Making Hay

While The Sun Shines

by: Bobby McDonald

Is your summer forage program happy or sad?
That's the question that most farmers in Northeast
Texas are asking themselves this season as moisture
has been relatively slim, and fertilizer prices high!

Drive down almost any country road this week and you would observe dairy and beef cattle producers actively cutting, raking, and baling hay. "I don't know if most of us have just decided that we've got to get busy and clean up our meadows, or what it is," denoted one dairy farmer. "The nights have been so cool until the last week, that we really haven't gotten much, if any, growth on our bermudagrass, and with the prospects of not much moisture and high fertilizer prices, it makes you want to make sure that the rye grass and weeds are all cleaned up before you put out expensive fertilize. At $293.00 a ton for 23-9-14, you want to make certain that it goes to the right place, when it is spread! "

"Forage quality is certainly down this year," affirmed Vera Harrington, a top hay producer in the Reilly Springs Community. "We just haven't had the weather to make top quality hay and here we are looking toward the first of June. We need some warm nights and some moisture to make the bermudagrass grow!" Harrington received a 1/2" rain last Sunday, at her farm, but states that a good general rain is what the entire area needs.

One farmer lays hay down, despite the poor
quality. "You've got to clean-up the meadows
in hopes of getting some warmer weather and
much needed moisture," he stated.

"About all I've accomplished is getting my equipment in shape and the weeds cleaned off of my fields," denoted one local forage producer, as he accessed his first cutting of hay. "There certainly wasn't any quality to the hay that I've put up this season, thus far. But, hopefully we'll get some moisture and some warm nights to grow bermudagrass. At least, I know my equipment is in working order!"

"Rye grass is about all there is out there," declared another hay producer. "If it wasn't for the rye grass we wouldn't be making anything. And, most of the local dairy farmers are putting that into silage, in hopes of preserving a higher quality forage."

 

Much of the rye grass in local hay meadows has
"headed-out" showing signs of maturity that
lessens the quality of the forage.

Jim Russell, award-winning hay and forage producer in the Shirley Community, south of Sulphur Springs, "cried the same blues." "You can count that we've lost about half of our first cutting of hay this year, because of the cool nights and the lack of moisture," stated Russell. "And, with fertilizer at $282.00 per ton this year, that makes for some mighty expensive hay. Two years ago, I was paying only $177.00 per ton, so the rise in petroleum products means over $100 per ton increase in fertilizer prices."

Russell indicated that the cool nights had resulted in much of his bermudagrass "heading-out" because of the stress from the weather. "Lack of moisture and the low nighttime temperatures have really stressed the grass, this season, " declared Russell. "Hopefully, the season will turn around and we can get a good second cutting. It can be an awfully long time until fall, when you start having dry conditions this early in the season. However, last year, June was one of the wettest on record, so there is still hope for things to look up!"

Jim Russell, back row left, is one of the top hay and forage producers in
Hopkins County, along with his son, John, and three grandsons, on the
front row, they operate a family hay and bermudagrass sprigging operation
in the Shirley Community, south of Sulphur Springs.

"Farmers are the eternal optimist," declared another beef cattle producer, as he quipped, "Most of us won't give up until there isn't any hope, or we've gone broke, whichever comes first!

So, if you see a local forage producer standing and gazing at the clouds, you'll understand that most of them are worried about what the season has produced thus far, and they are "banking" on a good general rain to increase the quality and production odds of their crop. Does anyone know a rain dance?