Hay Market Demand And Price Report For The Upper Midwest As Of August 22 ,2016

Aug 24, 2016

Demand and Sales Activity

Hay price s were steady to weaker compared to the previous report with downward pressure in some markets on lower quality hay.

For Nebraska , demand was good for large square bales going to dairies, while light demand with slow movement o f hay for feedlots . Prices were steady .

For Iowa , good demand and stronger prices this week as there was a demand for the better quality hay . Farmers had a good weather this week to bale hay .

In South Dakota , hay sales continue to be light, with demand moderate for all classes of hay . Prices are firm as farmers are not willing to lower the asking price for their hay at the market . The dry conditions in western South Dakota has farmers hopeful demand will increase shor tly.

In I llinois , no report this week . For Missouri, hay activity continues to be inactivity, with few actual sales. Supply of hay is moderate with light demand, and prices are steady to weak . Farmers are fortunate that the grass has literally never s topped growing this summer and the weather conditions will allow some fall stockpiling of forages before the frost.

In Southwest Minnesota, the story has not changed all summer, a good supply of lower quality hay, with light demand, and lower p rices . There was one lot of prime quality small square hay this week, the first of the summer .

In Wisconsin , an unbroken record as in other states , hay supply exceeds demand and prices reflect quality of the hay . With r ound bales gathering on field edges lower quality hay prices have declined . Overall s traw price was steady to stronger this week. Small square bale straw a verage d $ 2 . 8 0 a bale this week (range of $ 1 . 0 0 to $6.00) . L arge packaged straw prices increased this week .

Large s quare bale price increase d $ 4 .00 a bale from the last report. The average price is $ 33 . 0 0 per bale (range of $ 1 5 . 00 to $ 63 .00) . L arge round bale straw prices increased $9.00 per bale with an average price of $ 3 9 .00 per bale (range of $ 3 0 .00 to $ 55 .00) . There were some markets selling contracts for 2016 straw that has impacted the market.

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.