Hay making time
While I don't have any hay this year, a lot of local producers have been cutting, raking, and baling hay for their cows. Until the rain yesterday this has been about the best time yet to put up hay. Quality is not too bad, considering the late frost that damaged a lot of alfalfa, and the tonnage is there as well.
I've been selling a fair amount of net wrap at the office, too. A lot of it has been going to customers with newer John Deere and Vermeer round balers.
I am fascinated, however, by the technology our bretheren across the pond use to make hay. A lot of custom work is done there by "contractors", so there it is mostly large, sophisticated, and expensive. No dinking around with 9' wide mower conditioners behind a 70 hp tractor. Check out these videos:
You got to admire the Europeans' use of techno music in ag machinery commercials, eh?
I've been selling a fair amount of net wrap at the office, too. A lot of it has been going to customers with newer John Deere and Vermeer round balers.
I am fascinated, however, by the technology our bretheren across the pond use to make hay. A lot of custom work is done there by "contractors", so there it is mostly large, sophisticated, and expensive. No dinking around with 9' wide mower conditioners behind a 70 hp tractor. Check out these videos:
You got to admire the Europeans' use of techno music in ag machinery commercials, eh?
posted by bgunzy at 6/19/2007 09:10:00 PM
8 Comments:
I know this isn't the right place to put this, but I didn't see any other way to contact you.
Something is happening that you may want to know about. The people at Iowans for Tax Relief have decided that Iowans don't need to hear from Dr. Ron Paul. They are hosting a Presidential Candidate forum, but don't want Dr. Paul as one of the speakers. The story can be found at: http://www.lewrockwell.com/woods/woods72.html
An interesting exchange occurred between the head of Dr. Paul's campaign and the head of Iowans for tax relief. You can listen at: http://media.libsyn.com/media/mickelson/mickelson-2007-06-20.mp3 You'll need to move to 1:01:16 in the recording.
If you feel that Iowan's deserve the opportunity to listen to different views from the presidential candidates, please contact anyone you know that may influence this decision. Dr. Paul brings many ideas to the table, and deserves to be heard.
Thank you.
Mark Crowe
I'd watch out for my hay bales. It's going up in price from what I'm hearing especially due to the drought in the Southeast and they're becoming tempting targets for theft.
It doesn't take much to cruise around with just a pick-up and a bale spear looking for a bale here and there to poach. Pick a bale here and there and they might not even be missed. On the other hand they could clean out an entire field overnight.
Nothing like waking up and checking out your fields and seeing all that hay you baled missing. It's not like you could prove it was yours.
What's good hay selling for up in Iowa?
Here are the results posted at www.fortatkinsonhay.com - they are located in NE Iowa, but they are a good barometer of hay prices in Iowa, maybe a bit on the high side:
Auction June 20, 2007 376 Tons in 61 Loads offered
Description $ per ton # of loads sold
1st Crop Small Squares $70.00-140.00 14
2nd Crop Small Squares $
3rd Crop Small Squares $
4th Crop Small Squares $
1st Crop Big Squares $80.00-110.00 8
2nd Crop Big Squares $
3rd Crop Big Squares $
4th Crop Big Squares $
1st Crop Rounds $45.00-95.00 28
1st Crop Rounds Organic $80.00 1
2nd Crop Rounds $75.00-85.00 2
3rd Crop Rounds $60.00 2
4th Crop Rounds $
1st Crop Rounds Rye $40.00 1
Straw Small Squares $85.00 1
Straw Big Squares $50.00 1
Straw Rounds $25.00 1
Corn Stalk Rounds $35.00 1
Mark,
I heard the discourse on Mickelson's show yesterday. I agree, something stunk about how the Iowans for Tax Relief declined to offer Paul an opportunity to speak. Usually I am with them on their beliefs, but I think there is something shifty going on, and I don't like it one bit.
Ron Paul is a seriously well principled candidate.
Yeah I've been hearing anywhere between 80 to nearly 100 bucks for a big round bale. I could probably get permission to hay my CRP ground but there is no way to get equipment back there now with crops in. I've gotta get new road and creek crossing put in. I couldn't very well put up hay with a four wheeler.
It's pretty ridiculous Iowans for Tax Relief wouldn't want Ron Paul of all people speaking. He's for abolishing the IRS and the Income Tax and for implementing actual Constitutionally based taxation and monetary policy. That's something NONE of the other candidates can come close to matching. Guess when it comes right down to it Iowans for Tax Relief are nothing but cheap political posing hacks with no real backbone or desire for change other than to alter the corrupt system just enough to take the pressure of themselves or to direct the money spigot into their own troughs.
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Anonymous 11:33 PM - Do you have any corn this year, or access to corn stalks bales? You might want to try baling corn stalks, having them ground, and mix with DDGS and/or condensed distillers solubles (syrup). A guy could save about 20-30 cents/hd/day by doing this compared to buying hay.
Yeah we rotate off between corn and beans as a rule and sneak in wheat every now and then when we feel ambitious. I'll look into baling the stalks this year. Anything to make a little extra to help out with the taxes. That's all my crop ground and CRP does anymore is maybe pay the taxes and help with the insurance on the farm.
I may open some pasture in the next couple of years and raise a few head of cattle but mostly for my own use. I'm tired of paying for beef when I own a farm. My ancestors would be ashamed. I live on a farm that's been raised stock and fed the family for 150+ years and I'm buying beef? They'd probably slap me if they could.
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