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Hay & Forage Grower
USDA
Hay Prices
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Rick Mooney, Editor, eHay Weekly, at
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or
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Managing Editor, fholin@hayandforage.com
For specific information from past issues of eHay Weekly and
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Making an effort to follow up with customers after you deliver hay
is an important step in developing an overall hay marketing strategy,
says Dan Undersander, University of Wisconsin extension forage
agronomist.
He recommends calling or emailing buyers a few weeks after each
delivery, asking how the product is being accepted by their animals and
if there’s any room for improvement. “If the customer is satisfied
and you have more hay to sell, ask if they need more hay or know of any
other potential buyers you might contact,” says Undersander. “A lot
of business gets done by word of mouth.”
This kind of approach sets the stage for developing long-term business
relationships with customers. “Repeat business is what you’re
after,” he says. “When you deal with the same people year after
year, you get a better understanding of how they work, what kind of
product and services are most important to them and that they will pay
their bills. That leads to more efficiency. With an established
clientele as a base, you can keep reaching out for new customers to the
extent you have a hay supply.”
As another component of marketing, Undersander advises determining what
kind of bale packages are most likely to appeal to customers. “You
need to do that before you begin harvesting.” He points out that large
round bales are generally more difficult to transport than either small
or large squares. “So if you put up round bales, you’ll probably
limit yourself to more of a local market.”
In the Upper Midwest, hay packaged in square bales typically brings
$30/ton more than round-bale hay of the same quality, Undersander notes.
“Last year, the spread was more like $50/ton. That’s pretty
significant. If you’re set up to only make round bales, it might be
worthwhile to hire someone else to put up the hay you intend to sell as
square bales in order to get that additional value.”
Undersander also encourages hay growers to take advantage of new
Web-based technologies in developing marketing strategies. “There are
a growing number of free or low-cost listing services on the Web where
you can let people know you have hay to sell,” he says. “In some
cases, having your own farm Web site might be beneficial. It really
doesn’t cost that much. Even small, local hardware stores now have a
Web presence.”
Undersander’s bottom line: “By developing a marketing plan, rather
than simply trying to sell a commodity, you stand to increase the volume
of hay sold and the price you get for your product.”
To contact Undersander, call 608-263-5070 or email djunders@wisc.edu.
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Whether you’re looking for proven
performance in a package that offers exceptional value or a tractor that
gives you the latest electronic conveniences and push button simplicity,
the new T6000 Series tractors from New Holland are built for you. T6000
tractors are a natural choice for haying operations and heavy loader
work. To learn more, see your local New Holland dealer or call
1-888-290-7377. www.newholland.com/na
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With cool, wet weather delaying first cutting this year, hay
growers in some parts of the country may need to alter the way they cut
the crop in order to avoid a delay in second-cutting regrowth, says
University of Nebraska extension forage specialist Bruce Anderson.
Anderson notes that, even in fields where the crop isn’t blooming
heavily, plants for the next cutting may already be starting to grow. He
advises taking a close look at the base or crown of plants for short,
new shoots that are taller than your usual cutting height. “If you cut
these new shoots off along with the first growth, your alfalfa plant
will have to start a whole new set of shoots for regrowth,” he says.
“This could cause a delay in second-cutting regrowth by as much as a
week.”
To avoid the delay, Anderson advises raising cutting height a couple of
inches. “Your regrowth then will have a head start towards next
cutting,” he says. “And since the stubble you leave behind has quite
low feed value anyway, the yield you temporarily sacrifice is mostly
just filler.”
Anderson normally suggests leaving stubble as short as possible when
cutting alfalfa because that maximizes yield and doesn’t affect
regrowth rates. “But a late cutting that already has new shoots
growing is different,” he says. “Don’t blindly start cutting
alfalfa when harvest is delayed. First look for new shoots, then raise
cutting height if needed.”
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Periodically check temperatures to minimize fire danger related to
excessive heating caused by placing wet hay into storage, says Marvin
Hall, extension forage specialist at Penn State.
An easy way to check temperatures is to fit a sharpened end onto a 10’
section of half-inch pipe. Drive the sharpened point into the hay and
then lower a thermometer into the pipe. Temperatures below 120°F are
normal. Temperature readings of 120-140° require caution. At 160° or
higher, hay is in serious danger of catching fire.
Since temperatures can build in hay for several weeks after baling, Hall
recommends monitoring until it’s clear there is no danger of fire.
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Matching up raking and/or merging equipment with the right-sized
tractor helps save fuel during hay harvest, notes Scott Sanford,
University of Wisconsin extension senior outreach specialist. “Very
often, larger tractors than necessary are used for raking or merging.”
The power requirement for parallel bar or wheel rakes ranges from 20 to
40 hp, he points out. In comparison, rotary rakes can require 20-55 hp
and mergers, 50-70 hp. Quoting Nebraska Tractor Test data, Sanford says
a 45-hp utility tractor consumes 1.7 gallons/hour of diesel fuel to pull
a rake requiring 20 hp. But a 100-hp row-crop tractor would consume 3
gallons/hour. “Based on $2.25/gallon diesel fuel, it would cost about
$3/hour in increased fuel to use the larger tractor to do a light-duty
task.”
