Hay bales turn

into high art

HAY ART: Elyssa Black (center) of rural Chariton stands in front of her winning hay
bale art display. Standing with her are two of the celebrity judges from the first hay
bale art contest held last year: Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey (left) and
Iowa Department of Natural Resources Director Chuck Gipp.
By KATHLEEN CHESTER
I
TS common in southern Iowa to see
hay bales of all sizes dot the rolling
hills against a backdrop of blue skies
and white clouds, but in late summer the
hay in and around Lucas County begins to
take the shape of teddy bears, wine bottles,
cupcakes, fowerpots and womens shoes.
The hay transformation is part of a
hay bale art contest coordinated by Lyle
Asell of Chariton. Asell retireda few years
ago as anassistant to the director of the
Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
However, his love of conservation is still a
part of his everyday life.
Asell, who serves on the Lucas County
Tourism Board and spearheaded the frst
hay bale art contest last year, anticipates
an even bigger event in 2013.The positive
response and enthusiasm for the frst con-
test was encouraging and was evidenced
by the more than 600 ballots cast for the
Peoples Choice Award, says Asell.
The contest is open to anyone inter-
ested in being creative. The hay bale art
committee connects those without their
own supply of hay with a hay supplier,
explains Asell. The hay art can be con-
structed from large round or square bales,
small bales, or loose hay. Ideas are only as
limited as a persons imagination.
Once hay bales are decorated, a map
identifying the location of the art cre-
ations is made available at local outlets
and through contest sponsors.
The public can visit the bale sites
throughout October and cast their vote to
select the Peoples Choice Award. Votes are
tabulated, and winners are notifed Nov. 1.
In addition to having fun with the hay
art contest, we want to emphasize the im-
portant role that hay and pasture ground
play in conserving our precious Iowa soil
and water sources, says Asell.
A separate portion of the contest in-
cludes voting by celebrity judges.
Celebrity judges from both last year and
the 2013 contests know a thing or two
about the connection between conserva-
tion and hay and pasture ground. In addi-
tion to representatives from the local FFA
and locally elected offcials, Iowa Secretary
of Agriculture Bill Northey and Iowa
Department of Natural Resources Director
Chuck Gipp served as celebrity judges in
2012, and both agreed that the contest is
a great way to highlight the benefts of hay
production in southern Iowa.
Theres a lot of good work being done
in this part of the state to protect the land
and water, says Gipp. One example is
the work being done by the Rathbun Land
and Water Alliance. They work with land-
owners in the Rathbun Lake Watershed
area to install soil saving practices that
protect the lake. RLWA president, John
Glenn, is one of this years celebrity judges
and says the real celebrity is the hay itself.
Highlights hay production
In addition to protecting water sources and
saving soil from erosion, hay and pasture
also help maintain a diverse farm economy
as cows, sheep and goats convert the
forage thats grown on highly erodible
lands into meat, milk and fber. While beef
cows and their calves consume most of the
pasture and hay, its also a proftable cash
crop, as hay prices have increased as fewer
acres in Iowa are available for hay.
There are few rules to compete in the
hay bale art contest.The committee only
requests that borrowed hay be returned
to the farmers in good condition to feed
to their livestock, says Asell.Local agri-
cultural, conservation and water quality
organizations and agencies are among the
many sponsors of the contest.For informa-
tion about participating in this contest or
voting, call Asell at 641-774-4059.
Chester writes from Chariton.
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Wallaces Farmer www.FarmProgress.com September 2013
97