14:50 PM
Want to know how your Bermudagrass hay stacks up against that of other Georgia farmers? Enter the 35th Annual Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB) Quality Bermudagrass Hay Contest by Oct. 30. In addition to bragging rights, the first-place winner will receive the free use of a Vermeer wheel rake for one year, courtesy of the Vermeer Corporation. The winner will have the option to buy the rake at a reduced price at the end of the year.
Hay entered in the contest will be tested at a University of Georgia lab using the Relative Forage Quality (RFQ) Test, which provides analysis of a hay sample’s nutritional value and expected digestibility for livestock. The RFQ score give sellers and buyers an idea of the quality of the hay they are producing or buying for their livestock. Contest winners will be determined by the RFQ analysis.
Winners will be announced at the GFB convention in December. Prizes will also be presented to the second through fifth-place winners.
“Georgia Farm Bureau is pleased to offer its annual Quality Bermudagrass Hay Contest for the thirty-fifth year,” GFB President Tom McCall said. “This contest is an example of how our organization is led by our members’ input – from the grassroots up. Georgia Farm Bureau first offered this contest in 1992 at the recommendation of the GFB Hay Advisory Committee. The purpose of the contest has always been to promote quality, Georgia-grown Bermudagrass hay and to encourage hay producers to improve their production. We’re very appreciative of the Vermeer Corporation, which has provided our first-place prize for 28 years, since 1999.”
Entry forms and complete contest rules may be picked up at your county Farm Bureau office or downloaded at www.gfb.ag/HayContest . You may also contact the GFB Public Policy Department at 1-800-342-1192 if you have any questions about the contest.
Important hay contest rules include: Only hay grown in Georgia by a GFB member is eligible. Hay samples must be taken from fields with a minimum maturity or regrowth of at least 25 days to ensure fair competition. Hay must have been dried in the field and should not be artificially dried by fans or forced air in a barn. Forage samples must be a core sample collected with a hay probe; contact your county UGA Cooperative Extension office if you need a hay probe or help taking hay samples. Any samples with moisture above 18% or nitrates above 4,500 parts per million will be disqualified.
There is a $25 fee for each entry to cover the cost of the lab test. Producers may enter more than one sample. Any producer submitting more than one sample can only place in the Top 5 with one sample – their highest scored sample – but will receive analysis for all submitted samples.
Checks 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.
Contest participants will receive a detailed copy of their hay analysis and may choose to have a free listing in the 2026/27 online GFB Hay Directory available at https://www.gfb.org/join/hay . The cost to list hay or services in the directory without entering the contest is $10 and may be submitted at any time.
Producers must be a GFB member to enter the contest or list hay for sale in the hay directory. If you aren’t a Farm Bureau member, you may join at the county Farm Bureau office of your choice or at https://www.gfb.org/join/join-today .
Previous first place winners are not eligible to win any prize category for a period of five years from the year they won the contest. A previous first place winner may enter his/her hay sample for the purpose of having it officially graded.
GFB’s annual hay contest encourages quality hay production, which leads to higher quality livestock and more return to Georgia hay producers. Producers who have their hay tested every year can see improvements they make in managing their hay fields by looking at multi-year analysis.
What does RFQ say about hay?
RFQ is a number used to indicate a forage’s overall nutritional value and predicted intake by the livestock it is fed to. The number gives hay and livestock producers an idea of a forage's quality and can be used to establish a fair market value for the product.
According to UGA Extension, Hay with an RFQ of 100 or more can usually be economically fed to maintain beef cows, while hay with an RFQ of 125-150 is adequate for stocker cattle or young growing replacement heifers. Hay with an RFQ of 140-160 is suitable for dairy cattle in the first three months of lactation.
UGA Extension says RFQ hay values could provide the framework for a quality hay marketing system. For instance, hay with a RFQ of 155 could conceptually be labeled “premium” hay, while hay with an RFQ of 100 could be labeled “fair.”
To learn more about taking a hay sample and how to read forage reports, visit https://gfb.ag/ugahaysamples.
RFQ and other analytical data can help you manage potential problems with moisture, nitrates or poor digestibility, especially in years with adverse weather.
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