Converting large lawns to hay plots

[Builder]

I have several customers with 10+ acres of rough grass. They have to pay to have it cut many times during spring/summer/fall. They are usually retired on fixed incomes, sitting on a lot of wealth, but cash "poor".

They are paying me or someone else to cut their property and I often wondered if they'd be better off paying nothing, letting the grass go and allowing it to be cut for hay instead.

Has anyone ever made a side business of this? If so, any suggestions on how to "sell" it to customer? Obviously, they no longer have to pay to have grass cut and I make profit off hay, but what else, if anything, is there in this equation?

 

[CharlieS]

Not all grass makes good hay. If its the type of grass normally used for feed in your area, it might be feasible though. The type of grass it is will also determine what market to pursue. Horse feeders also like small bales generally, and look for a higher quality hay as feed. Horse hay is also usually mowed earlier so its tender and not stemmy.
Locally it runs $10 to $12 for custom bailing, 4 x 5 round bales, add to that transporting fee's if you're going to stockpile it somewhere.
First thing would be have some samples tested for protien and nitrates. low protien or high nitrates it wont make good feed.
How many bales per cutting do you estimate? will the cash income cover the equipment cost? can you be competitive locally with the pricing you need to cover equipment costs and derive some income?

 

[smstonypoint]

A lot of this goes on around my farm -- small farms with retired owners or city folks who have purchased acreage but don't have the equipment or time to mow. Most of the owners are happy to have their acreage used for hay production rather than having to mow it themselves or paying someone to do it. If my area is any guide, your idea would sell itself.


Steve

 

[MMagis]

Pretty common around here, but not something you’ll make a business out of. Seems like no matter what the hay is like, someone will buy it. But, some of it’s not worth much, probably just enough to cover expenses and a little extra. It also varies from year to year. On real dry years, hay is at a premium. In the end, it typically works out for everyone. The land owner no longer has to pay to have their field cut, someone makes a little money off of the hay, and someone buys some hay that they need.

 

[picker77]

From the landowner's viewpoint, they need to check references or know well whoever will cut and bale it. We had 60 acres of nice native pasture (located 60 miles away) badly rutted and torn up by the first idiot that was cutting it for us years ago, because the guy kept going in with a heavy truck to pick up bales when the ground was too wet. Plus his hired help was too lazy to use the combo lock on the gate and kept leaving it unlocked. We fired him and the new guy is a lot more careful. Never made much money from the hay but it was enough to pay for some new fencing, so overall it turned out good. I think we were getting something like $22 each for large round bales at the time. Overall a good idea IF the guy doing the haying is reliable and knows what he's doing. Of course, if that's you, then you know how reliable you are.

 

[beenthere]

I have several customers with 10+ acres of rough grass. They have to pay to have it cut many times during spring/summer/fall. They are usually retired on fixed incomes, sitting on a lot of wealth, but cash "poor".

They are paying me or someone else to cut their property and I often wondered if they'd be better off paying nothing, letting the grass go and allowing it to be cut for hay instead.

Has anyone ever made a side business of this? If so, any suggestions on how to "sell" it to customer? Obviously, they no longer have to pay to have grass cut and I make profit off hay, but what else, if anything, is there in this equation?

Builder
Are you already in the hay-making business? And have you any experience growing hay (i.e. turning dirt, planting seed, removing the cover crop, mowing, curing, baling, and storing bales) ?? Do you have or plan to get the equipment to work up the land, sow seed, mow, dry, bale, remove, store, and deliver hay?

Hay crop ground needs to be in a rotation, at least around here. Lawn grass doesn't make hay and hay plants do not make good lawn, at least around here.

Where are you located? Things may be quite different where you are. I wish you well that it can work for you.

 

[Hobby Farmer KS]

Before I bought my own small haymaking equipment to go along with my horses, I had a farmer stop by and ask us if he could hay our back field which had decent Brome that needed a little fertilizing. We said yes and we had it done for about 8 years before we got our own equipment. Depending on the type of hay it goes for about $30 to $60 a round bale. The problem was the first year the farmer got very little hay off of the field. It was not until it was fertilized that it was worth his time.

 

[BillBeyer]

I bought 12 acres with a big barn on it. Cut the ground the first year with a bush hog. Saw one of the neighbors having his ground baled and talked to him about it. Started having mine baled and selling hay. Now baling 55 acres all within golf cart range of my barn where I store the hay. 5X5 rolls is all I have baled. Buy my squares from another farm and resell them. Unable to find labor needed to pick up the squares. Not making alot of money but is good writeoff. Would probably make more money if I quit buying tractors and trucks. I have the hay cut and baled. I transport it to barn and deliver most of what I sell. I spray weeds myself and have the fields fertilized when the wife lets me have enough money for fertilizer. All the ground I bale after my 12 acres belongs to neighbors who allow me to bale it to keep them from paying me to bush hog it. This way they get the ground cut 2 or 3 times a year. When I retire I hope to have all my equipment paid for and start baling the ground myself and then would make some money on the hay business. Guess I am doing something right because another guy on the next farm stopped me this week and asked how I was getting such a good kill on weeds in a field near his hay field. Not used to people asking me for advise, usuall me asking them.

 

[Builder]

Both of my most likely candidates that own land have land that is partly what I would call "floodplain". It's wet part of the year. Has small streams running through it. They gave up on horses. Good for growing grass/weeds, but soft for cutting & equipment. I see her forking out lots of money to have a bunch of Costa Ricans with dixie choppers come and cut it every 1-2 weeks. I just can't wrap my brain around how to get started with the customer. She's really cool and would let me try just about anything to help her save $$.

I have a good prime mover, but the mowco, baler, rake, tedder, etc. seems like a lot of headaches to own/repair.

I already help another guy cut hay a few times a year, but the fields are big and the hay grows really well-like it's been on cruise control and it just gets cut 3-4 times/yr.