# Wheat Straw Farming?



## BPowell (Jan 4, 2015)

I'm wanting to start baling and selling wheat straw. I would like to come in behind the combine after he threshes the wheat and lays it down in rows and then bale it into square bales. Just wondering what you all thought about this and if you think a farmer would even be interested in doing this? I've heard some good money can be made by doing this.

Another question.....Is there a big market for wheat straw? How hard would it be to sell and who would I sell it to? How hard is it to get a contract with the big box stores such as Home Depot, Lowes, etc? I could get close to 15,000 to 20,000 square bales.


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

Where are you from? Add location to profile to help responses. Since you are talking box stores I assume you are making small squares? I hate assuming anything. What type of bale?

Welcome to haytalk.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

You've already answered your own question in the last few sentences......welcome to haytalk Bpowell, add your location to your profile it'll help with responses.


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## BPowell (Jan 4, 2015)

West GA not far from Alabama. Yes it would be small square bales.


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

Somedevildawg ought to be able to give you an educated respose given them facts.


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

Certain farmers will sell their straw for you to bale others will not. If they will do it the biggest thing is your going to have to be very efficient in getting it off the field because in my and your part of the county the farmers are in a hurry to get the next crop planted behind the wheat.....sometimes even the same day they harvest. To do the amount of bales your talking about your going to have to invest in some equipment to the the bales out of the field efficiently and have plenty of storage space. The straw market here is very much a year by year deal......sometimes you can't make enough and sometimes you can't give it away.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Cline is correct, It's a tough one, most are cropping right behind the wheat and need it off ASAP.... Majority around here is sold to mushroom farms down in FL and its rolled.....


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## BPowell (Jan 4, 2015)

Getting it out of the field wouldn't be a problem for me. Just wondering if everybody thinks this would be worth doing or not?


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## Guest (Jan 4, 2015)

Definitly worth doing. But like others said needs to be removed right away. The farmer selling the windrows will be wanting to double crop or do tillage. In ur area probably more double crop. I dont touch my own straw fields till i have everyone else done.

There is a lot of demand of straw, calf huts, erosion controll, large scale landscaping, horse barns. Imo i would look for a trucker. There are people who will drop and hook semi van trailers till your empty. It just seems like a lot of hassel selling few here and there to box stores


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## BPowell (Jan 4, 2015)

Good info bbos. When you say look for a trucker, you mean to ship to people? I'm guessing it would be businesses and farms that I would be shipping to?


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## Guest (Jan 4, 2015)

What i mean by trucker is there are guys out there that buy your straw by the semi load and resell it to the horse farms, box stores , landscape, exc... They have the capability of taking it multiple states away and have all the contracts lined up. All you gotta do is keep them loaded. There are a lot of guys out there doing this, u just have to find a good one in your area or willing to come to your area. Usually theyll be looking to buy every bale you have.


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## BPowell (Jan 4, 2015)

Gotcha. That would be perfect for what I'm wanting to do. Thanks


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## BPowell (Jan 4, 2015)

How hard is it usually to find one of these truckers? Mainly by word of mouth or calling around and advertising?


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## Guest (Jan 5, 2015)

Start by looking around on the net. If u advertise on the net i bet ull get calls from these guys. Especially if your planning on doing that kind of quanity. Theyll like to be able to move that much at one place


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## BPowell (Jan 4, 2015)

Thanks for the info


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

BPowell said:


> Getting it out of the field wouldn't be a problem for me. Just wondering if everybody thinks this would be worth doing or not?


don't be so sure about that. The farmer you're getting the straw from wants to plant beans the same day he combines. The guy who's buying the straw from you if its high and he doesn't care about anything except he wants the straw baled dry. Add in the factor that it's going to rain the next day by noon and you're responsible for the straw after gets rained on..But it can be done we been doing it all our lives.It takes a lot of planning organizing and a little luck.


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## OhioHay (Jun 4, 2008)

BPowell said:


> I'm wanting to start baling and selling wheat straw. I would like to come in behind the combine after he threshes the wheat and lays it down in rows and then bale it into square bales. Just wondering what you all thought about this and if you think a farmer would even be interested in doing this? I've heard some good money can be made by doing this.
> 
> Another question.....Is there a big market for wheat straw? How hard would it be to sell and who would I sell it to? How hard is it to get a contract with the big box stores such as Home Depot, Lowes, etc? I could get close to 15,000 to 20,000 square bales.


