Seeking a quality product? Maine-grown hay is an excellent choice for many reasons.
First, Maine benefits from long, warm days and short, cool nights during the summer growing season. This provides an ideal environment for healthy cool-weather grasses.
Timothy grows naturally in Maine, making it easy to naturally establish a clean stand without chemicals and fertilizers. Also, adequate moisture, an advantage of the Northeast climate, is conducive for multiple cuttings. At Maine’s Lucerne Farms they rely on their unique dehydration process to eliminate the need to wait for the ideal hay-making weather, making for efficient, effective harvest.
Another advantage for Maine growers is the absence of blister beetles. Blister beetles can live in alfalfa and other grasses and vegetables and produce a chemical called canthardin. This chemical is toxic for horses and has required owners to be extra vigilant in making sure their hay is of high quality and void of this dangerous pest. Because there are no blister beetles in Maine, it is a significant advantage for growers in the state.
For producers like Lucerne Farms, located in Maine’s Aroostook County, growing conditions can be harsh and unpredictable. But farmers who can adapt and remain creative with their marketing and production are farmers who are successful year after year. And, Mainers are known for their straightforward honesty, and they famously hold wholesome, natural products in high regard. These values make their way into the goods and services they put their name on. At Lucerne Farms, each bag of Maine-grown feed gets the attention it would if it were the only bag being produced that season. The highest quality hay from the harvest is chosen for use in their blends, and each one undergoes stringent laboratory analysis, so the purchaser knows the ratios of proteins, fat and fiber that is in every bag.
Learn more about forage blends from Lucerne Farms, a family-owned Maine company.
