Hay as a Profitable Endeavor

[Ray,IN]

Several people around here mow the highway right-of-ways. I used to be against that but with today's clean fuels I could consider it and feeding it to my animals...if I still had any.

For some unknown reason Indiana does not allow that between the divided lanes; INDOT just employs dozens of tractor drivers, and buys new JD tractors and rotary mowers every few years to mow. Seems common practice West of the Mississippi.

 

[showcrop]

We make hay as a pretend profitable endeavor and you can see how it runs here.

D

Thread 'The Farm. Haying and Cattle Thread'

Jun 1, 2026

Thought I would start a thread about what we do here. Will be mostly pictures from past and present. Been selling hay off from 200 acres acres for over 10 years now at this scale. Have a herd of Dexters, Jerseys, and Dexter/Jersey crosses for beef sales. current herd is 40+. Also help my cousin from time to time on his 1400 cow dairy in 2 states and work Preload at UPS.


Yesterday knocked down our rye for precut rye straw. Takes a week plus before it is ready and we do want it to get a little rain but not to much. First batch of 1st cutting off on May 30. Can't remember when we have done...

• deere4040
• Replies: 115
• Forum: Tractor & Farm Talk

• 

Just got done with 40 acres yesterday of small squares and rounds. This year we are giving out letters completely revamping our pricing system. We sell out of field, prebuy and stored, and winter sales if surplus. Dry hay over 180 acres with including baleage ground we are about 240 acres. Up to 4 cuttings a year with 90% of our sales directly out of the field. You have to have a highly reliable customer base and it is nothing to sell 1500 small squares out of the field across 5-10 different customers in a day. Our best day yet in the decade plus of doing it at this scale was just over 2500 bales in one day with taking 4 back to the barn. That's how clow we were running the yield. All numbers are preplanned the days before on what people are getting. Not show up and add or reduce their order size the day they picked up. In fact I talk to zero customers and do not have time. We do not take any money at the field. Some customers may leave it in a vehicle, mail payment, but lots of them will drive to the farm and deposit it in our payment box at our self serve stall where we also sell hay and straw for the customers that do not need 100's of bales. You would be surprised how many people want just 1,2,5 bales. Customers that would be annoying to deal with. We move close to 100 bales each of straw and first cutting out of the self serve a month.

Biggest thing to weed out the crap customers is

We do not delivery and we do not load.

Your operation is similar to how mine worked. For it to work that way, you need the reliable customer base, and to have that you have to make good hay.

 

[john in la]

Corn stalks are $19.99 a bundle

 

[showcrop]

For some unknown reason Indiana does not allow that between the divided lanes; INDOT just employs dozens of tractor drivers, and buys new JD tractors and rotary mowers every few years to mow. Seems common practice West of the Mississippi.

The reason is state liability.

 

[Texasmark]

View attachment 165453

Corn stalks are $19.99 a bundle

Around here on dry years they round bale corn stalks....I never had to but imagine there is nothing but fiber there and for any nourishment a tub of syrup would need to be out for the cows....along with a salt block which a lot of guys don't think about.....course if you are feeding the syrup tub, extra salt isn't necessary.