The locals who have already fertilized their hay
fields for this years crop have told me the prices they paid THIS year were
much, MUCH higher than last year. All of the expenses for making that hay
have gone up. Fertilizer, weed kill, and the fuel for the tractors to bale it,
and the fuel to transport the hay. I think as our spring and summer hay starts
really being produced in our part of the nation (Texas, near Dallas) we will see
a huge increase of course, passed on to the buyers. Just to have the
neighbor bale my hay, he quoted me $2.00 per bale, about 60-65 pound 2 string
bales. BUT, that quote was a guess, about 6 weeks ago. Fuel has gone up yet
again, and I'd guess by the time I might be able to bale some of mine, it will
be closer to $2.50 per bale. Now add in any fertilizer etc. that I put on it,
and I will be paying I'm guessing close to $4.00 just to bale my own. If
one has their own equipment, of course that expense is lower. But then I am not
making payments on those tractors etc. I think we will be seeing a huge,
HUGE price increase nationwide. And pray you do not end up in an area with a
drought kind of year....
