The Hay Market Heats Up in the Yakima Valley
As alfalfa prices climb, local agricultural managers weigh the risks of livestock investment against the volatility of the regional market.
D. E. Lesh, manager of the Moxee Company's farm in the Yakima valley, reports that the price of hay throughout Eastern Washington has a strong upward tendency, with $4 and $5 per ton for alfalfa being offered. In Kittitas county, he understands that all available hay is being rapidly contracted for. In his estimation, hay will advance to a good round sum next winter, especially if snow stays on the ground for any length of time. On the Moxee farm, the largest irrigated operation in the state, a system of dyking meadow lands for flooding is in use, though Mr. Lesh notes this is less effective for alfalfa than irrigation ditches. For the last two years, the Moxee Company has purchased bands of several thousand sheep to feed their hay. While the venture was successful, a scab outbreak last season caused a $3,000 loss, leading the company to pivot away from owning sheep to feeding livestock owned by others.
“In his estimation hay will advance to a good round sum next winter, especially if the snow lays on the ground any length of time.”
The Yakima Valley remains a powerhouse of agricultural production, and the volatility of hay prices—driven by winter weather and irrigation methods—continues to be a major economic factor for local growers. The transition from large-scale corporate ownership of livestock to service-based models, as seen in the Moxee Company's shift, mirrors modern agricultural trends where risk management often dictates business strategy.
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