The growing season is going great guns at Womble Farms near Greenville, MS, reports owner Wesley Womble.
“We’ve been getting more rain than we normally do this time of year, and we’ve had plenty of warm weather, too,” says Womble, who grows Coastal bermudagrass and bermudagrass-johnsongrass hay on 1,000 acres. “Everything seems to be running ahead of normal by about a month or so. It’s almost too good to be true. We’re just hoping that everything doesn’t turn off and burn up like it did in some parts of the country last year.”
His bermudagrass is marketed to local horse owners in 5 x 5’ round bales and small square bales weighing 65-70 lbs. Beef producers are the main market for the bermudagrass-johnsongrass hay, also packaged in round bales.
Rising input costs forced Womble last year to raise his prices by $5/ large round bale to $45/bale and from $4/small square bale to $5.50/bale. “We don’t like having to raise our prices, but we have to do it to stay in business,” he says. “Most of our customers understand.”
Another price increase may be in store this year. “We’re already paying 20¢/gallon more for fuel this year than we were paying last year, and it looks like it’s just going to keep going up along with everything else.”
To contact Womble, call 662-571-9991.