hay from the roadside

Recently there was a posting about people in some areas cutting hay from the highway right of way, and in some cases being required to do that by law. I gave some reasons for it not being done in my area, SC, including people throwing trash on the side of the road. In addition to that, here people with houses on the side of the road usually extend their lawn to the pavement and mow to there. I don't because of rough ditches and distance from the road, but mainly because I don't want to be on the side of the road with all the traffic. A few years ago a man got hit and killed doing that. What's the custom in other areas?

KEH

we been doing since all the drought in Tx...havent heard of anybody getting run off or accidents...i got some of the hay and cows ate around the trash...just had to clean up later...better than payin freight

Made my first trip to your state 3 weeks ago. We were in the Charleston, Seabrook Island area, but did a little venturing around. If the rest of SC roads are like the ones in that area, you are right, it would be pretty dangerous and not much there to hay. Those roads were pretty tight with trees growing right up to the white line, and branches overhanging the roads everywhere.

Up here in rural MN like a lot of the Midwest things aren't tucked in quite so tight to the road. Along a lot of township, county roads and state highways there are pretty wide ditches and right of ways that are easily hayed. The county and township roads are kind of fair game for whoever wants to do it.

The unspoken rule around here is that the person who owns the land along the road has first chance, people around here talk about it or ask if you mind if they cut the ditch hay along your field. You figure out pretty quick who is doing what in your neighborhood.

I think some of the state stuff is done under contract, but not sure. I've never looked into it.

The ditches around me are pretty rough. I have a neighbor who doesn't seem to care what he wrecks going after a couple of bales, so I am happy to let him have at it. BW

Those Old Live Oaks are beautiful right next to the pavement. They sure are scary when You are carrying a 12 ft. wide piece of equipment on a lowboy though.
Ron

I have a few neighbors that have wide enough shoulders to make hay and they do. If I had shoulders wide enough I would make hay, but there is only about 2 foot between the pavement and slope of the ditch which is almost vertical so its not really possible here.

The Charleston area and the islands are not good hay areas. The sandy soil and warm weather makes for great vegetable production, however, except for the real estate developers. Tomatoes from the islands are great. Lots of sea shells accumulated in the soil make for high calcium content and good ph numbers, in fact, when my daughter lived on James island she had to use something to make the soil a little more acidic.

I guess you made the acquaintenance of the gnats and mosquitoes there. They make you really appreciate a sea breeze to keep them from flying.

Oh, I haven't been able to cut hay for about 2 months because of rain.

KEH

herein NE Wyoming they do cut the road ditches and like another said owner gets first chance BUT a few years ago a guy on a motorcycle took a exit ramp on the interstate way to fast ( cops said they estimated him doing 80 mph plus and lost control of his bike and ended up hitting a parked tractor with baler hooked to it, it was 25' off the edge of the ramp he was killed instantly no charges were brought against the tractor owner but now you have to buy a million dollar policy to hay the ditches just in case, I will not do them as broken glass in a tire or the feed is not my idea of good hay but some folks do not have ground like I do and they do ok

In my are in SD, a few miles of ditch hay adds up to quite a few acres in a hurry. All free I might add with permission from the landowner adjoining the ditch. He has first right to it. I usually get about 60-100 bales from the ditches I cut depending on water standing or drought .

looks nice a clean too Brad here we have a bunch of pigs that throw out their empty's sad really that they were never taught better

Oh believe me you find it all with a haybine. Some guys will only use a sickle mower to lessen the $$$damage.
Plastic pop bottles are the most prevelant but do no damage. Hub caps 2nd. They bale OK too and the cows eat around most the junk.
What hurts is when you pickup a 2X4 or a cable or steel pipe. Its amazing what people loose by accident or discard into the ditch on purpose on a busy highway. The worst is the big stuff because you have to go home for a pickup to remove it. Mattresses, pickup toppers, camper awnings, truck tires etc. But like I said, free hay. Between my brothers and I it adds up to nearly 30 acres.

completely understand as I worked for the county here for almost 20 years and mowed ditches for about 5 years we have 1200 miles of county road ditches worse thing on a bushhog style mower was truck tires one of the few things they would not cut up or throw out LOL

Most of our roadsides aren't hay friendly. County has a couple tractors with triple rotary (brush-hog type) and they mow off edges of state, county and township roads. Note they are getting pretty behind this year. Some home owners and farmers mow off their own with whatever machines they have. I mowed off 1/4 mile of my boardering roadside, because of visibility issues. I'll never forget the serious accident that happened on my corner when I was a kid.

Out here in southwest Nebraska we usually use sulfur due to the soil being too alkaline.

We don't have roadsides like that. The corn is planted to close that even in a small short nose vehical you have to stick the front bumper over the cross road pavement to be able to see if there is a vehical comming and then get the front of your vehical hit. The only roads with half that much room are the limited access highways and the state mows them and other than the state owned mowers you had better not try to take a tractor on any of those roads, you do and you will be cooling your heals for a while.

I usually just read rather than comment. But I want to say I like that picture.

I live in Delaware. Along the smaller roads the farmers plant within maybe 15 feet of the pavement if the ditch-work allows. (Much closer and there would be no way for the farm machinery to ever pass a car as the pavement is somewhat narrow.) But along the big highways there are vast expanses of just grass. The state mows along all rural roadways periodically.

We are a pretty tiny state in the first place. There isn't really much land. It always pains me to see those thousands of acres lining the roads doing nothing useful. In most cases they were once high quality farmland.

It's good to see some places making better use of their ground.

Yeah, I can't see that working in a state like NY.

Just figuring out who got to harvest the hay would lead to fights, stabbings, shootings, protracted court battles, etc..

Then you've got the crazy drivers, both on the tractor and on the road. Car people are too busy texting or putting on makeup, and plow into things on an alarming basis. Tractors ignore the cars and pull out on the road at random.

As soon as somebody gets hurt or some equipment gets damaged, they sue the county/state. A signed document that says you assume all risk and do not hold the state liable for damages is worthless in a court of law here.

Nope, too messy.

That's what it looks like in Minnesota, most road ditches are baled. Why waste the hay?

Paul

Beautiful, very historic area. For a Minnesota boy, it was really odd to see palm trees and oak trees growing side by side, though.

Driving down Bohicket Rd, the first thing my boys were discussing is how you would get a tractor and any implements anywhere with out ripping all the tree branches down.

Bugs weren"t bad at all, but we spent most of our time on the island, in the car or in Charleston.

We have our share of mosquitos here anyway, plus these wonderful deer flies.