Michigan Hay Sellers List brings buyers and sellers of hay together

Whether buying or selling hay, the Michigan Hay Sellers List makes the task easier.

For over 18 years, the Michigan Hay Sellers List has been bringing buyers and sellers of hay together. Buying hay use to be a simple matter of driving down the road to the first dairy or livestock farm you came to and asking if they had extra hay for sale. Today, the agriculture industry is different. Technological advances on farms have changed how farms harvest and feed forages. Most dairy farms today chop pure alfalfa haylage and store it in some type of silo. They do not make many small squares of dry hay, let alone have some for sale. Most beef and livestock farms bale only large round bales of hay and make little else. Horse owners, for example, prefer grass hay and alfalfa grass mixed hays, especially with timothy grass in it. Many want this hay in a small square bale that is easy to handle. Locating the few farms that make this type of hay and have extra for sale is not an easy chore. Compound that with weather situations that shortens the supply of hay in certain regions, or with declining hay acres (4 percent less nationwide) because of the increased acres of corn, soybeans and wheat and you start to understand why the Hay Sellers List is valuable to both buyers and sellers.

Each year, over $1 million of hay is listed for sale on the list. To find that alfalfa/timothy small-squared baled hay that is dust-free within 50 miles of home, or that premium quality alfalfa second cutting in big square bales for under $200/ton, the list makes the hunt much easier.

Anyone seeking hay to buy can go to the list and search for the specific hay they desire, whether it be high quality alfalfa, mixed hay, horse quality timothy or even birds foot trefoil. They can simultaneously search for bale type, such as small squares, big squares or round bales. They can also select which cutting is desired, be it first, second, third, or maybe others. The search will generate the list of producers that have hay of these specific parameters for sale, the location and the asking price for the hay.

Anyone wishing to list hay for sale can go to the same Hay Sellers List website. Just follow the directions and go to the “Help” icon at the top of the entry page if more clarification is needed.

All asking prices are listed on a per ton basis. This is done to be sure that transactions are made on a fair, standard basis. To access the list, go to the Michigan Hay Sellers List website, or contact Phil Kaatz, Lapeer County MSU Extension forage educator, toll-free at 888-678-3464, or Jerry Lindquist, Osceola County MSU Extension grazing educator, toll-free at the same number.

The Hay Sellers List is sponsored by MSU Extension with support from the Michigan Forage Council, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Michigan Farm Bureau. There is no charge for buyers or sellers. To keep the listings current, each listing is posted for only four months.

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