Hay just split into two markets. $500/ton in Colorado, $75…
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Hay just split into two markets. $500/ton in Colorado, $75 in Kansas. Same crop, same week. Know which side you're on before you buy.
This week's spread in alfalfa prices is the widest I've seen, and it's moving fast.
There's no national hay market. No exchange, no futures, barely any price reporting on an $8B crop. So the country has split in two:
**West (CO, MT, WY, UT, AZ, NM, TX):** Tight and getting tighter. Medians $300+. Utah and Montana are drought-locked. Wyoming is *already sold out of 2025 crop* and it's June. If you're out here and haven't locked in winter hay, every week you wait the options shrink. Move now.
**Midwest/Plains (IA, MN, SD, NE, KS):** This is the opportunity side. Medians $175-185, supply comfortable, sellers negotiable. Buyers here have leverage they won't have all year. And if you're anywhere near the boundary, a $150+/ton gap means trucking hay in from the loose region can beat buying local.
One catch wherever you are: don't trust the grade name. "Good" is swinging $100/ton between sales at the same auction right now. Ask for RFV numbers or crack a bale.
This window won't stay open. Either the West gets rain or freight closes the gap.
Drop your state and I'll tell you what hay's actually going for near you. I've got this week's USDA auction data open right now.
#home
This week's spread in alfalfa prices is the widest I've seen, and it's moving fast.
There's no national hay market. No exchange, no futures, barely any price reporting on an $8B crop. So the country has split in two:
**West (CO, MT, WY, UT, AZ, NM, TX):** Tight and getting tighter. Medians $300+. Utah and Montana are drought-locked. Wyoming is *already sold out of 2025 crop* and it's June. If you're out here and haven't locked in winter hay, every week you wait the options shrink. Move now.
**Midwest/Plains (IA, MN, SD, NE, KS):** This is the opportunity side. Medians $175-185, supply comfortable, sellers negotiable. Buyers here have leverage they won't have all year. And if you're anywhere near the boundary, a $150+/ton gap means trucking hay in from the loose region can beat buying local.
One catch wherever you are: don't trust the grade name. "Good" is swinging $100/ton between sales at the same auction right now. Ask for RFV numbers or crack a bale.
This window won't stay open. Either the West gets rain or freight closes the gap.
Drop your state and I'll tell you what hay's actually going for near you. I've got this week's USDA auction data open right now.
#home
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