Storms leave hay growers under the weather
Photos: Hay grower Don Turner crouches in his field in Moses Lake and shows how the hay from his first cutting has yet to be removed, while hay that will be in his second cutting is growing through it. The recent wet weather has made it difficult for hay growers in the area.
Quality of product at issue because of moisture
Not everybody loves a rainy night.
The recent rash of rainstorms in the area has left local hay farmers worried about their product.
"The last 10 days, it's given us a lot of rain that we weren't expecting," said Don Turner, Moses Lake hay farmer. "That's what's created the problem. I cut 10 days ago, so I've had hay that's been down too long. The problem is, we're trying to figure out how to get it off. We haven't had any drying days to be able to rake it or get it off."
Turner estimated that about 50,000 acres of land all over the Columbia Basin are experiencing the same issue, as well as farmers in Idaho and Oregon.
Keith Rupprecht, president of the Mid-Columbia Hay Growers Association, treasurer of the Washington State Hay Growers Association and a hay grower in Warden was able to get his hay off his fields Monday because of the spotty nature of the rainstorms.
"The other night's storm hit the Mar Don, Othello area and we just had a trace," he said. "The ground's been wet but not downright wet."
At the same time, Rupprecht said he is still in the same boat because of high humidity and rainfall, and is not able to put the hay into haystacks.
"To put it in a haystack, (the hay) has to be dry enough so that we don't have combustion," he said. "This is why we have haystack fires, because a lot of times hay is put up too green and too wet."
Turner said that estimating the monetary loss is difficult until the hay is off the fields, but that history shows that growers will be lucky to get 50 percent.
"Good hay has been marketing $100.25 a ton, but we're lucky to get maybe $50 a ton for this," he said. "And it's too premature to tell, we haven't got there yet. We can't even get it off the field."
The second cutting is beginning to grow up through the first cutting, which damages the second cutting, Turner said.
Hay growers cut an average of every 30 days, depending on conditions, Turner said. Most people around the area cut four times a year.
Ninety percent of Turner's hay that he sells goes to export, and is used for feed in dairies, he said.
"Your first cutting is your main crop, your most important crops, and it's mainly used in dairies because of the feed value," he said. "We're in an area here in the Basin that export is a big benefit and a big factor. I rely on it very heavily, and they expect quality. Everybody who buys hay likes quality, and quality pays."
Rupprecht said that there isn't much hay growers can do about the weather except live with it. While it's putting a damper on the hay, he still anticipates a good price for quality hay.
"A lot depends on what happens the next couple days, if the weather breaks and we get out of this pattern we've been in," he said. "There will always be a demand for good quality hay."
Rupprecht said a positive end is that growers are seeing a reduction of hayfields, which will mean there won't be as much hay to pick from. The reason is because higher prices in products like corn, wheat and beans have given some people the incentive to switch over from hay, which has a more intense a growing process.
Turner said that he has been putting up hay for 25 to 30 years, and the weather is the worst scenario that he's ever been in.
"There's certain people that this is their business, livelihood, and they need to generate cash flow to survive with the costs that we have in this product," he said.
Turner said that the general area should be more aware of hay growers' plight because it's an agricultural community.
"I'm not asking for sympathy in any way, shape or form," he said. "This is just a small issue as you look at the news — tornadoes and floods are happening back east. When I see something like that, I don't have a problem. But the community as a whole needs to see what's going on. Not only how it affects people, but how the weather affects us as farmers."
He noted that the rain has been a benefit for other crops in the area, adding that he also grows corn.
"Fortunately, we have four cuttings and hopefully this doesn't happen every cutting, or we'd all be out of business because of the cost," he said.