Trying to find a hay farmer to cut and crop share my field..

[Mozart]

Not having much luck with this. We recently bought a farm that came with a 50 or so acre hay field. Mostly timothy and brome. I have been trying to get local hay farmers to come and cut and crop share but so far no luck. My previous hay supplier would do it were it not so far away from their own fields. Everyone else I have talked to is worried about getting their own hay off (too much rain, not enough sun and warm weather around here). Any nice weather and they are madly working in their own fields. Certainly can't blame them.

So...what if it reamains uncut this year? Will the hay just die off and then regrow? If by fall I can't get it cut and baled...do we need to do something to the dead grass? Very novice hay "farmer" here...

[avezan]

I tried for a few years to do this too with the same responses that you are getting. Finally I put an ad in the local paper and got more replies that I could imagine! You might also try Craig's list. My ad said, you bale it, you take it, but most farmer's offered me payment or hay as payment. I have someone now who bales it and give me 1/3. It is a great arrangement.

[msj]

I know a number of people that have asked some of the local farmers to do the work and then split the crop. Most of the farmers would rather do their own fields first and get 100% of the crop instead of a portion. I can't blame them either.

One guy has tried for 3 yrs now to get his cut and he just ends up bushhogging it down. :( Another friend who has been able to talk the farmer into doing her fields always complains that it's always cut too late. I don't know why she figured the farmer was going to hers first and only get 1/2 when he could do his own and get all....

[sk_pacer]

It'll just die down, Mozart, and regrow in the spring. That happened here for years before I got someone to cut and bale it. What is there will go to seed and that will grow in the spring as well. The biggest trouble will be the white crap it stops - if you can mooch a gyro mower after harvest and knock it down, it will help with that mess

WIsh I knew someone out your way, but it is out of my area. Know people from Virden to Carmen and south but only know a small handful of people north of that line

[Mozart]

Thanks for the replies. Maybe I will do some advertising and see where that gets me. A couple have said "maybe, if I get all of mine done". I understand that, especially this year. It just seems to be a waste since the field is in good shape, no weeds, etc. Especially this year when hay is going to be scarce. There is, of course, the irony of having to BUY hay this winter when I now own 50 acres of it....

sk_pacer..what is "white crap" and what is a gyro mower?
We did buy a tractor and have a five foot mower...will that work? Man, I wish I could take a "farm management for new farm owners" course!

[sk_pacer]

Mozart - white crap is that lovely stuff that blows around all winter, differentiated from wet crap by temperature!!!!LOL

Gyro mowers are those big field mowers - looks like a regular mower deck, but is much more heavy duty and requires around 60hp and a 3pt hitch to handle them. Most of the RMs in both provinces use them to cut ditches. Not sure if a regular lawn type mower can handle that stuff. Hmmmmmm, maybe gyro mower is a Sask term?? Nope, not, the guys I know from MB know what it is. Must be a farmer term :)

Just think how I felt after being a track rat for 30+ years and coming back to the farm with everything changed. I hadda teach myself how to drive newer tractors - gosh durn, they didnt make Oliver 66 or an International W-6 style tractor. All that shifting was gone, and about the only familiar thing was the now water truck. First ride on a combine in many years was, well, overwhelming, 30' header instead of a 12' pick-up, acres of glass to look out of, and all climate controlled, no dust, nothing. Heck, we dont even OWN a swather now, everything is straight cut, and if swathing is needed, we just borrow one.

[Mozart]

Mozart - white crap is that lovely stuff that blows around all winter, differentiated from wet crap by temperature!!!!LOL



Oh THAT white crap!! :lol:
I thought it was some sort of fungus thing I needed to be aware of!

Mr. Mozart bought himself a 65 hp tractor and is familiarizing himself with the various toys .um..attachments, to go along with it. I have rarely seen him happier then when he comes home after having spent a half day on it, cutting grass and meditating.

No doubt because he is not accessible to family members at that time! "Oh you called? Guess I didn't hear the cell phone.."

[Guilherme]

Try your local Extension office. They may have some additional names for you. They will also have a wealth of informtion on farm management.

Why not just cross fence it and graze it? Or maybe see if you can get somebody to come and run some cows on it. They would pay you a "capitation" for the amount of time they grazed it.

G.

[sk_pacer]

Mozart - if Mr Mozart has a mower for his new toy....er tractor, that would work to knock the stuff down. Check the RM office though, they MAY have a list of who does custom cutting or wants more hay.

Guilherme - we don't have extension offices here. Have to deal with PFRA, Ag Canada and the local RM office. and you still end up not knowing any more than when you walked in or called.

[camohn]

Living in Amish land helps.........but that is what we do.......halfing. The Amish neighbor gets half the hay for his dairy cows in exchange for his baling labor. Since HIS cows have to eat it he is inspired to do a good job. Folks that bale for $ we did not do so well with caring if it was done "right". We leave the last cutting on the field (it is fenced) and use it as our winter pasture/rotate the horses off their summer field.

[hb]

I've been told mowing is better than leaving it because it helps with weeds.