Patience Is a Virtue: It's Haying Season In Montana

Each year in Montana, beginning around the 4th of July, farmers and ranchers start grinding it out in the heat, making the shift to the haying season. They say timing is everything, and this holds especially true of this chore as the timing of cutting and bailing determine factors like moisture and temperature which impact the hay crop's nutritional quality and flavor for livestock. Thus, during this season, the farmer rancher wears multiple hats, becoming a meteorologist, mechanic, and so much more to make ends meet.

I take pride in Montana's enduring agricultural heritage, and I believe it is important to honor and respect it. In the Bitterroot, you will inevitably find yourself behind farm machinery slowly trudging down the highway. This a great opportunity to remember that patience is a virtue - it's haying season in Montana - so keep in mind they're just on their way to or on their way home from a long work day. So relax,

slow down for them, and offer a friendly wave as you cautiously go around them.

Haying in the hot sun all day involves much more than meets the eye, so tip your cap to a farmer rancher - thank them for their hard work and going against the modern-day grain to feed America!