The University of California (UC) Agricultural Issues Center (AIC) has compiled the costs and returns of establishing an orchardgrass stand and producing the hay crop in the Intermountain Region of the Golden State, including Shasta, Lassen, and Siskiyou counties.

The new study – “Sample Costs to Establish and Produce Orchardgrass Hay in the Intermountain Region – 2016,” and other crop studies, is available free online at http://coststudies.ucdavis.edu, courtesy of the UC Davis Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics.

According to UC, the cultural practices described in the study represent production operations and materials of a well-managed farm in this region.

Growers, UC Cooperative Extension farm advisors, and other agricultural specialists provided input and reviewed the methods and findings of the study. The costs, materials, and practices in the report may apply to many operations but not necessarily all orchardgrass farms.

The study focuses on growing orchardgrass for hay in small bales sold for the retail horse market. If planted for hay production, the expected orchardgrass stand life is at least five years.

The study authors describe assumptions used to identify current costs for the establishment and production of orchardgrass, material inputs, cash and non-cash overhead. A ranging analysis table shows profits over a range of prices and yields.

Other tables address monthly cash costs, costs and returns per acre, hourly equipment costs, and the whole farm annual equipment, investment, and business overhead costs.

The cost and returns program is funded by UC ACI which is part of UC’s Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics.

For more information, call the AIC at (530) 752-1520 or e-mail Christine Gutierrez at [email protected].