ninnymary
Garden Master
Bee, have you checked craigslist for hay? How much is a bale out there?
Mary
Mary
Back to Eden Gardening
- Thread starter Beekissed
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thistlebloom
Garden Master
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You're getting sheep again! Yay for you!
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- #1,403
Beekissed
Garden Master
CL isn't used much around here...we have a publication where you can put free ads in and that's the one to check. After that CL thing in OH, no one wants to use it much.
Right now, round bales are going for $40 and bales are going for $4, which is downright ridiculous since most people had an abundance of hay last year, some getting 3 cuttings, due to all the rain.
What I'm wanting is mulch quality hay...bales left out in the rain and offered much cheaper. Last year we got those for $10 per round bale. Also, last year I got wonderful hay, barn kept, 50 bales for FREE!
This year, no good sales on hay...maybe later in the summer when the farmers need room for new hay, but not right now.
I'm not worried about it much, though, as I think the Lord wanted me to do some cultivating this year and I couldn't have done that with a thick layer of hay on the garden. I think this is the way God wants me to garden this year, so I'm going with it. I do have some bales left over from last year to mulch directly around the plants if need be and I have an abundance of leaves left over for putting down in the pathways as well.
God provides exactly what I need and when I need it!
I NEVER have that many bags of leaves left after winter and I didn't even collect as many last season as I normally do, so it's a God thing.- Thread starter
- #1,404
Beekissed
Garden Master
I know!!!!
I simply can't believe it!!! And from my original source, so I'm very excited. I'm going there this weekend to look the lambs over and see how I like them, but I won't be able to pick them up until August when they are market wt. Though, he said if he had a bottle lamb then that he'd give it to me for free, as he isn't going any bottling this year...has too many lambs for that. He's had 100 lambs already this year!
TwinCitiesPanda
Garden Ornament
My mulch will be all mixed. I’m not buying any, but I have a mix of dead grass and leaves that were all under snow all winter, and a ready source of more leaves in the park down the street. I’m already investing in raised beds and soil, so the mulch has got to be what is available for free.
thejenx
Garden Addicted
Bee, why not list yourself asking for old hay? A farmer might not even realise it's still worth something even if it got wet and is smelly.CL isn't used much around here...we have a publication where you can put free ads in and that's the one to check. After that CL thing in OH, no one wants to use it much.
Right now, round bales are going for $40 and bales are going for $4, which is downright ridiculous since most people had an abundance of hay last year, some getting 3 cuttings, due to all the rain.
What I'm wanting is mulch quality hay...bales left out in the rain and offered much cheaper. Last year we got those for $10 per round bale. Also, last year I got wonderful hay, barn kept, 50 bales for FREE!
This year, no good sales on hay...maybe later in the summer when the farmers need room for new hay, but not right now.
I'm not worried about it much, though, as I think the Lord wanted me to do some cultivating this year and I couldn't have done that with a thick layer of hay on the garden. I think this is the way God wants me to garden this year, so I'm going with it. I do have some bales left over from last year to mulch directly around the plants if need be and I have an abundance of leaves left over for putting down in the pathways as well.
God provides exactly what I need and when I need it!
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- #1,407
Beekissed
Garden Master
That's a good idea and I hadn't gotten around to it...never know, huh?
I might have more success later on, though, as the farmers here abouts seem to think their hay is made of gold at the moment, as small holders who buy hay come to the end of winter stores and are looking for some to finish out the season. Even mulch hay goes for a premium at this time of year, as some people will feed it to cattle, who aren't really picky.
canesisters
Garden Master
I don't know about your area, but here the rain hurt the hay crop. They couldn't get it dry before it got rained on again. My hay guy lost several fields because he couldn't get in there to work. I think that's the problem behind some of the hay prices this winter. Also, the horrible flooding situation has caused a tremendous shortage from people who would normally be pasture feeding needing to feed hay to what livestock they can get sheltered and safe.
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Beekissed
Garden Master
Could be the reason here also, good point. Some farmers were successful in getting in their hay....usually the old guys who didn't have jobs off the farm. But...if rain ruined some of the hay, wouldn't they be offering mulch hay(usually because it got left out in the rain and grew mold)for sale? Around here they will advertise it as such...hay that was rained on or not taken into the barn as opposed to hay that was good, barn kept, etc.
canesisters
Garden Master
If it got wet after bailing, maybe. But if the fields are too wet for them to get in to cut - or if it got cut by got soaked again before being baled, then it's already 'mulch'.
