Comments about ‘Cash crop: Utah hay growers keep eyes on the weather’

This is certainly a tough time for hay farmers. As soon as they cut the hay it is sure to rain.

I don't want to be too picky but the writer or editor of this story needs to go back out and visit Neal Briggs for a lesson on farm terminology.

First, is it a "bale" or "bail" of hay? Second, is it "in the ground" or "on the ground?"

The following is for the writer or editor, it will save you a trip back to the farm.

When the alfalfa was planted a year or two ago, it was planted in the ground. If it is ever out of the ground, it's dead, and the farmer will plant something else in it's place.

This story is really about "cutting" the hay and "not cutting" the hay. The "1st cutting" is also called the "1st crop." The farmer cuts it and it grows back for a 2nd cutting and so on.

When the hay is cut it's "on the ground." The farmer will "bale" not "bail" the hay. I've never heard of hay needing a bail bondsman.

Good and noble attempt however.

Thanks for this story...it makes me yearn for my youth living on a working hay farm and makes me dislike my subdivision house even more! Working the land is amazing and incredibly rewarding.

This rain and cold has affected a lot of crops and agriculture. I know the bees have not been able to fly many days this spring. Too cold and/or too wet. I expect a poor honey crop due to the delay. That overflows into the fruit crops because of lack of pollination. One fruit grower was complaining about the bees not doing their work, not leaving the hives. I had to remind him that they can't if it is too cold and wet. Because of that there was a very poor fruit set.

Again this is agriculture and there are good years and bad years. We just need to deal with them the best we can.

It's interesting that Evets mentioned bees. I live in an area where there are lots of alfalfa fields. The farmers here have told me that they ask the crop duster to spray AFTER the bees have pollinated the alfalfa, but year after year I've noticed that he sprays early and the bees keep dwindling - whether it's cold and wet or not. I haven't seen ONE bee so far this year. None. Zero. Zip. A man I know who keeps bees told me that 2 years ago, he bought 500 bees and was amazed to find that they all died. Right after the alfalfa had been sprayed. He said that the same thing had happened the year before too. So, couple the cold and the wet with the spray to kill the weevils and I'm wondering if I'll see any bees at all this year.

This artical was poorly written, 2 years ago Hay was $9.00 a Bale, Now the Barns are full and the Horses are gone.
Farmers was to greedy.
So there is no need for a Bumper Crop.
I don't know how many Cow Farmers went out of Business.