There is a property that I am interested in that originally had hay growing on it. It may be about 5 years since anyone harvested the hay. Does one have to have someone turn under the field and start from scratch or can this original hay be cut and sold for horses? If you also have resources that would be helpful to me about growing hay would be appreciated. SA

There should not be a problem with just mowing it this year. There is most likely going to be a lot of weeds & possibly thistles so so check that out before feeding to horses. Once it is mowed for the first time you will be able to control the weeds better. We have lots of info on growing hay & you can stop at our office to review it or you can go on our web site & get info also. http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/mchenry