For more ideas from Sanford on how to save energy during summer forage
harvesting, click
here.
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- North Dakota is making $750,000 available to state
livestock producers whose feed supplies were adversely impacted by
bitter cold and heavy snows last winter and flooding this spring. The
application deadline is June 15. To learn more about the North Dakota
Livestock Feed Transportation Program, click
here.
- The University of Kentucky’s Renovation of Pasture and Hay
Fields details the animal production benefits of adding legumes to
pasture. The recently revised publication also describes simple,
practical steps for successful stand renovation and management tips. Go
to www.uky.edu/Ag/Forage and
click “Forage Publications,” then “Renovation.”
- The May 2009 issue of Pioneer Hi-Bred’s Focus on Forage
features tips on spring harvest management for alfalfa haylage. To
download a PDF, click
here.
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 Use
our site to search for forage production tips! Plus, read what other
growers are doing to stay profitable.
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California
A combination of low prices, slow sales and delinquent payments has put
alfalfa growers in San Joaquin County, CA, in a “somber” mood,
reports Mick Canevari, University of California farm advisor. He reports
that alfalfa hay at the grower level is currently priced in the
$100-140/ton range. “Last year, it was $200-240/ton. And oat hay
prices are very depressed at $60-70/ton.”
Low dairy prices are the major factor underpinning the slumping hay
prices. “A downturn in the economy has also impacted the pleasure
horse industry, adding to the depressed hay market,” he says.
Hay growers are struggling with other issues, including a major outbreak
of alfalfa stem nematodes. (See
Alfalfa Stem Nematode Outbreak In California.) “It has been a
horribly bad year for stem nematodes coming out of winter dormancy –
some of the worst problems I’ve ever seen in all my years in
extension,” says Canevari. “In infested fields, growers have just
completed their first cuttings. That’s five weeks later than
normal.”
On an upbeat note, Canevari reports that nematodes are now going dormant
and alfalfa plants are starting to grow normally. Growers who haven’t
experienced nematode problems have finished, or are finishing, second
crop. “Yield and quality are excellent.”
Only a few farms in Canevari’s area have been impacted by the water
cutoffs affecting alfalfa growers in other areas of the state.
“We’re just far enough north to dodge the major brunt of the water
shortage.”
Contact Canevari at 209-953-6100 or wmcanevari@ucdavis.edu.
Indiana
Wet weather slowed first-crop harvest some in the southern part of the
state last week. But, overall, the state’s hay crop is progressing
nicely, says Purdue University extension forage specialist Keith
Johnson.
For the most part, Johnson says, Indiana hayfields escaped the heaving
problems experienced in other parts of the Midwest coming out of winter.
“We saw some of that, but it was nowhere near as severe here as it was
in parts of Illinois and Iowa.”
He also reports some alfalfa weevil damage. “But we haven’t seen
anything statewide in terms of real severity.”
Overall, however, he predicts a good hay-growing season. “April and
early May were wetter than normal, but early season rain helps to grow
forages. You just want it to shut off when you’re harvesting. Based on
what we've been seeing so far, we should have some very good yields in
many parts of the state this year.”
As a side note, Johnson reminds Indiana growers this year’s Purdue
Forage Day, normally held in June, will be held Sept. 17 due to an
exceptionally busy late-June schedule for the host farm. Details will be
posted at the Indiana Forage Council Web site: www.agry.purdue.edu/ext/forages/ifc/.
Johnson can be contacted at 765-494-4800 or johnsonk@purdue.edu.
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Planting resistant varieties may be the best non-chemical option
for controlling potato leafhoppers in alfalfa, says John Tooker, Penn
State University entomologist. “These lines are covered with fine
hairs (glandular trichomes) that decrease leafhopper feeding.”
Early harvest is another non-chemical control option for leafhoppers,
Tooker says. “But this tactic is not guaranteed to reduce damage to
stands because the hoppers will move to neighboring fields. Few natural
enemies kill potato leafhoppers, so natural control rarely
materializes.”
Leafhoppers typically migrate into Pennsylvania in late May and early
June, he notes. Infestations are often sporadic. “Even in bad
leafhopper years, many fields escape damage.” Wet weather this spring
could set the stage for major leafhopper infestations in Pennsylvania
later this year, he warns. “Ideal conditions for leafhopper
populations occur when an unusually hot summer follows a wet spring, so
we may be in for a bad leafhopper year if the summer really heats up.”
If such problems develop, insecticides are often the only control
option. Tooker recommends using a sweep net to monitor fields starting
in early June and continuing periodically throughout the growing season.
Treatment should be applied only when economic thresholds are exceeded.
For additional information on potato leafhoppers, field sampling
techniques and economic threshold recommendations, go to fcn.agronomy.psu.edu/2009/fcn0912.cfm.
Correct Email Address
In eHay Weekly’s lead story last week, “Tough Year Ahead For
Exports,” we inadvertently left a letter out of the email address for
Mark Anderson of Anderson Hay & Grain Co., Ellensburg, WA. The correct
address is mark.anderson@anderson-hay.com.
