# What is straw worth a bale in the windrow?



## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

I'm not going to have any straw of my own to bale this year and was looking to buy some straw in the windrow behind the combine to bale....I will do the baling and hauling the bales to the barn. What is a fair price to pay the grower for the straw per small square bale?


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## SVFHAY (Dec 5, 2008)

I have bought at $1.50. Been a couple years, I am thinking that is on the cheap side now if it is clean heavy crop. It is too much for weedy junk. In your area double crop beans behind straw happens a lot and your ability to convince the owner that you can cover acres quickly will be a big factor.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Down here we pay $10 an acre +-, gotta be Johnny on the spot and get it out quick as the fireman is right behind you, all I've done is rolls, no time for squares...


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

What do straw bales sell for around you? You'll need to work your way back from that point to determine its value. And then you'll have to reconcile that with what you're willing to pay and what the owners are willing to accept. This, of course, is how it would be determined in an area where most of the straw gets baled. In other words, you're coming up with a price that saves the owner work (or custom fees) and maybe storage issues.

If you are in a straw spreading instead of straw baling area, I'd imagine you'd merely need to come up with a price that would encourage the owner to want to bale it (nutrient loss, timely harvest, etc) which is in all likelihood going to be a far lesser price than the first scenario.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

somedevildawg said:


> Down here we pay $10 an acre +-, gotta be Johnny on the spot and get it out quick as the fireman is right behind you, all I've done is rolls, no time for squares...


How does the seller justify allowing the nutrients to leave the farm for only $10 per acre?


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Not a lot of people baling straw around here like they used to.

Nutrient and OM loss for starters. Most wheat around here any more gets planted on light ground that isn't irrigated.


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## hog987 (Apr 5, 2011)

8350HiTech said:


> How does the seller justify allowing the nutrients to leave the farm for only $10 per acre?


rotary combine, so your only getting at best half the straw anyways. Or in my area just sell it for whats straw going for and not worry about nutrient loss. Remember there are making money selling straw.


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## Guest (Apr 16, 2014)

Round here its right around .60 cents a bale. Depending on the wheat that can average 30-35 dollars an acre. Some guys sell and some guys spread. I think its worth it for both parties at that price. Imo putting 35$ an acre in your pocket on top of your grain its not a bad deal. And that 35 $ is all profit . Costs the landowner nothing to put it in windrows. I bale my own straw and have very good relationships with other area farmers at that price


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

In my area all small grain acreage gets double cropped into beans. Most of the bigger farms just chop most of the straw but alot of the smaller farms bale it themselves and sell. As long as the straw isn't so weedy that I can't bale behind the combine there won't be any trouble getting it done before they plant beans.....and if it is weedy I don't want it. I know if I don't bale it they will bale it themselves to sell out of the barn which will take longer than if I bale it so I would actually be speeding them up.

I can buy straw out of the barn at a wholesale price of $3 but they will be light 32 inch bales....my bales will be dense and 36-38 inches long. I can sell the straw for $4-$5 depending on the season and if the bales are of good size.

I had in my mind that I would pay $1 a bale and I do the work but they want $1.50....I thought that was kind of steep considering I do all the work and labor. I really don't know how much fertilize money is in each bale of straw.....I know he needs yo get back that money and make a little also.


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## Guest (Apr 17, 2014)

FarmerCline said:


> In my area all small grain acreage gets double cropped into beans. Most of the bigger farms just chop most of the straw but alot of the smaller farms bale it themselves and sell. As long as the straw isn't so weedy that I can't bale behind the combine there won't be any trouble getting it done before they plant beans.....and if it is weedy I don't want it. I know if I don't bale it they will bale it themselves to sell out of the barn which will take longer than if I bale it so I would actually be speeding them up.
> I can buy straw out of the barn at a wholesale price of $3 but they will be light 32 inch bales....my bales will be dense and 36-38 inches long. I can sell the straw for $4-$5 depending on the season and if the bales are of good size.
> I had in my mind that I would pay $1 a bale and I do the work but they want $1.50....I thought that was kind of steep considering I do all the work and labor. I really don't know how much fertilize money is in each bale of straw.....I know he needs yo get back that money and make a little also.


Wow those are some good numbers! Ud be ok even at 1.50 if ur sellin it 4-5 dollars. I dont get quite that much here


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## sethd11 (Jan 1, 2012)

I get 3.50 and I buy at $1.00. But if one person gets a 1.25 I have to pay that to everyone. I swear some of these farmers I buy from are fricken gossips


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

Around here when straw did $200 per ton plus at auction straw, sold for $100 to $120 on the windrow . this year it was down to $60 right behind the combine


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

bbos said:


> Wow those are some good numbers! Ud be ok even at 1.50 if ur sellin it 4-5 dollars. I dont get quite that much here


 I had been getting $4 until this past winter when I ran out of straw.....people were wanting to buy my oat hay to use as straw and as much as I hated to see that good hay go for that use I figured if they were willing to pay the $5 that I get for hay I didn't care what they used it for. I don't know if I can get $5 for it this year if there is a lot of straw that gets baled in the area....I still plan on getting $4 at least for it. My larger bale size will allow me to be able to get a little more for my straw than what others are getting.....I honestly don't know how they can sell the little puffball 32 inch bales for what they can....but it seems that is what everyone is making now.

I'm also going to have to figure in what it is going to cost me to haul the straw from the field about 30 plus minutes back to the barn.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

I think 1.50 is way too high Hayden, I would not pay $1 a bale.....more like .50, just not worth it at $1, you have to bale, haul, store and market right? Hopefully not rake? I'd let them do it b4 paying 1.50 for sure.....


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