Is alfalfa a seed?
Alfalfa Seed – Alfalfa seed varieties are widely grown throughout the world as forage for cattle, and is most often harvested as hay, but can also be made into silage, grazed in pastures, or fed as green chop. Alfalfa is one of the most important legumes or forages used in agriculture.
What part of alfalfa do we use?
Alfalfa is an herb. People use the leaves, sprouts, and seeds to make medicine.
How much is a bale of alfalfa?
Specifically, alfalfa-grade hay bales are priced between $140 and $165 per ton, while grass, midquality hay bales are selling for $125 to $150 per ton.
How much does a 1200 lb bale of hay cost?
If you add to this the cost of baling, about $15 per round bale, then your cost for a 1,200-pound round bale is now $35.30. Small square bale straw price averaged $3.10 a bale (range of $1.00 to $6.00). Large square bale straw prices averaged $37.00 per bale (a wide range of $10.00 to $75.00).
How many bales are in a ton of alfalfa?
Plus, around here, what we call “local” grass hay the bales weigh 50 to 60 pounds, which would put 40 bales to a ton (if they weigh 50 #). If you’re talking alfalfa, then the bales can weigh around 100 pounds (it can vary, too). If they’re 100 pounds, then you’re talking 20 bales to a ton.
How much is alfalfa worth per acre?
In this example, the standing value for the entire alfalfa field could range from $230 to $360/acre for the entire growing season. Keep in mind ownership costs can run $300- 400/acre when the seller considers lost rent, establishment costs and top-dress fertilizer to maintain soil fertility.
Is there money in alfalfa?
It’s a profitable crop these days, with prices for high quality hay frequently reaching $250/ton. But in addition to its over $1 billion value to the state of California, alfalfa provides a host of environmental benefits that are frequently overlooked.
How much does it cost to fertilize an acre of alfalfa?
However, alfalfa has high potassium fertilizer and harvesting costs (generally about $50 per acre per cutting for mowing, raking, and baling).
How do you price standing alfalfa?
Steps in calculating the price of standing forage. Estimate the yield/acre. Calculate the gross revenue: price × yield. Estimate costs not incurred if forage is sold standing in the field instead of as hay. Price/ acre = Gross revenue/acre – Cost/acre saved by selling as standing forage in field.
How much money is an acre of hay worth?
Likewise, is growing hay profitable? “You are going to get more than three years out of that, but if we use three years, that’s about $100 per acre per year,” Brown says. “If you are getting $125 per ton for quality hay, you are going to see a profit of $51 per ton, or $204 per acre.
How much is hay worth per ton?
Depending on the type, quality, place of harvest, and size of hay bales, you should expect to pay something between $30 and $300 per ton of hay. If you want hay to contain alfalfa or Bermuda grass, then it will be more expensive.
How much does it cost to make a square bale of hay?
Right around $2.50 per bale on the high end and in some years can be made for around $2.00 a bale depending on the investments into crop improvements and equipment in a given year. Fixed costs are easy to calculate but the variable costs such as fuel, fertilizer, twine, labor and repairs can swing that costs.