Hay in short supply, says Island farmer

An Island farmer who grows and sells hay says it's in short supply this season. Curtis Chaisson runs a farm in Nine Mile Creek, P.E.I. — and supplies hay to other farmers and those with horses as pets or for harness racing.

'I try to share what I have around ... get everybody a few and try to stretch everybody along until spring'

Tony Davis · CBC News · Posted: Mar 26, 2019 6:00 PM EDT | Last Updated: March 26, 2019

Some P.E.I. farms are scrambling to find hay after a rough season last year. (Donna Allen/CBC)

An Island farmer who grows and sells hay says it's in short supply this season.

Curtis Chaisson runs a farm in Nine Mile Creek, P.E.I. — and supplies hay to other farmers and those with horses as pets or for harness racing.

Chaisson sells both large round bales and small square bales, but he said there aren't many people on the Island growing hay these days.

"A lot of the older farmers that were selling a little extra hay are kind of retired and out of the business now," he said.

I try to share what I have around, maybe I'll say come and get 40 for now and try to get everybody a few and try to stretch everybody along until spring.— Curtis Chaisson

A lot of farmers who sell hay have their own livestock operations like Chaisson and are producing hay for their own animals and sell off the extra they grow to others.

"There is not too many people primarily in the business of just growing and selling hay I don't think," Chaisson said.

On top of this, yields were lower than average last summer — leaving many people scrambling to find it now.

People have been reaching out to Chaisson to purchase what he has, when he asks what they are looking for they aren't picky he said.

It is really hard to make a business solely on hay. I don't think it is really possible.— Curtis Chaisson

"I ask them what they are looking for round bales or square bales? They'll say, 'Well, anything you got. Whatever you got I'll buy it.'"

There is a lot of competition from other cash crops, and there is less interest including hay as part of a crop rotation, Chaisson said.

This year he said he's been getting a lot more inquiries, with some people asking for 100 square bales.

P.E.I. farm population shrinking, getting older, faster than rest of Canada's

Cavendish Farms importing 'record' amount of potatoes to P.E.I. for processing

"I try to share what I have around, maybe I'll say come and get 40 for now and try to get everybody a few and try to stretch everybody along until spring."

With last year's low yields, farms barely have enough to keep their own livestock going, Chaisson said.

"Your best hay is made in the first two or three weeks in July," he said.

"If you get poor weather, well, that kind of throws a wrench into it. So, it is really hard to make a business solely on hay. I don't think it is really possible."