Hay Market Demand And Price Report For The Upper Midwest As of January 25 , 2016

Jan 27, 2016

Demand and Sales Activity

Hay prices were steady compared to the previous report . Prime quality small square bale alfalfa is a major influence on price . There is a wide spread in hay prices between prime hay and grade 3 hay , also package type provides a wide range within hay grade s . Prices reflect the demand for small square alfalfa hay .

For Nebraska , prices were fully steady . There was a s trong d emand for small square hay in the market this week from the horse and small farm producers . The bulk of hay is for f eedlots , dairy hay market is slow.

For Iowa , slower movement of hay this week . Organic hay is moving at conventional prices.

In South Dakota , alfalfa hay prices were steady with firm undertones for dairy quality hay . Lower qual ity hay demand improved this week. One negative in the market is there is little commitment from farmers to purchase hay in the near future . Bedding materials continue in demand.

For Missouri, w eather is the main topic as freezing temperatures with snow to ice have lead to dangerous travel and slow hay movement . Cattle needs for hay may have peaked and hay movement continues to be slow . Local ads for hay are very few, not because of little supply , but little interest in buying hay . Hay supplies are heavy, demand is light, and prices are steady .

In Southwest Minnesota, good supply of hay offered this week , the m ajority of the hay was lower quality with no prime hay offered for sale.

For Illinois, small square bales were the s trength of the market . Demand was good for moderate offerings, and steady prices.

In Wisconsin , finally some prime quality alfalfa hay at auction. Lower quality hay is plentiful in the Wisconsin . Overall hay prices are steady to slightly higher when compared to the last report. T he Midwest straw prices continue st eady .

Market price for s mall square bale avera ged $ 3 . 4 0 a bale (range of $ 1 . 0 0 to $6.00) . L arge square bale straw price increased a few dollars per bale , with an average price of $ 3 3 . 0 0 per bale (range of $ 2 0 . 00 to $ 5 5 .00); and large round bale straw price was a few dollars less , av erage price was $ 27 .00 per bale ( range of $ 16 .00 - $ 3 5 .0 0 per bale ) . Demand was good for straw in the Midwest.

Source:uwex.edu

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.