First time's a charm for Denton Co. hay grower

By LORI COPE | East Texas Edition

Jerry McCusition recently won the Denton County Hay Show with his second cutting of bermudagrass. Only liquid nitrogen and weed killer were applied to the bottomland where the forage grows. -Staff photo by Cope

September 20, 2001 -- "This was my first time to enter, and I guess I just lucked out," said Jerry McCusition, producer of the hay deemed Grand Champion during the recent Denton County Hay Show.

But it was more than luck. Two samples of McCusition's bermudagrass hay protein content were 21.8 percent and 16 percent. This won him the bermudagrass class championship, then because of his scores and the hay quality, the judge (Dr. Don Dorsett, retired Extension forage specialist) pinned it with the Grand Champion ribbon.

"I knew I had good hay, I've just never had it tested," McCuistion said.

Producers entering the hay show have their hay sample analyzed at Texas A&M's forage lab. The analysis results, combined with the hay's physical merits which are visually calculated by the judge, determines the winners.

The Denton County Hay Show consisted of four classes: bermudagrass, summer annuals, winter annuals, and mixed grasses.

"If I would have known they had a mixed grass category, I would've entered my first cutting," McCusition said. "It had some wheat mixed in, and man, it is some good hay."

McCusition, 48, gained his own hay-quality determination skills while operating a 285-cow dairy in the county years ago. Now he runs about 25 crossbred cows and keeps some Maine Anjou for son Brandon to show.

The Grand Champion hay came off the 185 acres McCusition leases. The hay he entered came from the second cutting off the land which McCuistion describes as "four bottoms with a creek running through the middle of it."

Since hay production nor cattle raising, and not even the calf roping sport he used to compete in, are McCusition's main job, he doesn't own a tractor. "I run a catering business," he said while smoking some meat during Sanger's recent town festival which featured a barbecue cookoff. "I have someone else cut the hay."

McCusition does apply some liquid fertilizer and weed killer on the meadows with a boomless sprayer he can pull behind his pickup.

"All grasses are considered soil-building," added Denton County Extension Agent Rebecca Parker. "Grass is not a depleting crop."

McCusition's hay meadow was cut for the third time ("thanks to three days of rain," he said) on Sept. 11, and he will now broadcast some wheat into the bermudagrass.

The third cutting will be square baled, but he has already produced 240 round bales off the meadows this year. "Since I only have 25 cows, I guess I'll be selling some hay this year too."

Other winners from the county's hay show, as well as the hay judging contest, are:

Ralph Amyx of Sanger, Overall Reserve Champion

Bermudagrass -

Jerry McCusition, first place; Jim Bailey, second; David and Rhonda Unnerstall, third; Beaty Farms, fourth, and Steve Sexton, fifth.

Summer Annuals -

Ralph Amyx, first, second, and fifth place; Rainey Farms, third place; and Al Croix, fourth.

Winter Annuals - Todd Smith, first and fourth places; Bob and Kay Goodman, second and third places; and J.B. and Shirley Haisler, fifth place.

Mixed Grasses - J.B. and Shirley Haisler, first place; Scott Weems, second; Beaty Farms, third; and Barry Carr, fourth.

Hay Judging, Junior Youth -

Ashley Parker of Krum 4-H, first place; Shalise Moehnke of Aubrey, second; Joey Pippin of Aubrey, third.

Hay Judging, Intermediate Youth -

Kiefer Hardin of Krum 4-H, first place; Clayton Lynch of Aubrey FFA, second; Tyler Milacek of Aubrey FFA, third; Zac Schoolcraft of Aubrey FFA, fourth; and Jason McNabb of Aubrey FFA, fifth.

Hay Judging, Senior Youth -

(All of Aubrey FFA) John Yarbrough, first place; Zack Pippin, second; Trenton Vonnahme, third; Alison Wells, fourth; and Kyle Waggoner.

Hay Judging, Adult -

Jeff Weber of Pilot Point, first place; Ryan Pieniazek of Krum, second; Chad Pippin of Aubrey, third; Michelle Pieniazek of Sanger, fourth; and Mike Sommers of Aubrey, fifth.