Operation Hayride
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Chuck Denney
George Smartt always considers himself a grateful man, but especially these days.
George Smart
"We've just been dry.There's no grass."
Chuck Denney
His pasture land was torched by drought last summer, but now he does have hay to feed his beef cattle. Smartt and about 50 other Warren County producers were able to buy hay from other states in a program called Operation Hayride.
George Smart
“The majority of these farmers are pretty tough people, but when they saw that this was actually coming to pass - most of them were skeptical - a couple of those guys had tears in their eyes to find out that somebody really cared.”
Chuck Denney
The hay George is feeding his herd came from Arkansas. It got here by way of a good corporate neighbor, Bridgestone Tire Company. Bridgestone’s trucks bring forage to Warren County free of charge – as the company makes runs from other states to its middle Tennessee distribution and manufacturing centers to pick up tires. The company will deliver a million-and-a-half pounds of hay to this area.
Ron Brooks
“So community service wasn’t new to us. Hauling hay in our trucks was very new to us. Being a member of the joint economic development board, I had the opportunity to hear the plight of the local farmer.”
Chuck Denney
They’ve seen a few fall rains here in Warren County, but it’s too late to change the hay situation. The goal of this program is to get farmers through the winter and help them keep their cattle.
Josh Chandler
“This is keeping people in the business, allowing them to keep their herds. Many people have come in and said without this I’d have had to have sold everything.”
Chuck Denney
Warren Farmers Co-op worked with Bridgestone and UT Extension to coordinate Operation Hayride, and see that the forage got to the farmers.
Dale Beaty
“It’s really been a Godsend to those people who have gotten the hay. We made about a third of our normal hay yield in the county this year. That alone tells us that we don’t have enough hay to feed the cows thru the winter. We’ve had people here feeding hay since July.”
Chuck Denney
Local leaders praise many groups for working together to make this "Hayride" happen. The farmers need hay, and the local economy needs farmers.
Jeff McCormick
“If they sell all their cattle and they don’t have anything bringing any income in, they’re not going to be spending money, they’re not going to be, like you said, buying vehicles, buying trucks, paying labor.”
Chuck Denney
Relief is here in the form of large, rolled bales, but also in reduced worry and stress. Farmers have hay and hope-all because of a caring effort and some free transportation.
END
NOTE: The hay is coming to Tennessee from Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Iowa and Indiana.
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