Record Low Hay Harvest Projected for IA and MN

The USDA is projecting a record low hay harvest for Iowa, Minnesota and many other states for 2011.  Between the ground taken out to plant corn and beans, and the ground flooded by heavy rains this spring, Iowa is expecting very high hay prices due to a lack of supply.  For those of you who buy hay for your horses or livestock I hope that you have purchased your hay for the year because from here on out it sounds like the hay market is set to heat up.  Of course I'm behind the curve on this information as well since my first cutting of hay is almost all out of the field and was sold before it was baled so I'm pretty sure it was priced below the market.  I have about 54 acres of oat hay I hope to have baled today and I'll move the hay into hoop building to store.  It is tentatively sold already but it got rained on so I'll need to see if they still want it or if it will be held for winter sale.