Tips from Alan Shank

Alan's Horses Have a Million-Dollar View

of the Mukilteo Ferry Landing

Summer Tips

Buying Hay -

If you are interested in saving money by purchasing local grass hay, local hay producers are in the process of baling hay now. It looks like perfect haying weather this weekend. Check to see if it is first or second cutting. Some local producers harvest haylage for cows in the first cutting and then produce horse hay for  subsequent cuttings.

First cutting hay this late in the season would be very mature hay, not very palatable or full of nutrition. Check the quality before you buy. If you see someone baling in the field, that may be an opportunity to inquire.

Here's a WSU Extension link on buying hay. http://smallfarms.wsu.edu/animals/BuyingHay.html

If you have a local supplier, now is the time to call and find out what they have and for how much. If you're like me and have been buying hay at local feed stores, you know that the price of hay is high and it doesn't appear to be going down in price soon.

You may want to get a copy of the "Horseman's Yellow Pages" hay listings at

800-735-7258, http://www.horseyellow.com/.

Just another note. I noticed several listings for local hay on Craig's list http://seattle.craigslist.org/ for $4 and $5 per 60 lbs bales. Remember to ask some basic questions about the quality.

See http://smallfarms.wsu.edu/animals/BuyingHay.html  If they're selling out of the field, walk the field a bit to see if there is evidence of weeds. Take a look at the hay in the rows that haven't been baled yet if you can to assess its quality.

I'd like to thank Snohomish Conservation District's acting manager, Bobbi Lindemulder for giving me a heads up on local hay conditions.

Happy Hay Hunting,

Alan Shank
Certified Farm Planner
425-335-5634 Ext 120

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Spring Tips

It won't be long before signs of spring begin to show. I saw a fat robin in one of my fruit trees this weekend.

Now's a good time to prune fruit trees if you have any. By pruning them now, you prevent disease or bugs from invading the cuts and you remove the unwanted appendages before the trees waste their energy on them.  Check out this website for pruning instructions http://mtvernon.wsu.edu/frt_hort/pruning_basics.htm

Violet green swallows start showing up in some areas in March. In my area it's more like April. At any rate, if you have bird houses up, it's a good idea to take them down and clean out last year's nest. You may want to keep them down until mid March so that carpenter bees or other bees don't take up residence first. Remember Violet Greens are great mosquito and fly eaters and they're fun to watch. They work for the price of a bird house. You can build or purchase them. I bought mine in Everett at Wild Birds Unlimited. The hole entrance to the house should look oblong like this design: http://www.scn.org/tweeters/VGSWhouse.html

Weeds