Summer hay harvest yields better this year

Friday is the final day to report crop acres to the Farm Service Agency.

FSA program participants are required to file acreage reports. Acreage reports not filed by the July 15 deadline will be assessed a late fee.

For those producers who maintain crop insurance, a summary acreage report will be provided to the producer that can in turn be provided to the crop insurance agent.

The new deadline dates for various crops are as follows:

- Nov. 15 — Hay, wheat, fall seeded barley and rye

- June 15 — Spring seeded oats, barley and new seeded hay

- July 15 — Corn, soybeans, sweet corn, vegetables and CRP/CREP acreage

Sometimes future farm program eligibility is based upon previous year’s acreage reports. Planting history for a farm has numerous purposes that sometimes are not known until years later.

It is always a good idea to file an acreage report. Producers can call the office if they choose to set up an appointment or just walk in. It only takes about 15 minutes per farm.

For those unable to visit the office, aerial photos can be requested by mail, and the acreage report can be completed by the FSA and mailed back to the producer.

This option is helpful to producers who work away from the farm or are too distant to make the trip to Butler.

[naviga:h3]Hay harvest[/naviga:h3]

Hay harvest so far this summer has provided two pleasant surprises for producers.

First, production is much greater than normal.

Second, there was excellent hay harvesting weather.

Although harvesting will continue through the end of September, so far so good.

On farms that harvested their first cutting in May, the second cutting is well under way.

Hay is the most predominant crop in Western Pennsylvania. In Butler County alone, hay acreage accounts for more than 40,000 acres, with mixed hay being the most prevalent.

Alfalfa is typically produced on dairy and livestock operations. Alfalfa hay also generally has the highest value of any type of hay; although, last year and maybe this year also, depending on production through the summer, hay has become a very good cash crop for some producers.

Hay production does not require the extent of capital that grain production does, but there is a substantial amount of labor required, depending upon the type of bales being produced.

Luke Fritz is executive director of the Butler County Farm Service Agency.