Neighbor cut & bale pasture -- value$??

WI Dan · May 23, 2019

I'm sure it's been discussed before, I searched- didn't find what I was looking for, so pardon my asking what may be a repeat question:

Mom got rid of the horses and a neighbor wants to cut and bale grass hay out of the fenced-in pastures. About six acres of un-maintained grass. Some patchy clover/alfalfa but mostly just plain grass on sandy ground. In a good year, maybe 4-500 small bales if you can get three cuttings.

How much should she charge?
He's supplying equipment, fuel, wagons, labor, everything. Might round-bale it.

Mom's benefit is keeping it cut, weeds kept at bay.
The risks are: very wet ground and could make ruts. He could catch a fence and rip it out. He works full time, so might not get it cut & processed in timely fashion.

I don't want her to give it away, if he pays nothing - he values it for nothing.

What do you suggest?

1948jr · May 23, 2019

$1 on square and $5 on round bale?

coshoo · May 23, 2019

I had similar situations when I was putting up hay 30 years ago- most just gave me the hay in return for getting it off. The only stipulation was that I would get the grass off, one way or another, and once I
remember burning the hay in the windrow after it got wet several times. The few that did want something, I offered $10 a ton, and all were happy with that. I should amend that- most were happy- the ones that
weren't ended up paying to have the grass bush-hogged (fire dept. gets after them if they leave it standing), so the next year, they were happy with $10 a ton.

ohiojim · May 23, 2019

i'd think getting it off the field would be payment enough. better then paying someone to mow it..

MJMJ · May 23, 2019

Depends on how much he needs it. I wouldn't pay anything to put up 6 acres of unkept pasture. Just the work and wear on equipment would barely be worth it.
Consider that the alternative is paying someone to mow it.

Northvale PA · May 23, 2019

Years ago I baled 15 acres of old pasture On a neighbor?s place. The deal was I mowed down another
10 acres of wet scrub weeds and trees 2x per season, as payment. My parents have a guy come in and
do their 15 acres of old pasture. He takes everything and they don?t have to mow. Depending on how
many guys around you might be interested, free might be the best you get. Or some modest rent. I
would personally grab 6 more acres but distance becomes a real issue fast. Tires are expensive and
roads eat up equipment tires fast.

old · May 23, 2019

I have always charge 1/3 2/3s. Land owner get 1/3 of the bales the person doing the work get 2/3s

jon f mn · May 23, 2019

Around here I would expect to
get that for no cost. The
hassle of doing it could
easily exceed the value of the
hay.

WI Dan · May 23, 2019

I appreciate all these responses. It's helping.

Mom doesn't want to profit/make money. Just wants to help a neighbor but not give him free run of the land. He already rents 15 acres from her.

Traditional Farmer · May 23, 2019

Unless you were very close I wouldn't fool with it for free unless it was some great hay which it sounds like its not.

M Nut · May 23, 2019

Honestly, not much to nothing around my area of MN. I don't know if you would get anyone willing to do it even if it was free. If I was in your position, and I had a renter who was
already on my land and doing a nice job, it would simply be an added bonus for them.

paul · May 23, 2019

If the landowner is planting and maintaining a good hay field, it is often spilt 50-50 with the land owner and the fella making the hay.

If it is kind of abandoned land with no fertility and reseeding and so on, it is closer to 1/4 land owner 3/4 the fella doing the work. He has about the same hours and
expenses but there is less hay on such abandoned acres is why the land owner gets less.

Now I assume your mom doesn?t want the hay, but this can set a value for it. Every region and type of hay has wildly different values, and different yields.

So, if you figure what hay is worth in your area, and then come up with 1/4 of the bales would be the value your mom might expect. Maybe she could get 1/3, but from
what I read Of the situation I think 1/4 would be real good middle ground for all involved. She has no expensive or risk involved, maybe gets property taxes paid is the
big bonus to her. So a low average bale count and low average dollar value and get 1/4 of that year to year. Some people will figure it out each year, some people will
go for a set dollar amount based on low averages and just make it the same amount year to year.

In the past few years locally I have seen mixed grass hay bring $1.50 a small bale, and I?ve seen it bring $8. So I really hesitate to put an exact dollar amount on where
-you- are, as it changes so much here. I think you might need to just set it kinda low average, or be willing to adjust a lot for local conditions year to year.

Paul

Mark in Upstate · May 23, 2019

Get enough to pay all taxes!

