Preparing the Soil

• 1). Clear a field of any shrubs, plants or trees until it is level and open. Remove the roots or any larger plant that are still in the ground.
  
  
• 2). Till the land thoroughly--if you have a small area, you can use a rototiller and do this by hand, but for most tracks of land for commercial hay growth, a tractor with a tilling attachment is necessary.
  
  
• 3). Test your soil to determine its weaknesses and vulnerability--the results will expose any imbalances that will set your hay crop behind before you start. Re-nitrate, fertilize and stabilize your soil once you receive the results, but only use organic soil additives.
  
  
• 4). Scatter the grass seed throughout your field. Spread aged animal manure (cattle or horse manure will work, as will fish emulsions) across the seeded field. Water your field area directly after planting, but then let nature do its work--grass seed is hardy and will grow in the rain and the sun.
  
  
• 5). Watch your fields and monitor the growth of your grass. Scatter more organic fertilizer (animal manure) and humus (stabilized organic matter) if you feel the plants are struggling. Allow your grass to grow--do not cut it.
  
  
• 6). Cut and harvest the grass after it has grown to its full height and the grass head is fertilized and seeded--this will look like a sprouted tan to golden colored end, with multiple fronds.
  
  
• 7). Bale and sell your organic grass hay, but be sure to charge an appropriate amount--grass hay only yields one to two cuttings, making it more labor intensive for less results. Advertise clearly that your grass hay is organic to attract the right kind of customer, the kind that will make all that work and planning worth it by happily paying full price for the knowledge that their livestock, whether it be meat cattle or thorough-bred horses, are getting pure food.