1,000 Tonnes of Hidden Haylage with Steve Page and Pat Hull

Podcast Highlights In this episode of Hay Matters, brought to you by LocalAg and Feed Central, Grower Services Manager Steve Page hits the road to uncover a unique regional story of buried haylage, long-term storage, and unexpected opportunity.When grain grower Pat Hull purchased a property near Warren in 2022, he wasn’t expecting to find over 1,000 tonnes of buried forage sorghum haylage stored in pits by the previous owner, following the drought-breaking rains of 2020. With no livestock of his own and limited on-farm use, Pat turned to LocalAg to connect with buyers further south, and the response was immediate.The haylage was originally cut, baled and buried in 2020 by contractor Ben Wright from Central West Contracting, after strong summer growthBales were stacked four high in excavated pits, wrapped in plastic and sealed with soil for long-term storage and pest protectionFeed tests returned excellent results for aged haylage: 12.4% CP, 9.25 MJ/kg ME, 51.4% NDF, 35.7% ADF, and 41.7% DMPat listed the product on LocalAg using original baling photos, generating national interest before opening any pitsWith feed shortages in Victoria, the first truckload has already moved to southern dairies, with more to followHay contractor Ben Wright shares practical insights on why buried haylage works, key moisture thresholds, and how proper handling influences long-term results