# How much are you paying for seed?



## PaMike (Dec 7, 2013)

I reseeded some pasture last fall. I paid $150 for a 50 lb bag. This spring its up to $199/bag.

This is a mix of red clover,white clover, Duo Festulolium, and two types of orchard grass.

I buy it at a company that blends and bags It as their own brand.

I just thought that price was plenty expensive...

Whats everyone else paying?


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## hog987 (Apr 5, 2011)

Iam getting some alfalfa seed direct from a producer for $3.30/ pound. From the retailers this year is over $6/pound.


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## prairie (Jun 20, 2008)

Prices of most grass and legume seed is up, some dramatically higher.

The previously high crop prices caused a lot of perennial grass seed production fields to be killed and planted to corn, soybeans and wheat. Why mess with a crop that is much more difficult and risky to grow, harvest and market, when you can make big money easily raising a cookie cutter commodity crop. Also demand for cover crop seed is very high, driving the rent up for seed production acres.

Now that cookie cutter commodity crop prices are down, grass seed demand is dramatically higher and grass seed carryover stocks are low or non-existent, prices are up all across the board. I predict it will take at couple of years to bring prices back down, but probably not to previous levels.

Due to the rapid rise in prices you are likely to find widely varying prices for the same seed, especially on the Common/VNS stuff. Smooth Brome is an excellent example, i have seen it priced from $3.80- $5.50/lb on a retail basis. High priced smooth brome has driven up Meadow Brome prices to as high as $6.25/lb retail in one case.

Most quality pasture mixes will run from $3.50-$5.00/lb. Be aware that a lot of outfits are doctoring up mixes with higher percentages of ryegrasses, which are relatively low priced and short lived, to get prices down. I see a lot of low germ, low purity, and/or high weed content seed being offered, that in most years would be burned or sold for next to nothing. Be sure you are comparing apples to apples, for mix percentage, seed quality and variety. Variety differences can be very dramatic, especially in tall fescues and orchardgrass.


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## TJH (Mar 23, 2014)

From what I understand it was a very bad year in Oregon, where most of the grass seed comes from, particular orchardgrass seed.


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

I chuckle when I go to Tractor Supply and see pasture mixes that are over 75% annual ryegrass. At a real seed dealer Orchard Grass or Timothy or Fescue ate $3:50 to $4 a pound here. Alfalfa is $250 - $300 per bag and the text of $140 would be added to that For RR trait


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## PaMike (Dec 7, 2013)

Endrow-This was at Rohrer in Smoketown/Lancaster. I would think they are competative in price...


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## Tater Salad (Jan 31, 2016)

Rohrer is TOUGH to beat !!! I got my America's alfalfa there($210 bag) and just bought 150lbs of orchard (Oregon seed) cheap shipping too.....They have it all !!!


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## Tater Salad (Jan 31, 2016)

Endrow , stay out of that tractor supply !!!! We're gonna have to take up a collection to feed you if you keep wandering in there !!!!!!!!!!


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## Northcountryboy (May 5, 2015)

$160 for red clover


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

Most of the prices I would quote are from Growmark FS. The majority of everything we buy in the cropping operation comes from there


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

Tater you live in Delaware and get your seeds from Smoketown. I live in Pennsylvania and have sent enough money 4 seed and fertilizer to Grow Mark headquarters in Milford Delaware


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## PaMike (Dec 7, 2013)

Endrow-Do you pick up at Grow Mark or do they have a route truck? Never really heard much of anyone in this area using them..


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

Grow Mark FS has a blend plant and a full-service store in Myerstown Pennsylvania Lebanon County


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## PaMike (Dec 7, 2013)

Oh, didn't even know that. I guess I should have called them when Chemgro didn't even come around this year to get my fertilizer pre pay order...

I will have to look into that. That's an easy run up the road for me, and nicer drive to go north instead of south into Lancaster congestion.


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## Tater Salad (Jan 31, 2016)

endrow said:


> Tater you live in Delaware and get your seeds from Smoketown. I live in Pennsylvania and have sent enough money 4 seed and fertilizer to Grow Mark headquarters in Milford Delaware


They're expensive, especially inputs....I use CPS for inputs and Rohrer for seed(haymaking) When I was mainly grain farmin I used Dynagrow corn&beans..(DeKalb on my best ground)..Dynagro alfalfa had great marks I noticed AFTER I bought America's....same price $210...Gonna try it on my last 50 after I pull beans off ....Then sell the combine !!!!!!!!


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

I was on rt1 in Delaware today was this you


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## CDennyRun (Nov 26, 2015)

I paid $3.76 per LB of pasture mix from Bailey Seed Co out of OR. 29.89% Savory Tall Fescue, 24.94% Climax Timothy, 24.93% Zorro Italian Ryegrass, 18.58% Amba Orchardgrass.

I over seeded ten days ago, and it's looking good so far.

Chris


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## prairie (Jun 20, 2008)

CDennyRun said:


> I paid $3.76 per LB of pasture mix from Bailey Seed Co out of OR. 29.89% Savory Tall Fescue, 24.94% Climax Timothy, 24.93% Zorro Italian Ryegrass, 18.58% Amba Orchardgrass.
> 
> I over seeded ten days ago, and it's looking good so far.
> 
> Chris


Just for reference and what it is worth, a mix with the same percentages from me would have been $2.94/lb and included what I feel are better varieties. Consider the source and do your own research, as I have seed to sell. I am confident you will find that I am pretty accurate in my critic.

