Summer Series - 1,000 Tonnes of Hidden Haylage with Pat Hull

In this Summer Series episode of Hay Matters, Tim Ford and Grower Services Manager, Steve Page, revisit one of the most unique fodder stories we’ve come across — the unearthing and marketing of four- to five-year-old haylage buried in underground pits near Warren, NSW. This episode follows the full journey: from the moment new property owner Pat Hull realised he had up to 1,000 tonnes of haylage hidden beneath mounds on his driveway, to uncovering the pits, testing the feed, and successfully selling it to Victorian dairy farms through LocalAg.Steve first sets the scene, explaining how Pat discovered the buried forage sorghum bales left by the previous owner, who had sealed them underground during the exceptional 2020 season. When tight feed supplies hit southern Australia, Pat decided it was time to dig them up. The results were surprising — despite years underground, the haylage tested extremely well, with strong protein, energy and fibre readings. With quality confirmed, the product was listed on LocalAg, attracting interest from buyers across VIC and SA, all while avoiding the hassle of endless phone calls and unvetted enquiries.Listeners also hear from Ben Wright of Central West Contracting, the contractor who originally cut, conditioned, raked, baled and buried the haylage. Ben explains the conditions in 2019–20, how the crop was made into haylage due to cooler winter weather, the bale specifications used, and why buried feed can remain in top condition even decades later. Together, Pat and Ben offer a full picture of how buried haylage works, its value as a drought-proofing strategy and how modern tools like LocalAg make marketing niche products simpler than ever.