Wyoming ranchers struggle with hay crops - KOTA Territory News

Fields that should be cut and riddled with hay bales lay empty on the Frolander Ranch west of Sundance. The drought has taken its toll on the land and the people.

"Normally we have about two ton to the acre average and that is our income for the ranch," said Patricia Frolander. "We sold our cow heard during the last drought."

Frolander has lived off this land for 43 years, and she is keeping her head high. "It's the lifestyle and we adapt," said Frolander. "I think simply because that's part of perhaps our heritage or we've learned to do so over the years."

But there is no doubt the drought has cost the Frolanders. They could only hay eight acres this year out of 275. Usually they get about 550 tons of hay out of their land and this year they only got seven tons.

"For supreme alfalfa you're looking at $230 to $240 a ton whereas last year that was about $180 or $205 a ton," said North Eastern Wyoming Extension Educator Brian Sebade.

That means the Frolanders could be out nearly $90,000 for the year if all their hay was supreme.

"Fortunately my husband has a machine shop here and the ranch and is definitely supporting us. I think there are ranchers in worse situations than we are," said Frolander.

And with the low supply and high demand, hay prices may be too steep for some. "So the people that are trying to buy hay they come to the dilemma of do I buy hay to feed my livestock or do I sell those livestock off," said Sebade.

But after 43 years on the ranch, Frolander says not much can shake her. "I wouldn't want to be any place else, I wouldn't want to do anything else," she said with a smile.