Eddie: 2019 Has Been A Challenging Year for Hay Growers

While we still have months remaining on the growing season, Andrew Eddie Vice President of the Washington state Hay Growers Association said 2019 has been a challenging year.  He said the start of the season was delayed, thanks to a late season snow storm, pushing back 1^st cuts for many operations across the state.  And Mother Nature didn’t stop there.  He said the isolated showers we’ve seen much of this spring and early summer have given growers fits.

“When you’re trying to put up nice looking hay, and you realize that when it rains and it gets leached out and looks kind of nasty, you’re going to take a hit on price," Eddie said.  "You’re trying to get as much done as possible, but you also don’t want to rush it and have other moisture issues, in the bale where you can’t move it or things like that.  You run the risk of stack damage or burn.”

While there are several reason this season to be discouraged, Eddie said hay growers are a resilient bunch that role with the punches.

"A lot of growers are just trying to adapt to the conditions and try get things moved and priced as quick as possible so you can get the cash flow through.  But also just try to salvage what they can out of it and just move on and get the year finished up, even though it’s only about half way through.”

Eddie said if forecast heat moves into the Northwest in the coming weeks, that will help growers enjoy a better second half of the 2019 season.

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