Hay shortage in VA causes State of Emergency declaration

A brutal summer drought has pushed Southwest Virginia’s farming community into a full-blown crisis as winter approaches. Local hay yields have plummeted by as much as 70 percent in the hardest-hit counties, leaving the state with a massive 500,000-ton feed deficit.With pastures bone-dry, farmers have already burned through a third of their winter reserves, in some cases, just to keep livestock fed. To prevent widespread losses, Governor Abigail Spanberger has declared a State of Emergency. Beginning October 1st, a 30-day transportation waiver will lift highway width restrictions with the goal to slash trucking costs and fast-track massive out-of-state emergency hay deliveries directly to local farms before the first deep freeze hits.