Starting A Hay Farm - Where Does the Money Come From ???

Video sharing our prospective on starting a small hay farm (or any small farm) and figuring out where the money comes from to do so.

We are a small family farm in the western mountains of Virginia. Subscribe for more farming videos - Thanks for watching!

[jeffpape]

Good, sound, financial literacy that applies on, and off, the farm. Thanks

[humphreyhomestead]

Thank you for sharing this!! You shared some great points! I have an older truck and my family gets on me about “needing a new one” and I tell them that I do not want a truck payment right now. It’s paid for, and it gets me from A to B, which usually isn’t a far distance. We have Joshs newer truck that he is still paying on so I don’t see the sense in having two truck payments when there is a lot of other things we would like/need. I would get a sub compact tractor for me to buzz around on here on the homestead before I get a new truck, but that’s a “want” versus a “need” right now. 😊 All of our hay equipment is older, but it gets the job done, they’re paid for (pretty much) and Mel and Josh are able to work on them easy which helps! -Samantha

[derekhaynes]

Going to auction for a haybine tomorrow…wish me luck

[khtractors]

Excellent video! I like hearing other peoples views and advice. It’s how we all learn. Take care!

[andreabond]

Very informative I have hay experience since 2002

[mwnciboo]

I bought at NH T4.75 - 2nd Hand still under 10 years old. It was good but annoying with regards electrics - repairs in general. I traded it back for a 1997 - Deutz Agrotron 85. Amazing machine, perfect for me looks modern but is over 20 years old, less modern electrics.

My own view is this, buy older stuff - overhaul it - Steam clean it - assess it - repair it as necessary - clean / rust remove - then enamel / hammerite it all. I spent 3 days (weekend and monday) just running a tractor and trailer back and forth for a farmer at harvest - low skill job - in return for that he let me borrow his McHale Baler for weekend.

[woodsghost]

Key point: it's easier to "reduce expenses" than "increase income."

I don't have a written business plan. I've had to keep adjusting as surprises happen. But I have a key goal and a plan for how to get there

[davidhood]

I have said this before but I will say it again your down to earth sensible financial and business idea’s are invigorating to listen to and if more people lived a more restrained life style I believe they could be happier at the end of the day. Especially when one sees what appears to be happening in our discontented country and world now your philosophy seems to me too be even more relevant. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

[michiganhay]

Great video that 1105 is going to last you forever when I look at yours it looks spotless compared to mine I’ve got about 2 1/2 times more hours on mine but I really need to spend some money on mine getting it painted and some things fixed up fix a little bit of rust on it

[jimmyjohnson]

Oh you have the Massy 1105 tractor ! Me the John Deere smaller round baler ! "335" same as mine also ! Used a New Holland 630 round baler for yearstoo.... 4x4. New Holland has much better intake capacity ! Works great for wet hay ( balage hay ) ! My John Deere always has problems in long stemmed first crop hay. Shears pins constantly ! Because it recirculated the hay around the lower two rollers !

[arthurdewith]

Tractors u can rent if u need an extra one good balers and hay storage are important

[jeff-hhmc]

So a lot of people talk noise on hay and don’t realize in America hay is a $8b per year market.

[obieacres]

Nice 1105 do you use the multi power. I use mine on my sprayer and the multi power works good for slowing down on the ends.

[timgoodliffe]

Im in school right now to be an engineer, how do you ballence your day job with running the farm?

[robwar]

We Trade balers every year. Sell them for what we pay for them!!!

[kellypulley]

My son bales with John Deere wouldn't have anything else

[arthurdewith]

Time to reseed that field snd trim ur boundary lines that will make u money

[damonsteinke]

Living by the same principles as what he establish with equipment please remember not to over extend yourself on the mortgage of your property either!

5th generation farmer, lucky!

We're just getting started as 1st gens :)