• Establish and promote Wallowa County as a premier hay growing region;
• Find and establish new markets; and
• Determine market needs (bale size, quality, weed-free, transportation,....)

The Wallowa County Hay Growers Association plans to differentiate itself in the Western hay market by providing premium quality hay and straw. Jim Petty expressed the consensus of the local growers when he explained, "We want to establish a quality product and a solid reputation. Customer service in addition to quality is important to keep a good reputation. The growers need to back up any sales." Over time and a solid history of sales, the Association's goal is to create a strong reputation for the highest quality hay and straw. There are currently 18 participating growers who produce a variety of products, including Alfalfa, Alfalfa mixes, Timothy mixes, and wheat straw. These will be available as premium quality products, judged by nutrient content, stage of maturity at harvest, harvest conditions, lack of weather damage, proper storage, and customer preference. The Association also provides certified weed-free hay and straw.

The participating growers have adopted the standards set forth by the North American Weed Management Association (NAWMA). NAWMA is a network of public and private professional weed managers who are involved in implementing any phase of a county, municipal, district, state, provincial or federal noxious weed law. NAWMA is comprised of county weed managers, and local area managers in the state, federal, and provincial land agencies such as the Forest Service, National Biological Survey, and the Bureau of Land Management. These standards established by NAWMA exclude the presence of 54 noxious and invasive weeds in weed-free forage. For more information on NAWMA and it standards, go to www.nawma.org. For the 2003 season the Association will also have a "NAWMA Plus" line of hay. This hay will exclude the 54 noxious and invasive weeds listed by NAWMA and an additional 18 common agricultural weeds, including water dandelion, lambs quarter, and night flowering fly catcher.

In order to maintain high quality forage, strict field inspections and certification process are crucial. The Wallowa County government provides a 3rd party inspection process through its vegetation manager or a contract employee. Wallowa County entered into an agreement (Memorandum of Understanding) with NAWMA stating that the county will certify in accordance with North American Weed-Free Forage Standards. Wallowa County provides field inspections for $3 an acre with 7-10 day notice. Larry Ashenbrenner inspects local hay and straw fields for the county. He walks through the fields before harvest and lists all weeds found, including common agricultural weeds. Using GPS, any weeds are located. Special areas of interest are filed perimeters, drainage swells, and power line right of ways. A report lists any weeds present and the acceptance or failure of the field inspected. Fields can be reinspected if the grower chooses. Often sections of fields were accepted as weed-free excluding 2 swaths around the perimeter. As the contract inspector for Wallowa County, Larry Ashenbrenner told farmers at a recent Association meeting, "Quality reflects on growers; that goes for either high quality or poor quality."

The county, through its Wallowa County Weed-Free Forage Inspection Program provides the farmer with a certificate of inspection and a separate transit certificate if needed. This documentation is important to customers purchasing weed-free hay as well as local and state governments monitoring hay transportation. John Williams, the Agriculture Extension Agent in Wallowa County, maintains the inspection records and serves as the store front for the growers offering a common place to sign up at the local Oregon State Extension office. Williams says, " I have been amazed at the dedication, professionalism and the follow through that the growers have displayed in the process of creating a weed free forage program and the development of the association. As an Extension agent one of the important items in having a successful outcome is to have the right producers in the room. We have had that at every step.