The U.S. Department of Agriculture released a report this past week  saying prime alfalfa hay is selling for up to $280 a ton. Grass hay is bringing over $200 a ton. Even cornstalks, once considered useful only as bedding, are being baled and sold as hay, bringing as much as $100 a ton. The drought, and a dramatic drop in hay production over the past two years is forcing prices up. The USDA report says hay production in South Dakota has dropped over 50% in the past year. Hay production in South Dakota is now at the lowest level since 1964.

Al Van Zee