Question for folks who have someone hay their field

[Shortpig]

Daryl, I don't know who is doing your hay but this I do know. Hay from the field is selling for between $3.50/bale to $4.00/bale. The cost of twine for small bales has doubled in price this year. Not sure why that is. At the price of gas and even farm quality diesel this year one can only imagine what it is costing farmers to not only drive around these fields cutting, turning raking and baling but also get their equipment to the fields they are going to work in. I also know we will probably be paying upwards of $7.00/bale out of a barn this winter for the good hay we have all become use to. So if you can either store all that hay or sell what you can't store off the field I would say go for it. I don't have the storage space to fill up for a year so I have to buy from farmer stock. From what I understand it's getting harder for people to find someone who will cut and bale smaller fields. Not worth the farmers time in travel costs for their equipment. I agree with Shari in that you know what is growing in your own field therefore you know it to be safe to feed to your horses and what the quality is. Glad to hear it will work out for you one way or the other.

 

[susanne]

On the other hand...

The dire threats this past winter of Columbia County people hoarding hay and profiteering off of those who were desperate never came true. We live in one of the most gossipy areas in the country, I swear, so you have to take everything around here with a huge grain of salt.

You're wise to look at all of your options. On the flip side of high fuel costs is that person haying a field nearby who wants to maximize their time and costs for whom it makes sense to offer you a good deal.

We personally have to balance the economies of scale (

buying in quantity from the field) vs. not being having storage for large amounts.

Then again, since our lawn mower broke down, the line between mowing for aesthetic reasons and mowing for hay have become blurred...

 

[Shari]

I do know there used to be 6 people haying the many fields around here...now there is only two. And the one...only did it because my husband talked to him "again".....when he was haying the field across the way.

Also see a lot of the hay getting shipped out in the big square bales on ships going to Japan and China... they ship it out not far from here. Know a few hay farmers around here that used to sell local but now will only sell overseas because they make a lot more money.

So I am feeling very lucky to get a years supply of hay in. Won't use much of it this summer and most of the fall but it is nice to have for the winters up here. And is a really nice year too... stayed much more green..but then we are haying a month before the last years.

DH & DS are going to be very tired puppies this evening. We sold the rest to a guy just past our property. Who is extremely happy to get such nice hay, at a very good price. So he helped put our hay up and DH & DS are going to help him get his hay stored. So it was a win, win.

And very glad we got ours in before the projected T-Storms for this evening!