Hay buying blues, part 3

My whole point is that economics drives the prices. If a man is selling bales for 2.25, then either he has not put any fertilizer or lime down and so he doesn't have to make that money back, or else he has fertilized but is not keeping track of his expenses and sales. Too many farmers don't keep track of their money, and so they really don't know what they spent, so they don't know if they are staying "above water." I keep a log of all farm related expenses and all income, and if at the end of a year (or periodically during the year) I see that I'm spending more than I'm making, I have to raise prices. Like I said, it's a business, not charity, and the expenses incurred must be passed on to the buyer. Last year my hay was 2.00 and 2.50 a bale. My expenses were lower and my yield was good. This year it's almost 2x that. Because in my little book my expenses this year for liming and fertilizing were almost 2x what they were last year, so that expense is passed on. I feel sorry for the farmers who keep their prices below average because I know that were they to look at the big picture they aren't making enough to make it worth doing. So my point is that don't complain if prices vary yearly. Or perhaps maybe you can find a gas station that holds to a steady price all year round? Or a hardware store where prices never go up? I sell out every year because I have good hay, and aparrently the majority of people don't think I'm "gouging" them.

hmmm very interesting thread. We have had a 7 year drought here and the gov. is shutting down irrigation wells......so the farmers that do have water are getting good prices for hay and mostly it is going to local dairies that are in a world of hurt(for lack of our usual abundant local feed).

We are about to bale the most beautiful, heavy grass hay(for horses) and are going to charge $7 per small square or $220 a ton(last year, I heard, some small squares went for up to $10 a bale over by the front range). Our big rounds of dairy quality alfalfa will go for around $120/ton. We are finally going to make some profit and notice I said "some"...... it's not unreasonable nor taking advantage. Non farmers absolutely do not "get it" about how much investment we have in farming and how we struggle to make it all work. The only way one gets gouged buying hay is if you pay too much for something full of weeds or wet/rotten. Perhaps hay prices will force some folks to get rid of their animals but we are after all, a business. If our farm prices really reflected the rest of the economy, you should pay $400 a ton. There has been cheap food/feed for so long in this country and when the reality of the coming days hits, it will not be easy. There will come a day when bread is $10 a loaf and its' probably not far off. But that is another topic.

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Disease is not an entity, but a fluctuating condition of the patients body, a battle between the substance of disease and the natural self healing tendency of the body......Hippocrates

Oh, Marilyn, how I'd love to have some of those big rounds of alfalfa! You are absolutely right that the average person has no idea how much money, time and effort is involved in farming, no matter what kind it is. Hope the weather cooperates and you have a wonderful year! Jan in Co