A couple additional points: Organic farming requirements specify a number of years from the last application of any pesticides - 2 or 3 years I believe. So, aside from the risk of persistent herbicides in the hay affecting any plants, you might already be classifiable as an Organic farm if it's been that long. That's if you're selling Organic vegetables, which you may not be. Just pointing out the official guidelines.

Also, (and again this is Organic Farming guidelines), as far as I know there are no requirements for ingredients that go INTO compost being non-chemically-treated. So for example you could buy regular produce at the store and throw the scraps into the compost, and you would still have an Organic farm. Personally, I don't worry about what my compost ingredients were treated with EXCEPT for being careful about herbicides that might damage plants. I only use my own grass clippings for garden mulch because I don't know what someone else might have sprayed with. Most residential lawn chemicals are readily degradable in a compost pile. That hay is a red flag because the persistent chemicals are typically used on pastures and hayfields.

If the hay turns out to be a problem from kimmq's test, you can put it somewhere with noxious weeds, and/or compost it for 2 years and the stuff will degrade eventually.

+1 what tox said but add I believe that is to be "Certified" Organic there are requirements. But you haven't indicated if that is the case.

IF it is just for your own use that will be up to you.

Yep. I may have gone off on a tangent there. :-D

Thanks guys! I'll do the test that kimmq suggested this weekend and if the plants survive then I'll use the hay on my garden paths and under my strawberries. I have so much of it that I think I'll be trying to find uses for it for years. I don't really have any plans to sell my veggies, etc. as certified organic but I would like to adhere to the organic principles as much as possible for the health of my family.

We plan on raising chicken next year but I thought that I read somewhere to only use straw and not hay for their bedding and on the ground. Does anyone know if this is correct?

I agree that you don't know for sure if the produce labeled in the stores is 100% Organic. I tend to think they do the labeling to increase the price/profits. So the only way to know for sure is to grow your own food.

For those who are interested in what the requirements are this link may help. Organic Regulations

But it seems that each region or state has their own chapter Who Needs to be Certified?

HTH

I found a story about a "certified organic egg farm" a while back where the layers had access to the outside via small porches. They did not get out on pasture and were still kept confined inside a large building except for these small porches. At least the hens are not confined to cages smaller than an 8-1/2 x 11 sheet of paper as they are in many egg factories.

The USDA organic standards are being watered down so much today that they are meaningless. Apparently the people that wrote those standards do not understand basic botany because the standards state that GMO seeds are prohibited. That means farmers cannot plant any seeds of any kind which are all Genetically Modified Organisms. The standards should state Genetically Engineered Organisms.

kimmq is kimmsr

Geez, you are so correct about GMO's and organic standards! I totally forgot about the fact that hay has seeds and chickens will eat them...the hay therefore will stay out of their area and perhaps just be composted. Our plan is to raise the chickens in rotated paddocks in the pasture so that they get as much of their food as possible from foraging. I'd love to over-seed the pasture area with some chicken friendly forage blend. Anyone have any feedback on that?

Not to split hairs but does a chicken's habitat have anything to do with Organic certification? Wouldn't that be free-range vs. confined chickens? You could certainly have confined chickens eating organic food and drug-free, or free range chickens not certified as Organic, it seems to me.

Absolutely toxcrusadr! An organic chicken is not necessarily free-ranged or pastured and vice-versa. I would like to have my chickens be both pastured as well as organically raised as much as I possibly can. Hence the preparation...although, I'm 100 percent sure I will still be scrambling when the time comes!

Good luck and keep us posted on how things are going!

Those chickens illustrate one of the problems with todays "organic standards" Chicken factories are now allowed to call their chickens organic even if they do not get outside and on grass, free range. One "Certified Organic" chicken factory in Michigan has porches for the birds to get some sun, but they do not get out to eat bugs or grass, At least the are not raised in cages smaller that an 8-1/2 by 11 sheet of paper.

To be organic a chicken, or any other animal, needs to be outside on pasture, not confined inside a building or piled tightly in a pen.

kimmq is kimmsr