Savory is an OK variety and I have sold it in the past, but STF43 tall fescue blend is much better. Climax timothy is one of the cheapest commodity/filler varieties, and Tenho Timothy is what I have on hand. Amba orchardgrass is a good variety, which I sometimes inventory when priced right, but the HLR Orchardgrass blend is better. Italian ryegrass variety probably doesn't matter much in this situation, although when it is the primary part of a mix, as it was in your situation, Green Spirit blend is awfully hard to argue with. Anything over 3-4 lbs/acre of Italian ryegregrass will be overly competitive, and probably hurt the establishment of the permanent/perennial species. A seeding rate of much over 16#/acre of that mix could possibly make the Italian ryegrass be detrimental to the establishment of the other species. I usually recommend a minimum of 25 lbs/acre for most grass mixes. For my own use, after many years of experience on my own and from customer feedback, I usually plant 35-40 lbs.acre of a grass/legume mix.

Using those species I would have recommended 60% TF, 20% OG, 10% ItRG, 10% Tim, at my retail of $2.89/lb would easily be a better quality and balanced mix.

Without knowing your particular needs, but based on the mixed you planted, I would have recommended the following 35% Cache Meadow Brome, 20% STF43Tall Fescue Blend, 15% HLR Orchardgrass Blend, 10% HDR Meadow Fescue Blend, 10% Tenho Timothy, 10% Barfest Festulolium, at $3.65/lb, based on seed count, establishment characteristics, and persistence.

Bottom line is that shopping around a little, researching varieties, and scrutinizing mix percentages can save you money and headaches in the long run.


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## yarnammurt (Jan 1, 2014)

I am paying $50 for crimson clover, and paid right at $500 a 50 for my alfalfa .


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## kentuckyguy (Apr 13, 2015)

How could I get in touch with you Prairie? Do you have a website?


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## carcajou (Jan 28, 2011)

hog987 said:


> Iam getting some alfalfa seed direct from a producer for $3.30/ pound. From the retailers this year is over $6/pound.


Call me next time, i have some of my own for sale. Also this fall Meadow Brome and Timothy


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## vtlpluyr (Mar 27, 2016)

hog987 said:


> Iam getting some alfalfa seed direct from a producer for $3.30/ pound. From the retailers this year is over $6/pound.


Where does one get to talk directly to a seed producer in Canada? I'd love to pay $3.30 a lb for good alfalfa seed...


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## hog987 (Apr 5, 2011)

vtlpluyr said:


> Where does one get to talk directly to a seed producer in Canada? I'd love to pay $3.30 a lb for good alfalfa seed...


The guy had an ad on kijiji for seed.


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

kentuckyguy said:


> How could I get in touch with you Prairie? Do you have a website?


U must be using mobile site? Quit using that and this is under each post of his:
Dealer & retail sales of seed for grazing, hay, cover crop, wildlife, and conservation. Retail sales of electric fence supplies from Stafix/Speedrite, SouthWest Power Fence, and Bekaert, also SturD portable livestock equipment, and Herd Seeders. 866-373-2514 toll free, or [email protected], or www.prairiestatesseed.com


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## CDennyRun (Nov 26, 2015)

prairie said:


> Just for reference and what it is worth, a mix with the same percentages from me would have been $2.94/lb and included what I feel are better varieties. Consider the source and do your own research, as I have seed to sell. I am confident you will find that I am pretty accurate in my critic.
> 
> Savory is an OK variety and I have sold it in the past, but STF43 tall fescue blend is much better. Climax timothy is one of the cheapest commodity/filler varieties, and Tenho Timothy is what I have on hand. Amba orchardgrass is a good variety, which I sometimes inventory when priced right, but the HLR Orchardgrass blend is better. Italian ryegrass variety probably doesn't matter much in this situation, although when it is the primary part of a mix, as it was in your situation, Green Spirit blend is awfully hard to argue with. Anything over 3-4 lbs/acre of Italian ryegregrass will be overly competitive, and probably hurt the establishment of the permanent/perennial species. A seeding rate of much over 16#/acre of that mix could possibly make the Italian ryegrass be detrimental to the establishment of the other species. I usually recommend a minimum of 25 lbs/acre for most grass mixes. For my own use, after many years of experience on my own and from customer feedback, I usually plant 35-40 lbs.acre of a grass/legume mix.
> 
> ...


Thanks Prairie. I just got this from my local feed store, who works with the seed company for this mix. I know just enough about grass species to not make a horrible decision. Much to learn yet! I appreciate the info.

We overgrazed our small amount of pasture that we have, and ended up with several bare spots. I focused heavily on those, and did a light overseeding on the rest @ the rate of about 6lbs an acre. Most places around here are totally out of seed, and there is a waiting list! I picked this up as a frantic last minute "I need to get seed down now!" type of moment. This fall, I think I'm going to till up the abused pasture, and start fresh. I'll definitely get a hold of you when that time comes!



kentuckyguy said:


> How could I get in touch with you Prairie? Do you have a website?


He as his number and website in his sig.


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## hog987 (Apr 5, 2011)

carcajou said:


> Call me next time, i have some of my own for sale. Also this fall Meadow Brome and Timothy


I will remember you for next year. I always mix some seed with my fertilizer to overseed a bit each year. Plus whatever new stuff is planned. After getting some seed full of weeds from one dealer I kind of lost faith in some of the big guys.


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