Frantz · May 23, 2019

Coming from they guy on the other side (not literally, but similar situation) it's not worth anything if not free. It's mulch hay and I had worked out deals like that when I just started a few years ago and the landowner got something good and I didn't. You suggest that if he doesn't pay he won't value or prioritize it, but for me it was the other way around. I have a very very busy schedule working 50 hours a week and I have a family. The folks I had to pay per bale were the last to get cut because they were the lowest profit for me. I was barely breaking even on them. Unless I needed the hay (I didn't), I wouldn't take a job that I had to pay per acre either. Currently I'm on a split the profit deal with the landowner, and that's profit, not income. It's 40 acres so it works out a little better. She also splits input costs, but only allows organic stuff (so lime and the free manure from the neighbor), but that's go so much weeds it's really just mulch too. If he's renting other land from you and wants to cut the 6 acres I think you are more ahead than him for a free rent. You can still sign a lease agreement for free that holds him liable for any damages if you want to protect yourself a bit.

Destroked 450 · May 23, 2019

If land owner fertilizes to ground I do all of the work for 2/3 and but their 1/3.
If I fertilize the ground I take 3/4 and buy their 1/4
If no one fertilizes the ground after a year or two it won't be worth cutting.

ztrmowers · May 23, 2019

if he mows it and does not tear the land up any fine let him have getting it mowed is what she wants.

coshoo · May 23, 2019

Around here, if you insist upon enough to pay all taxes, you'll still be insistin' into the wind come August.

John in Md. · May 23, 2019

There must be a lot of competition for small pieces of rough hay ground. Small pastures with grass hay we usually get the hay and $30 per acre for mowing, unless it's something special. We chopped about 15 acres today and put it in ag bag for heifers and dry cows. The owner fertilizes every other year so they don't get charged for mowing, they're just happy to get ag assessment on real estate taxes.

sammydwm · May 23, 2019

she should get 1/4

wolfman · May 23, 2019

I cut and bale a lot of 6 acre, 10 acre farmettes for the wild grass hay and the landowners are happy as a pig in mud that I mow it twice a year. I do go back and trim fencerows and clean up any fallen tree limbs, etc. None ask for rent and most
compliment me for making their fields look so good.

redforlife · May 23, 2019

I would let them put it up for half. They get half, your mom gets half. Then your mom can sell them her half. If
they don't want to buy her half, then she can just simply sell her half to someone else. If they fertilizer, you
might go with they get 2/3, your mom get 1/3. But honestly, it's to late to worry about fertilizing for this year.
But you might consider that for next year. My 2 cents.

GEO-TH, In · May 24, 2019

My thoughts too. Someone has to pay taxes and insurance.

MJMJ · May 24, 2019

LOL
No offense, but some of you are severely over valuing junk hay, or don't quite understand the amount of work involved and money it takes to buy and maintain hay equipment.
The only way it's worth something is to lease it out for crops. And even then you won't get many takers with only 6 acres of unkept pasture.

JK-NY · May 24, 2019

How much rent is paid for the 15 acres? I assume that is cropland. It would depend a lot on the quality
of the grass in the pasture, if it is a clear open 6 acres with good access or trees, pond, creek etc to
contend with and if it is real wet or any other issues. If it has potential to be good cropland you could get
the same rent as for the other land you rent, other wise depending on limitations mentioned above it
could vary to the point of just letting them cut the hay as opposed to having to pay someone to mow it.

1948CaseVAI · May 24, 2019

Good grief why would you expect him to pay? He has all the expense and is doing all the work and she gets the field mowed for free.

RedMF40 · May 24, 2019

The thick brush and small trees that crop up after a year or two get more difficult to cut back over time as the field is left unmowed. Cleanup gets more time-consuming, too. Sounds like a good deal to keep the field tended. Does neighbor produce anything he has a surplus of and your mom might need? If any money changes hands, which sounds unlikely, I'd suggest a flat token fee. No one wants to get involved in counting bales of hay or divvying up the yield.

Just a suggestion from a non-farmer, worth exactly what you paid for it ;-)

kopeck · May 24, 2019

I feel like it comes down to maintenance.

I would give it away IF the person mowing/baling it was willing to do some up keep (Lime, fertilizer etc).

If they're not willing to do that then I would hope to get something back for the hay. Hay land isn't forever and needs to be kept up. That doesn't even account for taxes and the like.

This is more of a long term outlook, not a one off type deal.

I'm in a similar situation.

K

Neighbor cut & bale pasture -- value$??

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