Making Hay is an Art Form for This Couple

2007-03 - by Susan McIver - Joe Nitsch didn't like retirement when he tried it in 1996, so within two years he and his wife, Mary-Anne, bought a hay farm at 1124 Highway 3A in Olalla. The couple had recently sold the eight-hectare property they had converted from a vineyard to an organic orchard east of Cawston. "The work in the orchard was literally killing me, but then I couldn't handle the inactivity of retirement," Joe said. At that point he decided to turn to a type of farming that wasn't so demanding on his back. After some searching, and two years of retirement, Joe and Mary-Anne bought their current 81-hectare property in Olalla. They also lease the adjacent 40-hectare hay field. "Making hay is an art form," said Joe, who credits neighbour Wilson Clifton with teaching him the finer points. Joe and Mary-Anne grow an orchard grass-alfalfa mix for the horse market. They have learned that their discerning customers will not accept a poor quality product. Good hay is clean, dry and green. As hay turns brown, it loses vitamins and minerals although the protein content remains fairly stable. Joe never over-crops or cuts too short and makes sure there is an adequate supply of water and mineral fertilizer. This results not only in top quality hay but also in sustainability of the land. "I've been producing four to five tons per acre for almost ten years without having to replant," said Joe. He explained that it is possible to produce up to eight tons per acre but only for a few years before production drops to three tons and it becomes necessary to replant. Mary-Anne and Joe take three cuttings each season. The first is between May 15 and June 20, the second between July 25 and August 5 and the third between September 5 and 20. Joe, Mary-Anne and two men can bale and stack up to 28-hectares of hay in an evening. Hay is cut in the evening or night because the moisture content is higher than in the afternoon. "There's nothing like watching daybreak on a tractor during the second hay cut," Mary-Anne said. While the others bale and stack, Joe focuses on preparing and maintaining the equipment and fixing anything that breaks down. "Seconds count when you're baling," said Joe, who explained that sometimes the difference between good quality hay in the barn and soggy hay in the field could literally be a matter of seconds. Based on personal observations, Joe prefers to do the first and second cuttings during a rising moon and the third cut during a declining moon. He also likes to plant and fertilize during the rising moon. When Mary-Anne and Joe first started, approximately 80 per cent of their hay was sold through hay brokers to customers on the coast and Vancouver Island. Today, they sell almost all their hay to several hundred local customers. They have learned that a broad customer base means greater stability and no middleman. Hay farming is a marginal business and it takes at least 120-hectares of good land to support one family, according to Joe. One reason, of course, is the huge capital investment in farm equipment. The unpredictability of weather is his biggest challenge while dealing with pack rats is a constant nuisance. Joe serves as the representative for Area G on the board of Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen. Until her recent retirement, Mary-Anne was the co-ordinator of volunteers for Keremeos Community Services. For information call 499-2692.

 

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