Lisa and Dennis Braswell, Braswell Mountain Farms
Hay Storage Facility
Grant Award: $8,000
Braswell Mountain Farms will add a hay storage facility to their current beef cattle operation to decrease loss and the quality of hay that occurs with weathering.
Currently, they purchase most of their hay in 4ft x 4ft round bales and store them outside to feed their livestock in the winter months. This results in approximately 27% loss of hay each season and a hay product with reduced nutrition.
The new storage facility will allow them to grow and put up their own hay and store more hay, enabling them to produce more and feed a higher quality forage to their herd in the winter months. Additionally, the availability of additional hay will allow them to hold over enough steers each year (and half of their heifers) to maintain their local beef business with the goal of reaching a total of fifty maternal cows.
This project will provide immediate savings and long-term benefits for the farm’s sustainability.