The Ninth Annual Todd County Bale Trail got underway this past weekend, as fall temperatures and changing colors finally arrived in force throughout west Kentucky.
One of the more popular tourist attractions for Trenton, Elkton, Guthrie and everyone in between, it’s also somewhat demanding on local farmers — who provide most, if not all, of the hay needed to create these large art projects.
Tiffany Groves, who serves as president of both the Elkton Rotary Club and the Todd County Chamber of Commerce, noted it’s been a really tough year for hay producers — making the event all the more special in year nine.
Per the Lane Report, early summer droughts caused hay shortages in west Kentucky, while late July flooding turned east Kentucky’s low-lying pastures into riverbeds — wiping out fences and muddying crops.
This tough combination has all but led to a hay shortage in the Commonwealth, and that’s something Groves said their farmers had to take into account before making this year’s trail possible.
She added that several thousand will stop in over the next six weeks, looking at the 60-plus displays all throughout the county. With maps available at the Todd County Welcome Center, Groves said it takes nearly five hours to stop and see every hay sculpture, and there will be plenty of people who will try it.
This idea got started almost a decade ago courtesy of Elkton City Clerk & Treasurer Laura Brock, who brought the concept back home after a long trip out west.
While several areas and farms have embraced themes over the years, Groves said the city of Trenton will be showcasing its own look of “Old MacDonald’s Farm.”
Voting for “Fan Favorite” opens through October 1 on Facebook. Prizes will also be awarded for “Most Creative” in three divisions: Private Residence, Business and Non-Profit.
The Bale Trail lasts through Monday, October 31. Its sponsors include: HES EnergyNet, Guthrie Tourism Commission, Weathers Drugs, Pennyrile Electric, Long Vue Farms, Sunnydale Farm, WKDZ Radio, Todd County Fiscal Court, the City of Elkton, Novelis, Pennyroyal Hospice and the City of Trenton.
