Everything was a bust here too. I'm in the custom forage business running hayfields for customers that don't have the equipment (good haying equipment is expensive) and running my own fields. We got 2 cuts instead of the usual 4 and the 2nd cut was not much.
Hay is through the roof here. I wish I had 10,000 bales in the barn, I'd be in the Virgin Islands or somewhere tropical right now if I did. The only thing that saves my bacon (the horses bacon) is I have rounds made from 2 years ago of clover over wheat stubble.
I have had many calls for hay, no one even quibbles over price. I sold this fall, about 3000 bales of first cut alfalfa-timothy for $5.50 per bale picked up here. I used the proceeds to pay down the notes on some new equipment I bought earlier in the year and hay prices aren't coming down for the forseeable future so if we get the moisture (which we are now in snow), I should be in tall cotton next fall or should I say in warm climates.....
Interesting how forage is like firearm prices. It's supply and demand and when the demand outstrips the supply, prices go up. I figure I'll get dinged harder on fertilizer, Urea is climbing, has been for 2 years, fuel is going up, lubricants and parts are climbing too.
I goty out of row cropping about 7 years ago because the inputs then were stupid. I can fit and harvest a hayfield for at least 7 years, even longer with progressive overseeding and invasive species management and fertilizer application and realize substantial yields with basically no heavy (fuel consuming and equipment wear) tillage so it's a win situation for me. Tractors last a lot longer when you aren't busting their balls plus there in no need for mega horsepower mega buck tractors. I sold off all the big ones. My biggest now is 100 PTO FWA and even thats a bit much for hay.
People don't understand that whether you are manufacturing rifles or making hay, there are inputs and costs that have to be satisified before you even sell the product which is why I can't fault rifle manufacturers not increasing production to cover the demand. Obama ind Company might cause a 'no rain' situation concerning rifles if they ban them and the manufacturers are stuck with inventory thats worthless. That won't work in thoday's economic climate.
That AK in the picture usually rides along in the tractor cab in a wall mount. I made mounts to fit all the tractors so I can have the 'pray and spray' rifle handy for yotes in the field. Popped quite a few last year, it's open season on them here all the time. The short barrel is handy for swinging in a tractor cab. Just open the door and let 'er rip.
I guess we have yotes and you have wild pigs.....