Where did all the hay go?

When we last wrote about our hay stocks, we were feeling fairly confident about the winter ahead. Unfortunately, things have changed rather more quickly than we expected.

Despite cutting more than 50% more ground this year, we are already very short of hay and have sold out completely of a number of products.

There are really two reasons for this. Firstly, yields were disappointing again this season. Although we had considerably more acreage available to cut, the amount of hay produced per acre was lower than we would normally hope for. Secondly, demand has been exceptionally strong, with stock moving much faster than in previous years.

It is a slightly frustrating position to be in. Increasing the amount of ground we cut was intended to give us a much healthier buffer going into winter, but the combination of low yields and high demand has more than cancelled that out.

We are still supplying what we can, but availability is now limited and some products will remain out of stock until next season.

Looking ahead to next year

One of the jobs currently underway on the farm is reseeding some of our grassland.

Recent dry summers have made it increasingly clear that some of our existing grass mixtures are not ideally suited to the conditions we are now seeing. We are therefore introducing more drought-tolerant grass varieties, with the aim of producing a more reliable crop during prolonged dry periods while still keeping inputs relatively low.

As with most things in farming, there is no instant fix. New leys take time to establish and next year's weather will ultimately have a large say in the result. However, improving the resilience of our grassland should put us in a better position for future seasons.

For now, if you are looking for hay, haylage or straw, please check the website or get in touch before travelling, as availability is changing quickly.

Thank you, as always, to everyone who has bought from us this year. The level of demand has certainly taken us by surprise, we would have preferred to have rather more hay left in the barn!