Massies Corner hay bales change with the times
‘The election is over,’ farmer says
The famous hay-bale sign on Rte. 211 at Massies Corner that once sparked countywide controversy now re ects a message everyone can feel good about: Farmers for America.
Farmer Mike Massie changed the message from “Farmers for Trump / Keep America Great” a er the election.
“I think people see my new sign as unifying, and that was my intention,” Massie said. “The election is over.”
Massie told the Rappahannock News that immediately following election day Sheri Connie Compton alerted him to rumors on the internet that someone might set re to the haystack. “She just told me to be careful,” Massie said. “But that wouldn’t have been a good thing for them to burn my hay bales.”
But so far no harm has befallen Massie’s sign (which he a ectionately calls “Rappahannock County’s most famous work of art.”)
A er he altered his message, Massie said, some people were sad to see Trump’s name removed. “People were a little upset about that,” he said.
As for how long the sign may yet stand, Massie said “those bales will need to stay up until the weather gets really cold.”
“They’re haylage bales,” he explained. “And that’s really the only at spot to stack them. When I stacked those bales up there [in August] I wasn’t thinking ‘Trump for President,’ I was thinking, ‘I don’t want to lose my crop of hay.’”
“If I feed them now, they’ll spoil.” Massie said. “So they have to stay up.”
When asked what he was grateful for this Thanksgiving, Massie said he would give thanks for Trump’s presidency. “I’m grateful for the four years we had,” Massie said. “I wish we had four more, but I sure am grateful for the four we had.”