Selling small bales from the field?

[Dry Rot]

Thinking of doing this. I am assured Facebook is the answer. Anyone do it? I've visions of my fields strewn with small bales, rain threatening, and lots of promises that don't materialise! Cash up front? On collection? What do you do?

 

[roscoe erf]

no just no

 

[Gerbert]

Cash upfront and take a chance. Worst case is collecting them yourself. Start small.

 

[davidroberts30]

Just dont

 

[David1968]

You seemed like a sensible person up till now

Don't do it.

 

[FonterraFarmer]

Cash up front and defined time to collect. Price the bales accordingly, low enough to get sales but high enough they know your not fecking around.

 

[Dry Rot]

Thanks for the good sense!

 

[Pad123]

We tried this last year and as you say lots of promises but not many people turned up and we ended up stacking them at gone 10pm to get them in before it rained the next day! That was them priced a £2 each yet they’re happy to pay and collect at £4 each later in the year! wouldn’t do it again

 

[Highland Mule]

Thinking of doing this. I am assured Facebook is the answer. Anyone do it? I've visions of my fields strewn with small bales, rain threatening, and lots of promises that don't materialise! Cash up front? On collection? What do you do?

Just employ some of your young helpers to get them inside on the day, then charge more to sell afterwards.

Do you have a bale sledge/ flat 8?

 

[Hfd Cattle]

Plan to get them in yourself but if someone wants some tell them to be in the field when you will be there but don't hang around waiting ...also cash before loading.
I would insist on doing the loading ionto trailer but they stack if you have a flat 8 or you will be picking up broken bales everywhere .

I got fed up with "o my mate will help me load" ,but the mate breaks 1 in 10 bales trying to chuck them on .

 

[ollie989898]

You're mad. Joe public are unreliable as fudge and lazy to boot. You should see the rigmarole we had trying to give away a fair amount of early years child stuff. You want to invite members of the public to drive into a field, pay for bales and load them themselves?

 

[Still Farming]

I'll be there at 4 pm.
Sorry can't come
No trailer
Can you deliver.
Can I pay again.
Can I have 1 bale for my rabbit.
Bales too heavy.
Bakes too light.
Too much weed.
We only want meadow grass.
We only want rye grass.
Bales warming up.
Going on and on and on.

 

[Fellstoflats]

Worked on a farm in the Highlands where it worked perfectly- we stacked them into 48s in the field, then we could tarp the stacks if necessary. Sliding scale of cost- something like £3 out the field, £3.50 out the shed, £4 out the shed and delivered.

Relies on people having space to store a decent amount IMO.

 

[JockCroft]

Its a great idea for an elderly farmer, but after the no-shows. the grabbers of more bales than they are adamant are in that horse box, the bales left on the field overnight will likely be many less the following morning. Then you will question youself Why did I try. Human nature, (Especially horse owners) being what it is.

Good Luck. Let us know how it goes.
Have you started cutting yet, fine drying wind here today and no rain for last 10 days.

 

[Highland Mule]

Worked on a farm in the Highlands where it worked perfectly- we stacked them into 48s in the field, then we could tarp the stacks if necessary. Sliding scale of cost- something like £3 out the field, £3.50 out the shed, £4 out the shed and delivered.

Relies on people having space to store a decent amount IMO.

There’s a difference between Highland folks and others - and I’d say it would work fine if the OP could be bothered to try. It certainly does for plenty around him, on similar scale but further from population centres.

 

[Agri Spec Solicitor]

You're mad. Joe public are unreliable as fudge and lazy to boot. You should see the rigmarole we had trying to give away a fair amount of early years child stuff. You want to invite members of the public to drive into a field, pay for bales and load them themselves?

This is true. In 2001 after foot and mouth we made hay on whole farm and tried the direct sales. Chap coming at 12
Then 2
So we went for plan B and started making stacks.
Then after 3 he turned up. Transit pick up. If it’s right I want a lot. Lots of sniffing hay later the man from del monte said yes. Ok he loaded himself. Ten mins later about 6 other pick ups and vans with trailers turned up. And lots of young lads to load. My teenage kids were running round counting and ensuring no one left loaded. I thought we were going to be robbed. Mr Del Monte had a wadge of cash so big it would hardly come out of his pocket. Very straightforward chap.
Don’t judge a book by the cover and all that..
My thinking is don’t rely on anyone coming for hay in the field. You need plan B.

 

[robs1]

Better tout it in your barn and sell from there, once you know the decent ones for next year then they can buy off the field. When starting out doing hay you are prone to getting customers that have either been chucked off other places or dodgy payers.
Done right it's ok and no red tractor rubbish.

 

[Still Farming]

Lots cutting around here

 

[Dry Rot]

So you don't think it's a good idea, then?

Now where did I put the address for alpaca rescue.....

 

[theboytheboy]

As others have said...... Say they can buy off the field but start shifting them in time that if nobody shows up you are not rushing to get them in before rain.

Run them into stacks of 40 (or whatever number you choose) it makes it easier to keep track of how many people have had in the horsebox/transit etc

Cash before they start loading.

Make sure can lock and block the gate if you don't clear the field