Hay Farmers getting out of farming

[JDZ735M]

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

I don't know. They had a system and it worked. Everything else being like it was back at that time, might be preferable.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Wish I could find pictures when we put up loose hay. We used a trip rake to rake into piles, and had buck rake in front of 8n to pick up the piles. Then had the hay forks on a rail at top of the barn, would drop on the hay pile, and you pulled it up with a rope.
Here’s inside the barn. My job used to be in the barn, using pitch fork to move hay from the center out to the edge of the barn. Still remember snakes falling down with the hay when you tripped it to release.

 

[3 Horse Ranch]

Wish I could find pictures when we put up loose hay. We used a trip rake to rake into piles, and had buck rake in front of 8n to pick up the piles. Then had the hay forks on a rail at top of the barn, would drop on the hay pile, and you pulled it up with a rope.
Here’s inside the barn. My job used to be in the barn, using pitch fork to move hay from the center out to the edge of the barn. Still remember snakes falling down with the hay when you tripped it to release.
View attachment 734600

My uncle and cousins did that. They had and old Model A flat bed truck they would load up out of a neighboring field and haul to their barn and use the same system as pictured and load the loft to the rafters for their small dairy herd. I was 6 or 7 and rode with them out to the field and watched them load and unload. It was then I found out I was allergic to hay. My eyes nearly swelled shut for a while.

 

[jyoutz]

Hay production is a mixed bag where I live: split between the horse folks, feeding beef cattle, and dairy. Of the three, dairy is the largest market for hay produced in state. The eastern part of the state (Pecos river valley) is a large dairy production area, supporting cheese production plants.

 

[ultrarunner]

Grandparents had a blower to move loose hay to the loft…

First tractor powered and later electric motor.

Not a place for allergic people as blowing hay was everywhere.

Cousins farm has a small track mounted cab in the rafters with a grapple to pick up and move hay.

Of course in the summer it was fresh cut grass every morning pitched into concrete water troughs during milking.

 

[JESSE1]

Sold my rake and mower to the same gentleman who bought my baler. After forty years I don't have any hay equipment around.

 

[Rockbadchild]

I have been seeing it as well in Canada lots of old timer taking they retirement and selling everything and not too many youngster looking to take over. I do think lot of people will have hard time finding hay in the future.. I am surprise to see this happening in the USA as well... In Canada I can understand with our carbon tax, it is pushing lots of farmers to stop farming especially for farmers who sell products on world market the goods prices are regulated so the extra tax can't be distributed to the consumers so the owners are taking the hit.

 

[Hay Dude]

I have been seeing it as well in Canada lots of old timer taking they retirement and selling everything and not too many youngster looking to take over. I do think lot of people will have hard time finding hay in the future.. I am surprise to see this happening in the USA as well... In Canada I can understand with our carbon tax, it is pushing lots of farmers to stop farming especially for farmers who sell products on world market the goods prices are regulated so the extra tax can't be distributed to the consumers so the owners are taking the hit.

Yeah I can’t really understand the “end game”. No way you can survive on farming alone unless you were given all the land, machinery and buildings with no debt OR you farm at least 1000 acres in MY area, or you have off farm income (me).

Now with dyed diesel doubling and going to $4/G and fertilizer up 300% in 3 months, the environmentalists gaining more power, complex machinery you can’t repair, and now WOTUS, Lord only knows what’s going to happen next.

 

[kthompson]

I have family still in the hay business and while they are concerned, they know the demand is great here and price will have to increase but again some people have no option but to buy hay. No doubt many will look for options but just as gas and meat have increased greatly in last year or so other products have no option.

 

[Rockbadchild]

Yeah I can’t really understand the “end game”. No way you can survive on farming alone unless you were given all the land, machinery and buildings with no debt OR you farm at least 1000 acres in MY area, or you have off farm income (me).

Now with dyed diesel doubling and going to $4/G and fertilizer up 300% in 3 months, the environmentalists gaining more power, complex machinery you can’t repair, and now WOTUS, Lord only knows what’s going to happen next.

I hear ya, I see the future pretty grey as well too bad I am so young lol ... hopefully things turn around or we will see a other ''Kulak'' scenario here.