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July 23, 2013

Wet weather puts damper on Maine hay harvest

Hay farmers in the state say this summer’s harvest has been slowed or stopped by heavy rains through June and July.

The Kennebec Journal reported June rainfall in Augusta was the fourth highest on record, creating conditions that are less than ideal for hay farmers, who prefer warm and dry weather for harvesting.

Delaying the harvest past June stands to decrease the nutrient level of the crops, Rick Kersbergen of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension told the paper. That, in turn, will require livestock farmers to supplement their hay feed with more grain, most of which comes from out of state.

Logan Johnston, a beef cattle farmer in Gardiner, told the paper that he usually finishes the first cutting by July 4 and brings in around 10,000 bales of hay a year. With wet weather persisting in forecasts through July, Johnston told the paper he expects this summer’s yield will be lower than expected.

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