July 6, 2010

     Below average temperatures this spring, combined with drought conditions in the Klamath Basin this summer, have decreased local hay production by as much as 50 percent, some area farmers say.

   The shortage means many cattle ranchers must look beyond the Basin to feed their animals.

   Jon Hall, a rancher in the Klamath Falls area, said some of the hay he is using on his 110-acre property is from California rather than grown locally on his land.

   “The weather has had a huge impact,” Hall said.  

   Late start

   Hay is typically cut starting in late May or early June, as warmer temperatures dry out grass in fields.

   Some rain is needed for hay to grow, but direct sunlight is crucial. When temperatures are low enough for frost to coat the ground, hay growth is stunted dramatically.     

   That’s the case so far for Kenny Schell, a Klamath-area farmer who grows hay on his 200-acre parcel of land.

   “Production is low,” Schell said. “A lot of the fields around here are producing probably half or three quarters of what they normally would be.”

   Schell and other farmers in the Klamath Basin have had to wait until now to begin cutting hay — nearly a full month behind normal schedule.

   “We’re only just now starting to cut ours,” said Robin Kocyla, with Hidden Valley Farm in Dorris. “Usually we do it at the beginning of June, but the cold has been a problem because (the hay) grew slow.”

   Jon Hall, meanwhile, has hungry cattle to deal with. Most of the hay the cattle will eat this year comes from the batch he bought from California. While his cattle won’t be impacted this year, the conditions have dented the revenue he can make from selling his hay to dairies in the   area.

   “I would say the cold weather and no sun hurt,” Hall said. “And that just slowed the hay growth, which puts us behind. The crops are probably about half of what they should be right now.”