Hay Farmers getting out of farming

[Hay Dude]

Anyone seeing this at an increasing rate?
CL ads everywhere around here with farmers selling out/retiring, etc.
Seems like this sunami of high input prices (fuel, fertilizer, et al) may be the final nail?
Talked to a buddy last week running 1600 acres of hay in a neighboring state and he said “I’m done”
He has already sold his Magnums and self propelleds

 

[bmaverick]

Anyone seeing this at an increasing rate?
CL ads everywhere around here with farmers selling out/retiring, etc.
Seems like this sunami of high input prices (fuel, fertilizer, et al) may be the final nail?
Talked to a buddy last week running 1600 acres of hay in a neighboring state and he said “I’m done”
He has already sold his Magnums and self propelleds

Once the Hay is gone, we can all now eat the VEGAN fake meat slime that Billy Gates is pushing and people didn't want at McDs.

So, the less hay produced, the more fake meat we'll end up seeing and eating.

WI is loosing 4 dairy farms per DAY. The trend has been going on since 2019. At this rate, no more dairy milk nor cheese to be had going into 2023.

 

[Tx Jim]

I can envision the difficulty to make a profit in hay business with the high cost of repair parts,fuel,fertilizer not to mention the high price of farm tractors/equipment. Then throw in the lack of & low prospects of rain where I reside. If I had 2 functioning brain cells I'd sell every head of cattle I own but NO I'll wait until the price of live cattle bottoms out.

 

[Citydude]

A rancher south of me reported he's hanging by a thread concerning his beef cattle operation.

 

[AchingBack]

Lack of hay is certainly the case in southern Oregon where a lot of hay fields have given way to the production of hemp and marijuana.

 

[lman]

Lack of hay is certainly the case in southern Oregon where a lot of hay fields have given way to the production of hemp and marijuana.

Wow. I've never tried weed, but I'm pretty sure I'd rather have steak than weed.

 

[sree251]

Once the Hay is gone, we can all now eat the VEGAN fake meat slime that Billy Gates is pushing and people didn't want at McDs.

So, the less hay produced, the more fake meat we'll end up seeing and eating.

WI is loosing 4 dairy farms per DAY. The trend has been going on since 2019. At this rate, no more dairy milk nor cheese to be had going into 2023.

This is depressing.

 

[sree251]

Lack of hay is certainly the case in southern Oregon where a lot of hay fields have given way to the production of hemp and marijuana.

We would rather farm potheads because they don't fart as much as cattle to damage the environment?

 

[sea2summit]

Haven’t heard of any getting out yet, don’t know any that make their entire living on hay though. Only guy I know that makes everything on farming only does a little hay.

 

[bmaverick]

Haven’t heard of any getting out yet, don’t know any that make their entire living on hay though. Only guy I know that makes everything on farming only does a little hay.

Hay prices per 50-lbs sq bale in 10 years went from $2 per bale to $8 per bale. And that is IF you can find them! So many hay folks in round bales that horses, lamas, goats and sheep are kept out of the hay market because there are no sq bales to be had.

Round bales are great for the hay producer, but awful and wasteful for the livestock and dairy farms. We are constantly out bidding each other driving the sq bale prices up further and further due to the demand.