⭐️ FEATURED MARKET — Rock Valley Hay Auction
Data Partner · Rock Valley, Iowa · rockvalleyhay.com (http://rockvalleyhay.com/)
This week's prices straight from the auction floor:
Alfalfa Good/Premium — Large Round: $150/ton
Alfalfa Fair/Good — Large Round: $135/ton
Alfalfa Fair/Good — Large Round: $122–126/ton
Alfalfa Utility/Fair — Large Round: $110/ton
Grass Fair/Good — Large Round: $121/ton
Inside intel this week: Rain and muddy yard conditions kept buyers cautious — people didn't want wet loads on muddy yards. Prices sold slightly lower as a result. Rock Valley expects a bounce back next week if conditions dry out.
This is the kind of context you won't find in any USDA report.
🌽 MIDWEST AUCTION PRICES
Pipestone, MN
Alfalfa Good — Large Round: $128/ton
Alfalfa Fair — Large Round: $75–95/ton
Grass Good — Large Round: $105/ton
Dakota, SD
Alfalfa Good — Large Round: $126/ton
Alfalfa Fair — Large Round: $90–95/ton
📊 ALFALFA GOOD — LARGE ROUND BENCHMARK
Madison County, IL — $38/ton
Iowa statewide — $55/ton
Arthur, IL — $60/ton
Nebraska Central — $82/ton
HPL Auction, IA — $87/ton
Dakota, SD — $126/ton
Pipestone, MN — $128/ton
Rock Valley, IA ⭐️ — $129/ton
Missouri — $162/ton
Oklahoma - Northeast — $183/ton
Shipshewana, IN — $236/ton
Topeka, IN — $236/ton
🗺️ NATIONAL SNAPSHOT — Highest Prices This Week
Wolgemuth, PA — Alfalfa/Grass Mix Supreme: $457/ton
Wolgemuth, PA — Grass Premium: $430/ton
Shipshewana, IN — Alfalfa/Grass Mix Premium: $370/ton
Topeka, IN — Alfalfa/Grass Mix Premium: $365/ton
Pennsylvania and Indiana continue to operate in a completely different market. $457/ton in PA while Midwest averages $126–129/ton. Same commodity, same week.
💡 THIS WEEK'S INSIGHT
The Midwest just converged — that's unusual.
Rock Valley IA at $129, Pipestone MN at $128, Dakota SD at $126. Three markets, $3/ton spread. For most of the season these markets have run $20–40 apart.
When markets this spread out converge, it usually means buyers have covered their immediate needs and are waiting to see what happens next. Combined with the weather impact at Rock Valley this week — muddy yards keeping buyers cautious — expect some volatility over the next 2–3 weeks as spring buying pressure returns.
Missouri at $162 is still the number to watch. It hasn't moved in three weeks. When it breaks higher, the Midwest follows.
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