FOR HAY PRODUCERS
See the whole farm.
Move the business forward.
We bring the experience and expertise needed to assess your farm, identify operational weaknesses, and build practical strategies that improve yield, quality, and overall farm profitability.
CONSULTING
Make better decisions, field by field.
We work with hay producers on the business and operating decisions that shape long-term performance. Together, we build five-year field operating plans, prepare budgets, review seasonal priorities, and evaluate equipment decisions.
The aim is to improve rolling average income per acre while paying attention to the small details that influence yield and hay quality. Crop and agronomy decisions remain with you and your crop adviser or agronomy partners.
FW Farm Operating System
$10 / acre annually
For well-run farms that want clearer insight into their current farming operations.
- App and web-dashboard access
- Easy data entry for employees and consultants
- Near-real-time farm analysis
- Visibility into yield, quality, costs, and inventory
Base Consulting
$25 / acre annually
For capable farms that know they can improve and want focused support to reach the next level.
- FW Farm Operating System access
- Operating-plan reviews
- Budget and seasonal-priority guidance
- Primarily remote consulting with agreed farm visits
Full-Service Oversight
$50 / acre annually
For underperforming farms that need hands-on support to restore high yields, strong quality, and dependable profitability.
- Everything in Base Consulting
- Five-year field operating plans
- Weekly visits and additional visits as needed
- Hands-on business and operating oversight
FW FARM OPERATING SYSTEM
Your farm, in real time.
FW makes it easy for employees and consultants to contribute farm data through an app and web dashboard. Streamlined analysis helps you see what is happening across the business and where attention is needed.
GB HAY MARKET REPORTS
Weekly perspective. Regional detail.
A concise GB Hay AI-assisted read of the latest public hay reports, followed by the underlying reports.
LATEST WESTERN FORAGE UPDATE California volume rebounds while Oregon movement slowsCalifornia confirmed more tonnage; Oregon rain and fuel costs constrained movement. Click for the written summary.
The September 25 Western Forage Market Brief shows two different directions. California confirmed hay tonnage rose to 25,550 from 8,673, with good dairy and retail demand and very good demand for dry-cow and stock hay. Oregon confirmed only 1,195 tons, down from 14,225, as rainstorms, fuel prices, and rain damage to third cutting reduced movement.
Quality and terms remain decisive. North Intermountain Premium dairy alfalfa traded at $240–$250 per ton FOB, while Oregon rain-damaged Good alfalfa traded from $180 to $200 depending on the lot. These are specific reported transactions, not broad statewide price forecasts.
Growing-region summaries
NEVADA Movement steady as feeder and small-bale demand leadsConfirmed tonnage fell, but statewide demand remains active.Read AI summary
Nevada’s September 15 direct-hay report describes movement as steady. Feeder-hay demand remains stronger than demand for test hay, although dairies are still looking for tested product. Small bales continue to see strong demand statewide.
Confirmed hay volume fell to 1,250 tons from 5,500 in the previous report, while reported hay bales declined to 1,062 from 1,250. Specific trades included Good large-square alfalfa at $220 per ton FOB in central Nevada, Good alfalfa at $200 FOB in northern Nevada, and Premium three-tie alfalfa at $16 per bale. These are individual transactions, not statewide price ranges.
What to watch: Whether strong small-bale and feeder demand persists while lower confirmed volume and widespread drought limit available supply. This is a GB Hay interpretation, not a USDA forecast.
IDAHO Confirmed volume drops; demand remains moderateBuyers are shopping carefully while drought persists.Read AI summary
Idaho’s September 15 direct-hay report describes demand across hay types as moderate. Confirmed hay volume fell to 3,984 tons from 22,730 in the previous report. USDA also notes that straw demand is beginning to improve, although buyers are still shopping around and some 2025 inventory remains.
Reported trades include Premium conventional alfalfa at $230 per ton FOB in eastern Idaho, Good alfalfa at $225 FOB in southern Idaho, and Premium third-cutting alfalfa at $250 delivered to a dairy in western Idaho. Supreme organic alfalfa traded at $360 FOB. These are specific confirmed trades with different grades and terms, not statewide price ranges.
What to watch: Whether sharply lower confirmed volume reflects a temporary reporting lull or tighter available trade, and whether extreme-to-exceptional drought in major producing areas supports later demand. This is a GB Hay interpretation, not a USDA forecast.
OREGON Rain and fuel costs slow statewide movementDemand remains good, but confirmed tonnage fell sharply.Read AI summary
Oregon’s September 24 report describes good demand across all hay qualities, but statewide movement decreased because of recent rainstorms and fuel prices. Ranchers have slowed feeder-hay buying, and USDA reports that significant third-crop hay was rained on in the windrow and bale.
Confirmed tonnage fell to 1,195 from 14,225. Reported trades included Good Eastern Oregon alfalfa at $250 per ton FOB, Premium Klamath Basin orchardgrass at $17 per bale, and rain-damaged Good Lake County alfalfa from $180 to $200 per ton. These are specific transactions, not statewide quotes.
What to watch: The discount between clean and rain-damaged lots, whether fuel continues to restrain movement, and how buyers respond to reduced confirmed volume. This is a GB Hay interpretation, not a USDA forecast.
CALIFORNIA Confirmed tonnage rebounds on good demandDry-cow and stock hay demand is described as very good.Read AI summary
California’s September 25 report describes good trade activity, good dairy and retail demand, and very good demand for dry-cow and stock hay. Confirmed hay volume increased to 25,550 tons from 8,673, while reported bale volume declined to 44,544 from 63,488.
North Intermountain Premium large-square dairy alfalfa traded at $240–$250 per ton FOB, Premium/Supreme contracted hay at $260, and Good dairy alfalfa at $200–$210. Premium retail alfalfa ranged from $13 to $15 per three-tie bale in reported trades. These values reflect specific grades and terms, not a statewide price.
What to watch: Whether stronger tonnage and dry-cow demand continue, and whether rain-damaged inventories widen the quality discount. This is a GB Hay interpretation, not a USDA forecast.
The weekly overview reflects GB Hay’s Western Forage Market Brief. Regional AI summaries are based on the dated USDA Agricultural Marketing Service reports linked above. The USDA PDF links point to the current version; summary dates remain fixed until a new GB Hay update is published. Confirm grade, bale weight, terms, freight, and live bids before transacting.
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