HAY SHORTAGE CONCERNING AREA FARMERS

The hay bales normally seen in abundance sitting in the fields at this time of the year are in short supply this summer because of the unseasonably dry weather this region has had in June and July.
"Farmers are baling the ditches to use as filler, but that's just grass," said one retired Minneota farmer. "Alfalfa, which is used for hay, just isn't growing anymore with all this heat and no moisture."
To make matters worse, during the early spring growth of alfalfa, weevils were able to get ahead of the spraying. While many producers sprayed for the weevil, some ended up killing off some predatory insects that normally feed on alfalfa larvae.
Alfalfa can typically be cut three or four times in a growing season; generally, when it reaches around three feet.
"We cut alfalfa in late May/early June the first time and it was close to three feet," said Adam Gorecki, who has a feedlot west of Minneota. "The second time we cut, it was about half that size. But if you don't cut it, the alfalfa will mature too soon, and the quality won't be as good."
"With our first cutting, we were pretty normal at about a round bale an acre," said Greg Moorse of the Moorse Dairy Farm outside of Minneota. "With the last cutting we made, we didn't even get a half of a bale per acre."
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture to open some lands in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) for emergency haying and grazing in order to assist farmers impacted by this summer's drought. The USDA recently granted that request.
In his letter, Walz stated that due to the drought, the quality of forage on the CRP lands will continue to deteriorate and if farmer don't receive access until Aug. 1, they may lose out on getting the quality feed to their livestock.
As homeowners watch their unwatered lawns and gardens dry up and turn brown, farmers are seeing their alfalfa fields do the same thing.
"The government can throw all this money at us, or whatever, but it's not going to help when there is no hay," said one farmer who requested anonymity.
June was an especially tough time for farmers with 12 days of 90 degrees and above temperatures.
"I've been farming my whole life and the last time I remember it being this dry was 1988," said Moorse. "We might be in a little better shape now than it was back then, but if we don't get any rain soon, this will be worse than that."
Some farmers are getting by with hay left over from last year, but that won't be the case moving forward.
"We won't have much, if any, hay left over this year," said Gorecki, who has been farming for 22 years.
For those farmers who are in need of hay, they have been forced to purchase it elsewhere. And because of the shortage, the price continues to increase.
"You can't really blame them for raising the cost,"' said Gorecki. "It's all about supply and demand."
The hay shortage could also impact the prices at local grocery stores.
"The price of hay is double what it was last year," said Moorse. "I wouldn't be surprised if it goes even higher."
Creeks and streams that run through pastures are also drying up and creating a water shortage for farm animals.
"The creek that runs through my pasture is completely dried up," Gorecki said. "I've seen it where there was just a little water in it, but never like this."
Moorse said the ditch at his place that normally has water in it has dried up.
Little or no rain is expected this week with temperatures remaining in the 90s.
"We should be okay if we get some rain soon and then it rains more in August," said Gorecki. "The last time I remember it like this was 2012. Without a doubt, though, this is the worst I've seen it to this point since I've been farming."
Three years ago, farmers had trouble getting into their fields because of all the rain that fell in southern Minnesota.
"It's just so hard to believe that it can be wet like that and so dry like it is now," Moorse said. "We have to try and remain optimistic, but it's hard sometimes. We've got some good small grain crops, but it needs to rain this week, or we will be going backward with everything else."