By DOUG GRAVES

Ohio Correspondent

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio farmers are in the midst of a severe hay shortage largely driven by poor, wet weather conditions that started last summer. The price for a ton of high-quality dry hay nearly tripled over the past year, forcing some farmers to turn to less-nutritious and more expensive alternatives.

According to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), there has also been a decrease in hay supply in recent years. As of May 1, 2018, hay stocks were down 33 percent from May 2017.

With varying temperatures this past winter and spring, coupled with wet pasture conditions, livestock are using more energy, meaning they need higher-quality hay. High-quality hay, though, is scarce after a rough growing season in 2018 that included heavy rain and unpredictable weather.

Any available hay now comes at a high price, just when many farmers have run out. Local auctions still have hay rolling in, but quality material comes at a higher cost. Many local hay auctions in eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania have seen year-over-year prices increase between 35-40 percent.

For instance, at the Mount Hope Livestock Auction in Ohio, large bales were $70-$190 per ton in 2018 and the range was from $100-$400 this season. At the Kidron Livestock Auction in Apple Creek, hay ranked from $40-$135 per ton in 2018. The range this season was $35-$360.

“This hay season hasn’t been any better, as heaving damage was a concern in many fields, a carryover from varying weather conditions,” said Rory Lewandowski, an Ohio State University extension educator in Wayne County.

According to him and OSU associate forage specialist Dr. Mark Sulc, heaving occurs in taproot crops due to wet soils that freeze and thaw in cycles over a period of time. The plant can be lifted out of the soil, exposing the root crown to unfit conditions that cause issues during harvest. The only solution to heaving is to reseed or to start a field over again in a new crop.

“The first cutting is where we will see some shortages,” Lewandowski added.

Another reason for the shortage in hay is that in recent years Ohio lost more than 100 hay farms as farmers retired or opted for more profitable crops.

Don Ilhardt sold his dairy operation 10 years ago and started growing commercial hay on his 350 acres east of Cincinnati, while also raising beef cattle. He sold out of his hay from the 2018 season last Thanksgiving, and has purchased roughly 500 tons throughout the winter to keep his customer base happy.

Bill Childers, who owns a 150-acre farm in Ohio County, said while the wet weather has affected his farm, he was able to put enough hay aside to feed his livestock through this summer.

“I haven’t been able to sell as much hay to other local farmers because of the need to keep backup supplies for my own livestock,” he said, noting the rain last summer made it difficult to find a three-day stretch of dry weather in which to cut and bale hay properly.

According to NASS, farmers in the Midwest should not expect much help from farmers out west, as many have not planted as much alfalfa this season and have switched many of their fields to soybeans and corn because they were not expecting to receive premium prices for their hay.

With the hay shortage affecting farmers of multiple livestock (dairy, beef, and horses), Lewendowski and others recommend looking for alternative methods to feeding hay, such as putting animals on pasture earlier. However, he said turning livestock out to pasture early may not be the solution due to slow growth with wet spring conditions.

The best recommendation? Talk with a nutritionist to look into different options for feed.