They’ve Got Hay Business Covered

They’ve Got Hay Business Covered Hay tarping is big business with crews working across commercial hay-growing areas Two companies have captured the bulk of the business - Tarp-it and Inland Tarp & Cover Services Tarped hay slated for export can be worth $30 a ton more than untarped hay “As the export business has grown farms have gotten bigger but with crop rotations you can’t have hay barns everywhere ” says Tim Ravet Tarp-it “A lot of our customers have expanded as the industry did and we have grown with them Some produce hay here in Washington State and as far away as New Mexico ” While it is big business it’s not an easy one to get into explains Ravet How a stack gets covered varies also depending on the customer Prices charged can range from $2 to $3 per ton up to $10 per ton depending on whether the hay is for the grower’s use for sale to a dairy or feedlot or for export “Sometimes we cover just the top and other times we cover the entire stack ” says Ravet “We often lay bottoms out for them to stack on and then we wrap the stack up completely ” Ravet likens it to a diaper but one to hold the moisture out rather than hold it in Wind is a challenge in many areas Covering a stack in a strong wind is not easy So having experienced crews is very important to tarping companies For an introduction to hay stack tarping ITC Services offers a dozen how-to videos They cover everything from stacking suggestions to installation and tie-down removal folding and storage Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Tarp-it Inc 3000 Wilson Creek Rd Ellensburg Wash 98926 ph ph 509 962-4664; www tarp-it org ; or ITC Services Inc 4172 N Frontage Road E Moses Lake Wash 98837 ph 509 766-7024; www inlandtarpandcover com

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