The county I'm in Eastern WA is rumored to impose proof of making $100 per acre to keep ag. land status or property taxes could double or tripple. Hay prices in general has not changed much in 20 years around here, still about 80 a ton for grass hay. I get about a ton a acre. Not sure if there's room for realistic improvement. Is it even possible? My field is only 10 acres but need to know before I invest in equipment. Thank you.
Is making $100 per acre grass haying possible?
- Thread starter spokanite
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beenthere
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That's a puzzling dilema.
Depends on the year, the yield, the costs (i.e. high fuel prices), the hay prices (hi, lo) and whether this $100 is gross or net?
Seems like local questions would get you answers, but if you have to buy the equipment to make the hay and still make it profitable, I think you are skunked. How about hiring it done, as that would seem to be cheaper than buying your own.
Sounds like your intent is not to continue raising hay, so maybe you are just 'doomed' to lose it from ag class assessment. Good luck to you.
Depends on the year, the yield, the costs (i.e. high fuel prices), the hay prices (hi, lo) and whether this $100 is gross or net?
Seems like local questions would get you answers, but if you have to buy the equipment to make the hay and still make it profitable, I think you are skunked. How about hiring it done, as that would seem to be cheaper than buying your own.
Sounds like your intent is not to continue raising hay, so maybe you are just 'doomed' to lose it from ag class assessment. Good luck to you.
CT_Tree_Guy
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Hi Spokanite, welcome to TBN.
I sure don't know much about haying, but there's a great guy on here who sure does - his nick is "5030", and he's done a LOT of it. I bet he wouldn't mind if you messaged him - just tell him CT_Tree_Guy told you it was OK, and you're in. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif You can find one of his (many) posts in a recent thread, the surprising truth about motor oils. Just click on his nickname anywhere you see it, then scroll down to the bottom of the page you're sent to and select "send user a message", and ask him if he can help you. He'd be glad to, I'm sure of it.
If this helps, here's a link to some info on Ore/Wash hay prices: USDA Washington-Oregon (Columbia Basin) Weekly Hay Report . Plain grass hay seems to be a little over $100/ton, and alfalfa seems to be considerably more, with some "premium" stuff going for $150? 'Course I might be reading it wrong, or it's FOB Manhattan or something, but maybe it'll help - hope so.
Now I'm curious about how feasible it would be to switch over to alfalfa from grass. Is alfalfa even a perennial, or would you have to replant it each year?
Anyway, good luck with the taxman, but I have a feeling you'll be able to "prove" that you can get $100 an acre for your hay. Wish I could buy it from you myself, sounds like a fair price. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Take care, John
I sure don't know much about haying, but there's a great guy on here who sure does - his nick is "5030", and he's done a LOT of it. I bet he wouldn't mind if you messaged him - just tell him CT_Tree_Guy told you it was OK, and you're in. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif You can find one of his (many) posts in a recent thread, the surprising truth about motor oils. Just click on his nickname anywhere you see it, then scroll down to the bottom of the page you're sent to and select "send user a message", and ask him if he can help you. He'd be glad to, I'm sure of it.
If this helps, here's a link to some info on Ore/Wash hay prices: USDA Washington-Oregon (Columbia Basin) Weekly Hay Report . Plain grass hay seems to be a little over $100/ton, and alfalfa seems to be considerably more, with some "premium" stuff going for $150? 'Course I might be reading it wrong, or it's FOB Manhattan or something, but maybe it'll help - hope so.
Now I'm curious about how feasible it would be to switch over to alfalfa from grass. Is alfalfa even a perennial, or would you have to replant it each year?
Anyway, good luck with the taxman, but I have a feeling you'll be able to "prove" that you can get $100 an acre for your hay. Wish I could buy it from you myself, sounds like a fair price. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Take care, John
Highbeam
Super Member
The good ol' greedy gov't coming to take your land again.
Lots of times the income requirement is Gross income. So it doesn't matter what it costs so long as you have sales of 100$ per acre. In that case, you might be able to find someone to pay you 200 bucks for that acres worth of hay so long as you buy a pencil from him for 120$. You get my drift here. You'll want to know whether the income requirement is gross or net, pretty important.
Lots of times the income requirement is Gross income. So it doesn't matter what it costs so long as you have sales of 100$ per acre. In that case, you might be able to find someone to pay you 200 bucks for that acres worth of hay so long as you buy a pencil from him for 120$. You get my drift here. You'll want to know whether the income requirement is gross or net, pretty important.
deere755
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I f you don't want to invest in equipment for hay cash rent it out to a neighbor for a hundred dollars an acre and let them bale it. I don't know what your land is like but around my area you can't begin to rent land for that.
RickB
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You are answering your own question. Hay sells for $80 and yields run 1t/acre. You will need to boost one or the other.
thatguy
Elite Member
But wont you get a couple cuttings off the land? then you got $160/acre...
Robert_in_NY
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Most people average the tonnage of hay for a year over all the cuttings. Again, it depends on how much you want to put into the land. If you are only getting 1 ton/acre then put some money into fertilizer and a soil test and it will boost it up quite a bit. We got very little rain here last year. The only ground you could get a second cutting on was fertilized ground. So you get your money back and boost your crop and have a better product to sell.
For only 10 acres of land I do not see where the tax savings will come in by the time you figure out your equipment cost. Rent the ground out to a local farmer and use that to off set the tax hike if there will be one. Still, the best people to ask would be local people in his area.
For only 10 acres of land I do not see where the tax savings will come in by the time you figure out your equipment cost. Rent the ground out to a local farmer and use that to off set the tax hike if there will be one. Still, the best people to ask would be local people in his area.
Highbeam
Super Member
Suddenly you might find the market will bear 100$ per ton. If you and all your surrounding farms see similar yields and are stuck with the same income requirement it just might inflate the price some.
Ryno1
Silver Member
If I'm reading this right you have ten acres and need $1000 GROSS sales to stay agi. One simple quick way one be to buy 2 steers, let them eat the hay for a month and resell him. At todays prices you would have the $1000 GROSS sales, now your net might be zero.
Actually to expand this a little, continue doing your hay, once the last cutting is finished but 2-3 steers, turn them out for a few weeks, and then send them to the market.
Actually to expand this a little, continue doing your hay, once the last cutting is finished but 2-3 steers, turn them out for a few weeks, and then send them to the market.
