Silage Photo copyright Marty Knapp Historically, the coastal towns of Bolinas and Tomales were shipping ports for agricultural products. Tons of potatoes, clams, grains, and dairy products traveled from Marin warehouses to markets in San Francisco. Hay for horses and livestock made the journey in flat-bottomed schooners. Today, the hay crop remains a significant part of Marin s agricultural harvest.
Imperial County is the top producer.
History does not tell us exactly when stored feeds were first fed to animals, but as nomadic people became more settled, animals were domesticated and used in crop production and harvest. The crop residue was fed to the animals. The idea of planting silage crops and preserving and utilizing more of the plant developed gradually in Europe and came to the United States via France in the 1870s. Silage is made up of forage plants such as legumes, grasses, or cereal grains grown specifically for animals. Healthy livestock require a balance of protein, carbohydrates, fats, minerals, vitamins and roughage in their diets, so silage crops are harvested in the spring when nutrients are at their peaks.