Steady” is New York hay dealer Chris Oliver’s one-word description of the horse-hay market in New England so far this winter.
“Overall, things have been rolling along just fine,” says Oliver, who operates DBA Hay Express, near Burke, NY, with his wife, Donna. “Demand has been good, and prices haven’t really fluctuated much from where they were last year at this time.”
In a typical year, the Olivers sell around 90,000 small square bales of grass hay, at 40-45 lbs each, from growers in upstate New York. Their market: small horse farms throughout New England, from northern Vermont to Connecticut.
Good-quality, first-cutting grass hay in the region is selling for $7-7.50/bale, while second crop is bringing $8-8.75/bale. “The price varies some depending on the quantity a customer buys,” Oliver explains.