In this episode of Hay Matters, brought to you by LocalAg and Feed Central, Steve Page catches up with two of our 2025 National Hay Quality Award winners - Grant Alday and Ben Wright. At Sea Lake in Northwest Victoria, grain grower Grant turned a challenging frost-damaged season into profitability by pivoting to hay production, earning both National Cereal Hay Feed Test and Visual awards. Meanwhile, contractor Ben Wright from Central West Contracting shares insights into achieving the National Heaviest Cereal Straw Bale award and the equipment strategies behind consistent, high-density bale production.

• Grant Alday's mixed farming operation at Sea Lake typically dedicates 8-10% of area to oat hay and another 8-10% to vetch, but last season's widespread frost damage prompted an opportunistic shift to cut hay across multiple paddocks.
• The decision to cut frost-damaged crops for hay transformed what would have been a break-even season into a profitable one, with over 9,000 bales produced compared to their typical 4,000-6,000 bale annual output.
• Strategic hay cutting eliminated harvest headaches by removing problematic regrowth areas and avoiding the challenge of blending mature grain with frost-damaged sections, particularly in lower-lying paddocks with retained moisture.
• Chemical withholding periods became a critical timing consideration, with fungicide applications creating mandatory waiting periods before hay cutting could commence on treated paddocks.
• Ben Wright's national heaviest cereal bale award-winning wheat straw averaged 14.2% moisture and was produced using an eight-string Krone baler, achieving bale rates of up to one every 20 seconds in optimal conditions.
• Eight-string balers offer some advantages over six-string models through improved durability, fewer string breaks, heavier bale weights for better storage efficiency, and reduced transport costs per tonne.
• Ben's two eight-string Krone balers each process 15,000-20,000 bales annually, with comprehensive yearly maintenance programs focusing on VFS systems, knotters, and bushes to maintain peak performance.