In the humid east 950 acres of alfalfa is truly impressive. Shoot 400 acres is impressive. You have enough ground in hay for 5 to 7 pivots! In the West to feed big dairies there are some who cut one or two pivots a day, everyday for 3 weeks running. Have 2 maybe 3 Hesston 4X4X8 balers going every night. Baling hay that will test 180 to 200 RFV. I feel good when my hay tests 150 RFV in my borderline too damp, too dry farm. Truly impressive. Mike inIdaho has more land in service roads than I farm.
This is why I would like to see the western hay growers participate in hay production discussions. AFGC has a good representation of large and small hay growers, of the East and Corn Belt, but lacks the Western perspective.
I believe there is one county in California that has more cows and more milk than all of Wisconsin. New Mexico's major cash crop is alfalfa. As for Texas 2% of our hay land is in alfalfa. This is the state with the most acres of hay and almost as few acres of alfalfa as Rhode Island. Texas probably produces more tons of sorry hay than any state in the union. Hope we are in perspective. Yes you are a BTO hay grower, for the east. Nation wide you are impressive. Thing is there are others who are very much more impressive. I know fully where I fit, in the ultra small category. I do everything on the place myself, cut, rake, bale, haul and stack in the barn and load out the customers wheels.
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