While some equate farming with a quaint, laid-back lifestyle, those who do the work from dawn until dusk will readily tell you this isn’t the case. A farm only operates as efficiently as it is being managed; making the right decisions can have a huge impact on budgets and output of products. The know-how it takes to run a ranch or farm the right way isn’t always common knowledge either so with that in mind, it’s time to offer some best-practices. Whether this means stocking up on alfalfa hay for sale when the time is right or making the most of surrounding land is going to hinge on correct decisions. With the following tips in mind, farmers and ranchers will be aware of opportunities just waiting to be seized.
Exceeding expectations: For some shoppers, “organic” is a buzzword that drives sales. For ranchers who want the best for animals living on their farm, it’s a set of standards that they strive to meet. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has a number of requirements that farms must meet if they expect to earn “organic” stamps on approval. However, those requirements could also be considered best practices for those who want to provide a good quality-of-life to animals. These include “year-round access to the outdoors” and being “raised per animal health and welfare standards.” An operation like Superior Farms, which puts its lamb flock first, prides itself on the natural grasslands that these animals always have access to.
Lighter livestock: A farm can exist seamlessly with its neighbors and within the natural setting. While some structures will need to be erected to provide shelter to the animals, there are ways to make the most of the surrounding land. At Superior Farms, for example, lamb that are grazing have access to nearby vineyards. This consideration — which comes from decades of industry experience — reduces the use of heavy equipment while also replenishing nutrients and microbes back into the soil. FarmAndDairy.com notes that sheep and goats (and by extension, lamb) “are lighter animals and cause less damage to pastures than cattle and horses because they don’t trample and compact the soil the way heavier animals do.” Thus, a rancher who has the opportunity to make the most of their land would do well to let lighter livestock roam as they please.
Capitalizing on hay prices: Those who keep regular tabs on hay prices know that there’s many uses for this cut-and-dried grass. Since it is primarily acquired as nutritional feed for farm animals, finding top-quality hay for sale is a near-daily hunt for farmers everywhere. As Countryside magazine notes in a 2019 article about hay needs for cows, keeping cattle “fed so that they would not have the urge to push down the fencing and escape” was a serious concern. By the magazine’s estimation, a “50-pound feeder calf needs 7 pounds of hay per day. A square bale isn’t going to last very long at that rate!” That being said, the rate of consumption of hay for sale brings us to our next point…
One step ahead: For ranchers in search of the best hay prices and alfalfa hay for sale, AllHay.com has developed the most efficient online resource to link sellers with buyers. Let’s look a recent listing of alfalfa hay for sale and point to the plentiful facts that accompany the sale. Prospective buyers will see via AllHay.com that these 100 organic bales are located in Hastings, Nebraska and priced at $11.50 per bale. The seller describes them as “horse-quality” hay that has been shed-stored since the night it was bailed and remained moisture-free as a result. Given the rot that can take place within a bale, many ranchers give much consideration to moisture-related issues.
