Murray Wood: Who's hot... and who's not
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Saskatchewan’s annual hay salvage and ditch mowing program is underway across the province, giving farmers and ranchers a chance to collect some extra hay at no charge.
The Saskatchewan Ministry of Highways said landowners and lessees with property adjacent to a highway ditch will be permitted to cut and bale free hay in the ditches until July 8. After that, the ministry said anyone with permission can cut and bale hay from highway ditches, as long as nobody else has already begun the process.
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The program also means safer highways for travellers through improved visibility, the ministry said, while helping control brush growth and noxious weeds. The annual initiative also frees up room in ditches for snow during the winter months, reducing drifts.
“The hay salvage and ditch mowing program is an important part of maintaining a safe and efficient highway system, while also supporting Saskatchewan producers,” Kim Gartner, the province’s highways minister, said in a statement.
“It helps improve visibility and safety for drivers, while providing a valuable feed source for local livestock operations.”
The ministry said it works with contractors and rural municipalities during the annual mowing program, and expects about 45,300 hectares of ditches to be mowed this year.
