Unfortunately for any new clients wanting hay, we have recently sold out of our 2017 seasons hay.
Subscribe to Harvey Hay Sales to keep in the loop for our next seasons Hay.
The Harvey family have been farming in the Hartley region for 5 generations. Greg and I purchased our property in 2005 of 30 Acres running along the beautiful Bremer River at Hartley. The land was previously used for cropping and beef cattle. Our focus was to service the domestic market with not just any Hay but top quality Oaten Hay & Wheaten Hay that is sweet smelling with fine stems, weed free and plenty of colour. We have a good understanding of what our customers want in terms of hay quality and over the years have gained a reputation of producing an excellent quality Hay and service to the Equine industry, Sheep, Cattle & Alpacas.
We have found the market for Oaten & Wheaten Hay is driven by quality. A consistent supply of high quality hay is essential for the industry. There are many factors affecting hay quality and understanding those factors can reduce the risk involved in producing premium quality hay. This is dependent on the type of season, weather conditions – drought, rain, wind, & frost.
- Preparation and seeding begins in early May.
- Cutting crop can occur anywhere from Sept – Oct depending on plant growth stage & weather conditions being the deciding factors.
- The crop then has to cure (dry) with environment factors playing a crucial role at this stage.
- Baling begins when moisture levels are at optimal levels between 12-19%. The crop is baled into small squares (Rectangular) bales and stored in the sheds within a few days of being baled, to maintain the colour and sweet smell of our bales. Timeliness of cutting and baling is critical to quality of the hay and quality determines price.
We also had to consider what variety of Oats is best for quality hay production in our area. We currently use Wintaroo Oats for its, disease and pest resistance, high yielding, fine stem, large leaf which is best for hay quality.
This year we have decided to produce a high quality beardless Wheaten Hay. The Wheat used if Pinevale which is a forage variety that produces multiple stems, finer in stem size, soft and leafy and is more readily digestible for horses, cows, sheep & Alpacas.
Buying quality hay is very important and buying direct from Harvey Hay Sales you know we pride ourselves on producing quality hay to our clients in the equine industry. Buying direct from the farm can have many advantages including a saving in price and a chance to check out how the hay is grown and stored. We also offer a delivery service with a minimum order of 64 bales delivered within the Adelaide Hills, Fleurieu & Murray Mallee regions at a cost per bale. Some of our clients don’t have the storage space to store their yearly supply of hay, so we can offer storage for 6 months (sheds are cleared out by May each year). Our clients can pick up a load as they are needing it.
We look forward to supplying your hairy babies with a quality product that keeps everyone happy and healthy.
Harvey Hay Sales