Producers who want to cut hay on state highway right-of-ways need to check in with the appropriate agency first.
Beth Wright, state maintenance engineer for the Missouri Department of Transportation, told Ozarks Farm & Neighbor, “If we meet with you and determine that it’s a reasonable area for you to hay – it has a decent terrain and you have the proper equipment – then we do allow hay harvesting on the right-of-way.” The conditions are that the area has to be accessible, and on a limited access roadway from an outer road or another entrance so the implement is not coming in and out of the roadway traffic. The producer also has to have the right equipment, so the turf won’t be damaged. “Often roadways have steeper slopes than would normally be seen on many farms,” Wright said.
Wright said the Missouri State Highway Department has about 33,000 centerline miles of roadway with which the agency works with farmers on hay harvesting. In Missouri, a permit is required. “We have staff that work in our Traffic Section that are very familiar with that, and would be happy to work with whoever would be interested in acquiring a permit for work on the right-of-way,” she said. The permit is generally good for one season; if the weather has been such that the grass may be damaged by multiple harvests, they may wait a year before allowing a renewal.
MODOT will also inspect the work after the fact to make sure neither the turf nor the right-of-way was damaged, which will be a factor in renewal. But Wright said if the conditions can be met, the agency appreciates the help from the agricultural community. “You know, we are in tight times and have tight financial issues, and mowing the right-of-way costs money, fuel and equipment,” she said. “If folks are interested in harvesting hay and we have a decent stand of grass and it can help them, then we certainly welcome their assistance.” Requests vary depending on the growing season; when it’s dry and hay stands are short, MODOT gets more permitting requests.
