MOSES LAKE — Stevens Hay Growers, operated by Kye and Brynna Stevens, is the 2024 Hay King. 

The honor was bestowed by the Mid-Columbia Hay Growers Association at the Grant County Fair in Moses Lake Aug. 13. It’s a way of bringing attention to central Washington’s part in producing cattle feed, said contest Superintendent Kirk Jungers. 

“What we’re doing here is trying to educate the public on the use of alfalfa,” Jungers said. “Cows have to eat it, because they’re the factory that makes the milk, the beef, the butter, the ice cream, all that kind of stuff.” 

The hay is judged by a panel of three judges in a blind test, Jungers said, in three categories: dairy, export and feed store. The judges do a visual analysis of the hay and then take a tissue analysis to check for the feed value. 

This has been a really good year for alfalfa, Jungers said. 

“The judges said that this year was probably the cleanest hay they’ve ever seen, just top quality,” he said. “It’s been a great haying season. We haven’t seen rain since, essentially, May … It’s been dry and warm; we’ve got nice little winds. They’re putting up the hay in about five days, and real high quality.” 

The lack of wildfire smoke compared to the last few years has made for better-quality hay as well, Jungers said, as smoke acts like dew and bleaches out the hay, delaying maturation and reducing its feed value. 

Kye and Brynna Stevens, owners of Stevens Hay Growers, were there to accept the award with their two sons Hudson, 1 year old, and Callahan, 8 months. Stevens Hay Growers has been going for 32 years, Kye said. His father Bill Stevens started it and Kye and Brynna are the second generation, he said, and they anticipate that Hudson and Callahan will be the third. The family farms about 17,000 acres east of Soap Lake, Kye said. 

Stevens Hay Growers was named Hay King last year too, and the award was accepted by Bill Stevens along with Kye. 

Hay is a big deal in the Columbia Basin, Jungers said. 

“This hay will end up all over the world, besides right here feeding our cows,” he said. “Grant County’s one of the leaders in North America; we’re one of the biggest exporters. You know, 90% of our alfalfa is exported. Asia depends on us big-time. They buy lots of it out here.”