# Hay acreage for next yr?



## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Was hauling cattle yesterday and seen 4 guys doing tillage.3 of them were ripping out alfalfa.The guy I hauled cattle for also ripped his out.Also seen 2 fields with manure getting hauled on them so they are prly going to get plowed out also.Alfalfa acres are going to be down here the way it looks.

I'll be down another 55 acres for sure next yr.What is everyone else seeing?

If corn wouldn't of went down the last few days another 110 acres would of got the plow.


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## NDVA HAYMAN (Nov 24, 2009)

Cy, I think you will continually see fluctuations in the commodity markets but I still see grain prices for corn going higher. I would probably go back to corn if I still owned my harvesting equipment. When I moved to hay, I basically got rid of it all except some tillage equipment and a 7000 max emerge. The reason I moved out of grain was because I could not make my own market with grain and I could with hay. I had more control of my destiny with hay than corn or beans. If hay does not get any better this year, I may be making a change. Kinda has me in limbo for my equipment purchases this year. Hay is very high here and I'm about out of hay. Been loading out all week and also sent a load this am to the auction to test the water. Might be brokering some hay soon, or either taking it easy thru the winter. Mike


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## panhandle9400 (Jan 17, 2010)

Here in this area there has been a few new circles going in to alfalfa. The alfalfa sales has been fast and furious, all I have left is some 5th cutting testing 190 to 200 so I plan on sitting on it for a while to maybe getting prime price from some dairies here locally. I plan on taking out circle and half of 9 year old hay and putting in new circle and half next season . Alfalfa prices have been strong here all season, my grinding hay has been 100 to 110 per ton and better hay has been 125 to 165 per ton for rounds and big squares, small squares are bring 7.00 each and selling fast. Feed those cheap horses ?Good hay is hard to come by here and the surrounding area it is all gone almost , went fast this season.


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## Hayking (Jan 17, 2010)

We have planted 300 more acres to alfalfa this fall. we are sold out of hay and could use more. we sold our round bales for 115 a ton and small sq for 6 on the field and 7 in the barn. if we can get some more moisture it looks to be a promising year next year.


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## NDVA HAYMAN (Nov 24, 2009)

Hayking, Sounds like you will be needing some more equipment. LOL. Cy, Did you lose the 55 acres or you plowing that?


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## Hayking (Jan 17, 2010)

Haha i think we will try and make it work with what we got might let some of our custom work go and keep the better customers.


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## dbergh (Jun 3, 2010)

Quite a bit of ground coming coming out hay production in my area and some going back in but strong wheat and corn prices will lead to a net reduction of hay acresin my opinion. Prices for hay were already on the rebound prior to a number of these fields being torn out and have continued to strengthen this fall. Feeder quality hay is currently sitting at $100 with supreme being a strong $160 (if a grower is willing to sell).


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

NDVA HAYMAN said:


> Cy, Did you lose the 55 acres or you plowing that?


Lost a 40 that was on a 5 yr lease.Guy leased it to me to put it in alfalfa hoping to help the ground out,he couldn't get a decent crop of beans.PH up to 8.5,compaction and may have had cyst.Another 18 was due to get torn out anyway.Nothing was seeded this spring it went to corn.FORTUNATLY sold already and check in the bank.


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## haybaler101 (Nov 30, 2008)

Ripping out about half of mine next year. Going from 265 acres to about 125 acres of alfalfa. Was planning to quit completely mid-summer when it wouldn't quit raining, so I made no plans to seed any new this fall. That turned out to be a winner, hasn't rained enough all fall to get a stand established. What alfalfa that was planted, sprouted and died in this area. Until grain prices change, only going to grow alfalfa on marginal ground (reclaimed strip-mine ground and hot sand). Good clay dirt will net way more off of corn and beans than alfalfa with whole lot less risk.


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## NDVA HAYMAN (Nov 24, 2009)

Now that the fertility is right for my soils, I guess I'll wait the year out and see what happens. If things don't look up, I might be going to beans regardless of not having a combine. It's hard to get a custom harvester in Va. but easy in ND. I guess I could pickup a decent one somewhere. Just can't seem to get the corn yields in Va. or Nd. like in other areas. 150 is a fantastic yield in those areas. At least my ground is now right for no-till. We will see. Mike


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

I also have some ground that just works better for hay.They are converted wetlands.If I plant them to a annual crop I can't be in the farm program.So I will still have some hay even if I have more corn/beans.

As of now it looks like 265 acres of hay for next yr.


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## blueriver (Oct 19, 2009)

No row crops in my area. Some wheat ... the hay market is best. I am studying the possibilities of Alfalfa here.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Looks like I'm planting a wee bit more next spring. Bought some property next door, was going for the whole thing but ended up with the corner 30. The guy that lives on the other side of the property bought the other 60 and the house/buildings, he went insanely high, even outbid the BTO's that were there. His reasoning was he didn't want his view ruined if somebody bought part of it to build on and didn't want any neighbors, didn't tell him we thought the exact same thing about him when he bought his forty and started building. He had the inside track with the bank on his forty, for sale sign went up one day and the next he had it bought. His sister in law is going to live in the house, we get the barn back for storage and a ten year lease on the rest of the property. Planting about ten acres of hay in a corner field that we own now as its too much of a PITA to plant corn with a 16 row planter and beans with a 30' Hiniker.

Word of advice, about ten years ago we had a verbal agreement with the previous owners to get first chance to buy the whole thing, was cheap as well, they have one child, he has two daughters, Max and Stella figured the three of em should be more than happy with 80K apiece when they passed away, the son was even there when the agreement was reached and sealed with a hand shake. I had a feeling it should have been in writing, but how do you tell someone that their only child is probably a greedy little douche? Anyways after Stella passed away we mentioned the agreement to the son a few times but the auction sign went up anyways.

Gotta watch out for the next generation, father rented that place for over forty years on nothing but a handshake until the government required all leases in writing for the farm program. Should have known that kind of honor isn't necessarily passed down in the genes.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

mlappin said:


> Word of advice, about ten years ago we had a verbal agreement with the previous owners to get first chance to buy the whole thing, was cheap as well, they have one child, he has two daughters, Max and Stella figured the three of em should be more than happy with 80K apiece when they passed away, the son was even there when the agreement was reached and sealed with a hand shake. I had a feeling it should have been in writing, but how do you tell someone that their only child is probably a greedy little douche? Anyways after Stella passed away we mentioned the agreement to the son a few times but the auction sign went up anyways.
> 
> Gotta watch out for the next generation, father rented that place for over forty years on nothing but a handshake until the government required all leases in writing for the farm program. Should have known that kind of honor isn't necessarily passed down in the genes.


Yea I hear ya.A couple of my friends bought acreges with the agreement if they ever sold the land around it they would have 1st chance on it.Agreement didn't mean crap it was put up on auction and if they wanted it they had to bid like everyone else.Both cases local BTO outbid them.

Must be a state or local thing,our FSA doesn't require a written lease.Just a paper stating "I cash rent my farm to xxx"So far I've only had one written lease everything else is verbal agreements.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

swmnhay said:


> Must be a state or local thing,our FSA doesn't require a written lease.Just a paper stating "I cash rent my farm to xxx"So far I've only had one written lease everything else is verbal agreements.


I stand corrected, your right on that slip of paper. All mine are in writing these days after my cousin got burned several times on verbal leases.


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