Sometimes a change of scenery can bring clarity. Washington state hay grower Andrew Eddie had reservations about staying on the family farm in Moses Lake, but he had a change of heart, following his education at the University of Oregon.

“I went and had a good experience in college,” he said. “Got a communications degree, then it came down to time to get after it, and I was like ‘you know, I’m going to go back to the farm and see how it goes’ and so far, it has worked out really well.  I enjoy what I do every day. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t want to work as hard as I do.”

Eddie said his communications degree has been a tremendous help, as it helps him frequently in everyday life, whether conveying information on the farm, or communicating with others on why agriculture matters.

Eddie is President of the Washington State Hay Growers Association.  He and his father grow more than 1,000 acres of forage crops, and custom farm several thousand additional acres. Hay from their state is utilized domestically and internationally, including in Asia and the Middle East.

Washington is a large hay state, with nearly 3 million tons grown each year.