The most striking factors driving hay markets are related to alfalfa exports, domestic prices for dairy-quality hay and an early start to the supplemental feeding season in drought areas.

I help grow, harvest and feed hay and other forages on our family farm, which is downwind from a small town. If I had a dollar for every plastic grocery bag, beer can, dog food bag, trampoline, shed roof, golf ball and mylar balloon I picked out of a hayfield or bale, it would put me in a higher tax bracket.

The Western drought sent regional hay prices higher, especially for dairy-quality hay. Demand from China pushed alfalfa exports to an 11-month high, but global sales of other hay continued to slump.

Going into fall and winter, forage and hay supplies are limited for many producers. Fortunately, many areas have received some rain and may be able to produce some grazing from warm-season perennial forages this fall or plant some cool-season annuals.

In the southeast U.S., perennial grasses such as tall fescue, bermudagrass and bahiagrass make up a large portion of our annual hay crop.

Hay testing is always valuable, but it is especially helpful when using crop residues and developing diets to stretch limited hay supplies. Before sending a sample in for analysis, it is always good to visit with a nutritionist to see what labs they recommend and what tests would be most appropriate for the sample being analyzed.