POINT LOOKOUT, MO. — College of the Ozarks agronomy students entered samples of grass hay that was produced by the College’s farm operations into the 2019 World Forage Analysis Superbowl. The College placed fifth in the grass hay category against 28 competitors from around the country.

“Good hay is really hard to put up in Missouri,” said Tammy Holder, professor of agriculture and agronomy workstation supervisor. “The weather seldom cooperates with us during April and May, as every few days it rains. However, this year we had a new stand of ‘persist’ Orchardgrass. We also had a three-day window in which to get it cut, dried, and baled, and we were able to do that.”

The hay the College submitted this year had a forage quality of 18.93 percent crude protein, acid detergent fiber of 27.82, a neutral detergent fiber of 45.12, a relative feed quality of 178, and a milk per ton of 3,293.

“Our agronomy crew works hard to produce quality silage, baleage, and hay for the dairy and beef farms,” Holder said. “It is nice to have them recognized for their hard work and contributions to the agriculture department.”

In addition, College of the Ozarks students were able to attend the World Dairy Expo and gain knowledge from industry-leading professionals. The World Dairy Expo serves as a forum for dairy producers, companies, and organizations to compete, to exchange ideas and knowledge, and to learn about new technology in their field. The Expo is held in Madison, Wisconsin, and has been held annually since 1983.