THE HAY BARN GLOSSARY

Odor (of hay) - Use the smell of newly mown hay as your standard of comparison. Hays with off odors such as mildew, mustiness or rotten odors often indicate reduced quality and acceptance by livestock. And finally, soft, pliable hays are typically more palatable than hard, firm hays.

Offer - An indication of willingness to sell at a given price, same as "ask."

Open-End Contract - A contract to purchase with a minimum cash payment, with final settlement at the end of the season.

Organic Hay (Certified) – Hay that has been certified as organic by a USDA-approved organic hay certification program. Organic farming systems rely on practices such as cultural and biological pest management, and virtually prohibit synthetic chemicals in crop production and antibiotics or hormones in livestock production. For example, organic farmers provide habitat for predators and parasites of crop pests, calculate planting/harvesting dates and rotate crops to maintain soil fertility, and cycle animal and green manures as fertilizer. Overall, certified organic cropland and pasture accounted for about 0.5 percent of U.S. total farmland in 2005. Fifty-three organic certification organizations, including 19 State programs, conducted third-party certification of organic production and handling in 2005. USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service implements national legislation and implemented rules in October 2002 that require all except the smallest organic growers (less than $5,000 in sales) be certified by a State or private agency accredited under USDA's national organic standards.

The Hay Barn Glossary