We apologize for the oversight and any inconvenience it may have caused.
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The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation Agricultural Division will host
the 2009 Texoma Pasture Conference from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on June 13
at the Convention Center in Ardmore, OK.
Entitled “Pasture and Range Stability During Times of Economic
Instability,” the conference focuses on answering key questions about
managing pasture and rangeland in addition to reviewing resource use
during difficult financial times. Topics to be covered include
fertilizer economics, viability of legumes and managing grazing
practices to restore the ranch. There will also be a trade show.
Registration is $20 and lunch will be provided. Register at www.noble.org/agevents, or
contact Tracy Cumbie at tlcumbie@noble.org or 580-224-6411
for more information.
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June 10-11 -- Four-State Dairy Nutrition And Management
Conference, Grand River Center, Dubuque, IA. Go to www.wasa.org or contact the Wisconsin
Agri-Service Association at 608-223-1111, or Dale Thorsen at
319-267-2707.
June 11 -- University Of Tennessee Beef And Forage Field Day,
Blount Unit/East Tennessee Ag Research and Education Center,
Knoxville. Call 865-974-7201 or go to east.tennessee.edu.
June 18 -- University Of Georgia/University Of Florida Corn Silage
And Forage Field Day, UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center, Tifton,
GA. Contact John Bernard at 229-391-6856 or jbernard@uga.edu, or Jerry Wasdin at
352-392-1120 or jwas@animal.ufl.edu.
June 21-23 -- American Forage & Grassland Council Annual
Conference, Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, Grand Rapids, MI. Call
800-944-2342, email info@afgc.org or
visit www.afgc.org/mc/page.do.
June 25 -- University Of Tennessee Tobacco, Beef And More Field Day,
Highland Rim AgResearch and Education Center, Springfield. Call
615-382-3130.
June 27 -- 2009 Equine Field Day, University of Kentucky’s
Maine Chance Equine Campus, Lexington. Call 859-257-2226 or go to www.uky.edu/Ag/Forage/EquineFieldDayFlieremail.pdf.
July 23 -- University Of Kentucky All Commodity Field Day, UK
Research and Education Center, Princeton. Visit ces.ca.uky.edu/wkrec.
July 29-30 -- U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center Getting More From
Forages Conference, Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center,
Madison, WI. Visit www.dfrc.ars.usda.gov/forages/Program.html.
July 31 -- 2009 Illinois Forage Expo, Meier Farms, Ridott. Go to
web.extension.uiuc.edu/stephenson/index.html
or contact Dale Baird, University of Illinois extension educator, at dlbaird@illinois.edu.
Aug. 1-2 -- Florida Small Farms And Alternative Enterprises
Conference, Osceola County Heritage Park, Kissimmee. Go to smallfarms.ifas.ufl.edu/floridasmallfarmsconference/index.htm.
Aug. 27 -- 2009 Arlington Agronomy And Soils Field Day,
University of Wisconsin Agricultural Research Station, Arlington.
Download the program at ipcm.wisc.edu/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=WqM8AqDKW9o%3D&tabid=114&mid=669.
Sept. 17-19 -- National Hay Association Convention, Cadillac
Jack’s Gaming Resort, Deadwood, SD. Contact Don Kieffer at
800-707-0014 or visit www.nationalhay.org.
Sept. 22-23 -- Georgia Grazing School, University of Georgia
Livestock Instruction Arena, Athens, GA. Details coming soon at www.georgiaforages.com/.
Sept. 29-Oct. 3 -- World Dairy Expo, Alliant Energy Center,
Madison, WI. Visit www.worlddairyexpo.com.
Oct. 20-22 -- 2009 Southeast Hay Contest/Sunbelt Ag Expo,
Moultrie, GA. Contact University of Georgia extension forage specialist
Dennis Hancock at 706-542-1529 or dhancock@uga.edu.
Oct. 29 -- Kentucky Grazing Conference, University of Kentucky
Research and Education Center, Princeton. Details available soon at www.uky.edu/Ag/Forage.
Nov. 4-6 -- DHI-Provo 55th-Annual Herd Management Training
Conference, Provo, UT. Details forthcoming at www.dhiprovo.com.
Nov. 10-11 -- BEEF Quality Summit, Stoney Creek Inn, St.
Joseph, MO, hosted by BEEF magazine. Visit beefconference.com for details to
come.
Nov. 18-19 -- McCook Farm And Ranch Expo, Red Willow County
Fairgrounds, McCook, NE. Visit mccookfarmandranchexpo.net
or call 866-685-0989.
Dec. 2-4 -- Western Alfalfa And Forage Symposium, Grand Sierra
Resort Casino, Reno, NV. Go to alfalfa.ucdavis.edu/+symposium/2009/.
Dec. 13-16 -- Fourth National Conference On Grazing Lands, Reno,
NV. Presented by the Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative. Visit www.glci.org.
Feb. 16-17, 2010 -- Idaho Hay And Forage Conference, Best Western
Burley Inn, Burley. Contact Glenn Shewmaker at 208-736-3608 or gshew@uidaho.edu.
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