Up until the last week we have experienced several good stretches of “hay days.” A good hay day is one that is hot, sunny, low humidity and breezy.

On farms that harvested their first cutting in May, 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, 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.

Although hay making has become highly mechanized from the old days of loose hay being pitched by hand, there still is a requirement of labor. Especially true with small square bales, that is why many operations utilize round bales or large square bales. Small squares require a lot of labor that sometimes or nearly always is unavailable.

As one producer said; “hay is a 3-letter word for work.”

Reporting crop acreages timely

A final reminder is being provided to all producers that July 15 is the final day to report crop acres to the Farm Service Agency (FSA).

FSA program participants are required to file acreage reports. Acreage reports not filed by the July 15 deadline will not be assessed a late fee as producers get accustomed to new reporting dates.

For those producers that 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, triticale, rye and new seeded hay

July 15: corn, soybeans, sweet corn, vegetables

August 15: 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 setup 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 request by mail, and the acreage report can be completed by FSA and mailed back to the producer.

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

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