Hay Farmers getting out of farming

[MossRoad]

I'm seeing a slightly different angle on this situation. My neighbor has taken on custom cutting/baling. Many local hay farmers are either too old, don't like the high investment costs or can not find folks willing to buy and take up hay farming.

His business seem to be expanding more each year into this arena.

That's kinda like most businesses. Adapt, grow, diversify, or slowly go under. You can't maintain the status quo.

 

[Hay Dude]

That's kinda like most businesses. Adapt, grow, diversify, or slowly go under. You can't maintain the status quo.

Yeah….I hear that! Its all I do. Farming is still a priority, but related businesses like land clearing, barn building & repairs and custom mowing are a blessing for off farm income.

 

[mred2]

I think 2 or 3 locals are going to stop haying this year. A few younger one baling grass. But a lot of them have no dry place to store hay and few are doing the small bales.
My hay guy still has chicken houses and does a lot of small square. I am one of his customers that use rolls. I don't think he could ever bales enough square bales to last past the end of the year.

 

[MossRoad]

I used to work with a woman that had a custom haying business. She was an advertising executive by day, and a haying executive nights and weekends. You'd have never known it by looking at her. She was platinum blonde, lots of makeup, long fake fingernails, and big fake eyelashes. Girly-girl. Then she'd show you pictures of her driving the haying equipment in farmer clothes, but still with all the makeup. As I recall, she said she liked nothing better than driving a tractor in a hay field. Really nice woman. Great advertising exec, too. Made lots of sales, which paid part of my salary. Passed away a couple years ago.

 

[Hay Dude]

I think 2 or 3 locals are going to stop haying this year. A few younger one baling grass. But a lot of them have no dry place to store hay and few are doing the small bales.
My hay guy still has chicken houses and does a lot of small square. I am one of his customers that use rolls. I don't think he could ever bales enough square bales to last past the end of the year.

You know, thats another difficulty thats arising with haying. Indoor hay requires indoor storage. I see 5 barns torn down for every 1 getting built. Storage for little feed bales is declining.
Indoor storage is an expensive component of hay farming. The more you make the more you need.

 

[3 Horse Ranch]

Just be glad your haying operation doesn't look like this.

 

[ultrarunner]

Just be glad your haying operation doesn't look like this.

Looks like Paridise Valley where Desert Eagle calls home in Northern Nevada?

 

[mred2]

You know, thats another difficulty thats arising with haying. Indoor hay requires indoor storage. I see 5 barns torn down for every 1 getting built. Storage for little feed bales is declining.
Indoor storage is an expensive component of hay farming. The more you make the more you need.

I plan to have a 40 x 60 metal building put up this year. To go with my 40 x 40.

 

[kthompson]

At age 66 I stepped out of having for the cost of the shelters I had to build to remain. Well more than that for I was in a partnership setup and was not pleased with it and also would have added more equipment and with no child or grands who had any interest it made more sense to tell it goodbye and keep the money than tell the money goodbye.
I believe all the hay land here is grabbed as quickly as one person leaves the business another is growing theirs. There is a lot of rounds here but the small square bales is a very large business and where the profit is, at least here.

 

[JESSE1]

Listed my baler on Craigslist yesterday, sold today.