How Montanans Are Turning Highway Sides Into Hay Fields

If you're not a farmer, you probably don't know about this super cool program in Montana. We've all seen gorgeous fields that have perfect hay bales dotting the tractor lanes. But have you ever noticed bales of hay directly on the side of Montana's highways?

Montanans can apply for an MDT "Forage Permit", where they can essentially come mow and collect hay from portions of Montana highways. It's a decades-old tradition in Montana and some other surrounding states.

The Montana Department of Transportation posted on their Facebook page recently, explaining the program - and the response was overwhelmingly positive. AND, there were several witty puns to go along with hay and cow jokes.

"Have you ever wondered why there are bales of hay on the side of the road? MDT partners with members of the public to hay the ditches! It’s called a “forage permit” and individuals can permit a section of highway to put up as hay. It’s a win-win for us and the individual – we don’t have to mow that section, and they get the hay!"

For those who wondered, there are also many folks that will Adopt their section of highway and do trash pickup there, for better quality hay bales.

• These round bales should be against the law as cows cannot get a square meal out of them. lol.
• One of the more sensible moves we’ve seen government make.
• 'they get the hay' and all the garbage that has been thrown out. (NOTE: MDT did state that many people who get a Forage Permit do also pick up trash first before mowing.)
• Silly me. I thought the farm owner got the hay.
• to be fair.... in windy central Mt.... stuff blows wherever it wants to... even into actual hayfields.... do you see anyone walking every inch there before it's baled to make sure there's nothing but grass?
• I know somebody who has a permit to do this along several roads here... he feeds his cows with it and never any issues... and it's been over 30 years.
• Wyoming should do this…..(NOTE: Wyoming DOES do this. "Adjacent landowners to WYDOT's rights-of-way have until April 1 to file for a forage permit, after that permits will be issued on a first-come, first-serve basis."
• I have seen this a lot. In fact, my Dad used to put up hay all the time along the highway and also in vacant lots around town! It tidied them up, keeping the town that was past its “hay day” looking better and he got more hay for his cows!
• Along the highway with wide, more gradual slopes than they used to have, there is a lot of feed.

For those of us who were unfamiliar with the practice of mowing on the side of highways for the free hay, it's an ingenious idea. Some effort by someone needing hay, saves MDT the time, money, and effort of maintaining the highway shoulder growth.

• It doesn’t go to waste, county doesn’t have to mow it and gives a driver a whole lot better chance of spotting deer before they jump out in front of you from the side of the road. Win! Win!
• They want you to pick the bales up as soon as possible though so that if someone runs off the road, they don’t hit a bale and do a lot more damage.
• Long ago, as a kid my family gypsied around the country - SD, ND & eastern MT - with my Grandfather from MN, to bale the roadways and various hayfields in these states. The bales were small squares at that time.
• Minnesota used to do this along 94. It was great and I don't know why they quit.
• 1976 was very dry. We cut the old fields in Maplewood state park and lots of road ditch gravel.
• I worked a summer in the Sandhills of Nebraska and one of my summer chores was to cut, rake, small bale and bring home the hay from 15 miles of right-of-way between the highway and the parallel railroad tracks.

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• I saw this in 50s and 60s. Of course, it was smaller rectangle bales. But balers broke down easily.
• Good way for cattle to get hardware poisoning. Too many foreign objects in the bales.(NOTE: MDT stated that many 'Forage Permit' holders first pick up trash along their allotted highway stretch, to avoid mowing up trash.)
• It’s awesome! Being an out of stater, I noticed this right away and thought how great it is for the MT government to “allow” this.
• It’s a resource that would otherwise go to waste, not to mention the safety it adds.
• This looks cool. I’ve lived in MT since 1992. I’ve never seen this on any highway here.
• Every state should do it
• We did that in South Dakota too - years ago
• Not sure why more areas don't do this.
• Winter feed for elk and bison
• What a crea-hay-tive solution
• Never do that in Wisconsin will all the people that litter
• Washington State is nowhere near that smart.