Following safe practices while haying ditches can prevent damage and injuries. Mowing or haying ditches poses unique safety concerns year-round due to the highly variable slope of the surfaces. • When windrowing ditch hay to prepare it for baling, place the windrow in the most level portion of the ditch, if possible. When mowing or haying ditches, Johnson recommends keeping the following safety concerns in mind:• Be visible. If used for baling, ditch hay is expensive enough as it is, given the amount of equipment, labor and hazardous conditions present in each ditch.