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mercer county, il | The way it goes for me is as follows.
Hay prices go up (now), myself and everyone wants to cash in, so we plant more hay. Before long, anything other than 180+ rfv is worth less than the cost of producing it. Then people get out, and we have a few poor crops, and repeat.
Take first cutting early. It’s not typically your moneymaker. Wrap it if you have to, just to get it done.
Anymore I focus on making good feed for my cows, and make big squares or smalls for some loyal customers.
Charge a convenience fee for small squares, you don’t want to have someone once a week getting 5 bales and you’re waiting on them for an hour.
Make big squares, they transport better, and typically bring better money at auctions.
And finally, if you don’t know and trust someone, don’t be afraid to ask them for payment in advance.
Hay is what gave me my start, and done right it can be a moneymaker, especially on marginal ground. But you’re also a slave to it to do it right. | |
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Hay Profitability
