George Denn has had a little less hay in storage recently due to the severe drought last summer.
Gold in them thar pumpkins New strategies for the man behind Hay by George By Pete Steiner Photos by Pat Christman
Y
ou know the old saying: make hay when the sun shines. But here it is, a bright summer morning, and the most renowned hay grower in southern Minnesota is focused on – PUMPKINS! George Denn -- the man who came up with the slogan “Hay by George!” – is considering phasing out of hay! “I’m tired of hay,” he says introspectively. “I may just go into all pumpkins. With pumpkins your costs are so
much lower, and the income’s higher – $1,500 an acre last year.” Heck, that figure competes with $7 corn! And this wouldn’t be the first time Denn has dramatically altered his farming strategy.
Spotlight
24 • september 2013 • MN Valley Business
•••• You can’t blame a hay farmer for being discouraged this year. What last summer’s drought didn’t kill, the late winter ice storms