My boy heard this at the sale today

Hay in Idaho is averaging $240 a ton. That is $15 a bale for a good 3 string bale of alfalfa or hay grasses. Now, we are not talking third cutting weed free hay either. We are talking a decent mold free hay that you can feed your horses and cows. We have not had a drought. Matter of fact, we have had banner years of production. Trouble is that we have a lot of dairies. Matter of fact, the largest cheese plant in the world close to here, and 4 more within an hour's drive. Then, you have the drought areas that received government subsidies for the purchase of feed. The big boys came in here and offered way more than what the locals could afford for the hay, and they even guaranteed muti year contracts. If someone offered you twice your normal rate for your stuff, would you accept it?
This caused a shortage in the local feed supply. The large farms could supply the huge demands, and the little farms that used to sell for livestock were now selling to the dairymen, and there simply is nothing left for the one horse a chicken and a cow guy. So guess what? Prices went through the roof. Do I think it is unethical? Nope, I think it is the price we pay for choosing to live in a capitalist economy where we are free to choose to grow hay over potatoes. 90% of the contracts are up this spring, so I hope that all the farmers who have seen good times the last 3 years get to stay afloat when we have hay from the large farms again. The ones who were unethical are likely to fail tho, Karma.

Just for the record, I am not a Christian. I am a good person tho. So all of your arguments about people being good Christians are a moot point because you are assuming that every farmer buying/selling their hay cares about being a "good Christian". How about sticking to being plain ole good people.

It WAS, last yeaar $15 a bale alfalfa at the feed store here Okla

When I read the "Peanuts" cartoon today about Charlie Brown offering to shovel Lucy's sidewalk, I thought of you and this thread.

Gave me a chuckle.

Paul

Some of us don't understand economics, or don't want to. Cost has little to do with price. The guy with the irrigated fields would be stupid not to raise his price in a drought. Stupid and out of business. Bad business decisions make people loose their farms, not 'evil' banks or greedy corporations.

I suppose his land was free, the wells dug themselves, and you personally donated the irrigation system?

Profit is not un-Christian. If no-could make money selling hay, there would be no hay for sale.

Funny no one screams during the over abundant years when you have to sell it at cost or below, but when its hard to come by oh my goodness their ripping me off and being unchristian....lol

I had a friend in Ga. that had was building and selling a round bale unroller. He had a big hay farm, and baled everything in round bales and put them under roof until baling season was done. He would then unroll them and feed them into a square baler without having to worry about the weather, and sell the square bales.

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It seems to me that most hay farmers bale in round bales rather than squares. That is their decision. Those of us that need squares for whatever reason have to just suck it up. If we don't like it - we can get rid of our livestock. Right?

I actually like round bales, but don't have a tractor to move them around. I am too old and with enough health problems to not be able to deal with them without that tractor. So I use squares. I find them now and then at a good price in small quantities and locally enough for me to get a pickup load or three, but I generally have to rely on the local TSC. That's just the way life goes.

Mary

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