Good money doesn't normally mean easy money. I always laugh in my area when hay price jumps and a bunch of new people jump in the hay business for the good money. Typically their equipment is for sale in a couple of years after prices calm down and they realize it is more complicated than mow, rake, and bale. Starting to see this with some guys that all of a sudden became grain farmers with $8 corn.


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## BPowell (Jan 4, 2015)

How big of an issue is baling behind a rotary combine? Does it chop the straw up too bad? Is there a way to take something off the rotor to help with this, such as the knives?


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## Guest (Jan 6, 2015)

Rotor will chew up straw not much u can do about it. You can buy different concaves for the johndeere rotors at 600 bucks a pop (u need three) we got different ones for our 9670. But it still isn't as good as a walker machine. 
I bale behind rotor combines and walker. Just have to keep it seperate. Horse guys hate rotor straw along with some calf hut guys. Erosion control and landscapers Will buy rotor or dried rained on straw.


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## Guest (Jan 6, 2015)

If ur baling a large number of acres you will get the straw rained on no doubt about it.


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## treymo (Dec 29, 2013)

What does your equipment lineup look like or will look like for this operation? Sounds like there is an immense amount of research yet to be done here. First thing to understand is that you are working for the farmer, and in no way will the farmer go out of his way to make your job easier other then laying a windrow for your baler.

Trey


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## BPowell (Jan 4, 2015)

Tractor, baler, rake/tedder in case straw gets wet, accumulator, and of course a trailer


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

My suggestion would be to proceed tentatively.....perhaps commit to a smaller acreage and see how it works out, in this business it's about contacts. Wat type storage do you have?


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## BPowell (Jan 4, 2015)

I only have a small building right now. I would have to build another bigger one.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

BPowell said:


> I only have a small building right now. I would have to build another bigger one.


Small as in how small....enuf to store say, 5k? If so, that's what I would make this first year to " get my feet wet" Im not sure I would commit to building structures unless you have another need for said structures. Btw, what type accumulator? Some work better than others in wheat stubble.


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## BPowell (Jan 4, 2015)

Should store around 3-4000 bales. I plan on just seeing if it will work before I try to expand and build more storage. Steffan system accumulator


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

No problems with that one.....it'll work just gotta make the contacts. Most demand is probably gonna be in soil erosion. I know a fella that does some ill ask him for some input.....


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## BPowell (Jan 4, 2015)

Appreciate it man. Let me know if you talk to him.


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## Chessiedog (Jul 24, 2009)

Hope you have more then one trailer . Go out and bale 20 acres maybe 1000 bales depending on weight . Need to be able to get them moved or at least loaded faster then one trailer if you plan on doing 15 0r 20 thousand bales .


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

Guy I bought my baler from was baling 40k bales of straw a year until the walker combines disappeared in his area. He had a hard time baling and selling rotary straw and gave up.


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## panhandle9400 (Jan 17, 2010)

Like I said in combine talk , you should try Florida for a market . I know for a fact there are hay dealers buying straw down there for horse farms and plant /nursery . I know a big hay dealer at Plant city Florida who sells several different kinds of hay . Get a phone book and let your fingers do the walking , or use a key board an computer ? You will be the guy who will have to make it happen. If you want some contact numbers shoot me a email I might give you a few . I dealt with a handful of BIG players down there over the years and I know they all had a use for wheat straw, barley straw, oat straw etc. Good luck with your venture . Like the old saying goes nothing ventured nothing gained..............................Jeff


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## BPowell (Jan 4, 2015)

Message sent Panhandle.


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## BPowell (Jan 4, 2015)

What would be a good price to offer the farmers to get their straw?


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

BPowell said:


> What would be a good price to offer the farmers to get their straw?


Around these parts it's about 10-20$ per acre.....$10 preferrably if I'm the buyer .


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

BPowell said:


> What would be a good price to offer the farmers to get their straw?


 That varies throughout the different regions of the country probably. Here anything less than a dollar a bale and the farmer would rather chop it and leave it on the field as mulch. Depending on the variety of wheat and how much the combine chewed it up you could get anywhere from 30 up to 100 bales an acre.


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