Hay

[wolfe]

Funny how last year i was able to buy one of the big round bales for £25. I went to pick up one on tuesday past, and it cost me £46. Even with the high cost, because i was'nt happy with the quality of the first two bales taken out of the barn. The farmer even went to give me back my money, and said that i was too fussy. I finally picked out one that was of ( ok ) standard, but was left feeling as if i had robbed and put the farmer out of his way.

[manda]

I suppose it depends on the weather when they were cutting wolfe....if it's a bad harvest then the cost will double...and if you buy in the middle of winter (with the winter you've had) then it will always bump the cost up....then when they have a really good cut they can't give it away.

[Annie]

Manda's point is very true, farmers prices are very much governed by the season they have just had. Unless of course they are selling to the big supermarkets who only want to pay the bear minimum as they want all the profits.
Though funnily enough , I buy plastic bags of straw for the bunnys hutch (nowhere to store even a standard bale), its th equivalent to a slice of straw and the price hasn't changed in 12 months