[Jacob-list] hay woes philosophy for 2007

[Ralene Mitschler]

Hi Listers
Hay prospects are largely a function of capitalism around here or more
likely 'price gouging'.  In PA I have talked to several people who
have said dealers are buying all the local hay up.  The dealers plan
to sell it at 2x and 3x to people with animals later so they can
'corner' the market.  I have so far made arrangements to buy hay from
people who deliberately want to support local people and not the
gougers....  I have also heard that those growing and cutting hay on
the local scale have lost land to prices of corn for ethanol etc.
Quite a bit of land previously used for hay has been plowed up.  One
person who plants near me has now produced 3 crops of corn in a row
instead of the usual rotation of beans, wheat, fallow and
corn.....They also used what seems to have been municipal 'sludge'
apparently this last year between corn 2 and 3; at least they are
using no-till but that is about all the stewardship they are doing.

I don't know if the folks who just buy and sell without producing
anything are as bad in other areas but I don't think the areas some of
us set up to be shepherds were previously 'unsuitable'.  I suspect we
will see more and more extreme weather so who knows what the long-term
feed prospects will be, but clearly there was no 'second' cutting
around here.  I am hoping the last three heavy rains we had which are
returning my pastures to normal (finally) will bust the hopes of the
gougers.  Here's to a normal August and perhaps a September hay
crop....

By the way, I have now found 26 4x4 round bales (the smaller ones) and
have been experimenting with feeding.  thanks again to all of you who
shared experiences for how to feed.  My current method is to 'flake'
the bale out and wheel-barrow it from my loft to the downchute of my
regular feeder.  I hope to find some small bales too or something more
but maybe the rains will mean I can stop feeding hay until normal
'winter'time!!!

Hope all of you lucky enough to go to AGM had a wonderful time!!  I am
jealous but one of these years...
Ralene


-- 
Ralene Mitschler
Chicory Lane Farm Jacob sheep
www.blueflowerflock.com
687 Oxford Ave
Hanover PA  17331
rmitschler at gmail.com
717.630.2988
717.817.3794 cell