Prolonged drought has made surplus hay a rarity in many parts of South Carolina in recent years. This year, though, the weather cooperated for many, and growers like Tyler Crocker have product to sell.
“It was an excellent year for growing hay,” says Crocker. He puts up bermudagrass hay on 150 acres, has a small beef herd and also raises turkeys near Union. “We got the rain when we needed it, and we were able to make a pretty good crop.”
As of early December, Crocker still had 700 small square bales, weighing 50-60 lbs each, of “very-good-quality” Tifton 78 for sale. He’s offering the hay, which has been stored under cover, for $5/bale at the farm.
He also had 400 or so large round bales (4 x 5’ and 5 x 5’) of bermudagrass in inventory. For the 4 x 5’ bales, he’s asking $40/bale, while his price on the larger rolls is $45 each. “The rounds were stored outside,” he notes. “But we’ve only had an inch of rain in the last two months, so the rolls from our last harvest look freshly baled. The bales are good and tight.”
Crocker is willing to work with buyers from other parts of the country to arrange transportation. He can be contacted at 864-426-1649 or tyler@crockerslandscaping.com.