Getting paid for hay

[hawkeye08]

Around here, it depends on the land (how much and how good).

some have marginal land, smaller, say less than 10 acres is usually free (landowner gets nothing) or better land, $25/acre and up rent or sharecropped where the landowner gets a share of the crop.. often they get a share of the expense also. If smaller than 5 acres, often the landowner has to pay the farmer to farm it (cheaper than taking care of the weeds themselves). I have seen those deals as high as $1000 per year for the farmer to take care of 5 acres. In that case, the farmer is hired by the landowner and I would expect them to work with the landowner to avoid the disturbances noted above...

We like the cash rent (actually a check, with appropriate 1099) and we don't have to worry about expenses or whether we got our share of crop.. We still take care of the acreage not in crop (mowing and spraying as needed)..

Trend lightly or you may end up maintaining your own weed patch.

 

[AGRIMAN]

I rent from several different owners and the agreements range from $40 a acre to free for keeping it cleaned up, but none of it comes with any restriction on when I can work. During the spring/fall we will log as many hours after dark as we do during the day. Nothing unusual for us to work until 3 or 4 am if needed.

People here wouldn't give me working while they partied a second thought (they would probably be out in the field watching or wanting to talk), but folks around here are use to farming and understand when
it's time to go, you go

 

[forgeblast]

You could do a conservation program like CREP, here is a link to the Kansas site Agricultural Conservation Easement Program | NRCS
I Crep'ed about 2 acres of eroding at times swampy land. It was costing money to mow and time spent working on it. I am at the point now where it is on its own. I just collect a yearly check for keeping it natural. If you decided to go this route the work is not hard. I would go with tubex tubes, and buy your trees from lawyer nursery.

 

[farmer2009]

I rent from several different owners and the agreements range from $40 a acre to free for keeping it cleaned up, but none of it comes with any restriction on when I can work. During the spring/fall we will log as many hours after dark as we do during the day. Nothing unusual for us to work until 3 or 4 am if needed.

People here wouldn't give me working while they partied a second thought (they would probably be out in the field watching or wanting to talk), but folks around here are use to farming and understand when
it's time to go, you go

Mainly the way it is here. Only we try to stop by midnight.

If it was me and you came in saying I couldn't work while you partied. I would have to look real hard to make sure I needed your ground or just cull a couple old cows and tell you to have fun mowing it. But that's me.

 

[Sysop]

Yep, if someone is performing any free upkeep to your property with thousands of dollars worth of their own equipment, you can't really say too much to them about when the work needs to be done. There is no money in hay, the money is in what the hay is used for. Be thankful your property is 7 acres of AG land rather than assessed as a 7 acre yard and tell them to keep up the good work. You're well compensated by the tax breaks it provides.

 

[AGRIMAN]

Mainly the way it is here. Only we try to stop by midnight.

If it was me and you came in saying I couldn't work while you partied. I would have to look real hard to make sure I needed your ground or just cull a couple old cows and tell you to have fun mowing it. But that's me.

I would agree with you.

 

[Jstpssng]

I couldn't say it better but it's worth repeating. Just curious though - why would someone run a brush hog just for the sake of mowing 10 - 20 acre fields?[/QUOTE
That's to keep the bushes down. Some of us hate seeing good fields go back to brush.

 

[Clint S]

Mainly the way it is here. Only we try to stop by midnight.

If it was me and you came in saying I couldn't work while you partied. I would have to look real hard to make sure I needed your ground or just cull a couple old cows and tell you to have fun mowing it. But that's me.

I will third that


We were bailing on the 4th and usually do most every year depending on the weather.

You gotta make hay when the sun shines

 

[Lineman North Florida]

One thing you have to remember is this is my property, not theirs. A courtesy call would have been the right thing to do to see if I had anything going on that day. Keep in mind I get nothing out of this deal, if I have to brush hog the highway frontage in front of my house to keep it looking nice then that's what I will do.

You would probably be better off to just mow yours and then you could have full control of when tractors operate and when they don't, while you are partying a lot of farmers are trying to make a living and in hay, you have to strike while the iron is hot.

 

[bigbull338]

ok 1st you want to keep your ag exemption in place.because as sais if you dont your taxes will be outragious.now most around here sell hay standing at $5 a round bale or they give it away just to get the pasture cleaned up and to keep their exemption.mind you it takes alot of time and fuel for some1 to bale a small place.

 

[Gator6x4]

Thanks for the insight guys. I don't need the hay, no use for it. And with hay being plentiful this year and last I suspect the value is hardly worth the time, fuel and fertilizer. I agree the brush hogging would take a lot of time with my 3032E JD and my 5' brush hog. Better off to have it hayed for a good use. I think next year we will have a little better understanding on what's going on and when. I didn't like the fact that that they were working into the evening after dark on July 3rd and also the fact that they were baling on July 4th when we had a whole bunch of guests over for the holiday. I know, I know, you farm when you can but the timing was all wrong for me this year and being a new land owner I really didn't know what to expect. I know better now and will have an understanding next year or have someone else do it.

Thanks

In my area if the individual fertilizes, limes, sprays for weed control, uses a plugger to stimulate growth and cuts and bales the hay and the land owner is not out any money, no charge. It is better to have the land taken care of than to let it turn into a huge weed patch.

As to the baling on the 4th of July, I am sure the individual would also probably have enjoyed taking the day off and entertaining guest, but hay is not something that will wait, it is a do now job. You have never seen a mess in a field until you see hay that was raked ready for bailing and it rained on it for a couple of days. What a mess, you can't use the hay it will mildew and you can't leave it in the field. Pick up and clean up is the order of the day. Be happy the individual bailed the hay on the 4th of July.

 

[AGRIMAN]

I farm one place basically as a large food plot. The owner doesn't have the equipment to do it and asked me about farming it on halfes with him. That was until he learned just how much money it would take.

He quickly changed his tune and asked if I was interested in farming it, if the rent was free...

 

[TomSeller]

I cut a number of ~5 acre fields and don't pay for any of it. Like others have mentioned, the fertilizer, fuel, etc costs money. Also the repair you need to do because someone tossed a bicycle in the field or whatever adds up. The landowner gets a much nicer cut than any brush hog.

 

[Clint S]

I farm one place basically as a large food plot. The owner doesn't have the equipment to do it and asked me about farming it on halfes with him. That was until he learned just how much money it would take.

He quickly changed his tune and asked if I was interested in farming it, if the rent was free...

Yes, factor in the all the $$$$ for the prep work, man hours on equipment and maintaining it, equipment wear and tear and fuel. After that there is not much meat on the bone.

 

[kcflhrc]

Good information guys, thanks for the education. Been away from farming since I was a kid. I think my mind is a little more clearer now after going through all of your posts, I do appreciate it. I will take all of your advice. Living in yuppy land for the last 30 years has clouded my vision. I'm better now, thanks.

 

[Obed]

Agreed. It sounds like you have good hardworking neighbors. I would treat them like kings. You can't overestimate the value of a good neighbor. Out in the country you could just as easily live beside a meth lab.

We used to live on 8 acres without a tractor. I would have loved to have someone make hay on the place. Instead our two fields filled up with polk weeds and pine saplings.

My dad still lives on the 100+ acre farm where I grew up. He runs 60-80 head of cattle. He used to have someone make the hay on a percentage take. My dad paid for the fertilizer. He has since figured out it costs less money for him to pasture all the fields all year and buy winter hay from other people than to buy fertilizer and give away half his hay.

Hay growing in the field is not worth much in dollars; hay gets its dollar value from the effort required to harvest it.

Obed