HUTCHINSON, Kan. — With recent rains, the condition of pasture land, in at least the eastern half of Kansas, is 
improving.
The rain fall is leaving land green, and hay fields are looking better than in recent years. Steve Hessman with the USDA office in Dodge City says the rain that started after Mother’s Day really helped hay and pasture land, including the Flint Hills area, which suffered greatly from the drought. He also noted that prices are starting to come down for most hay after spiking earlier in the Spring. Hay prices went from $150 at the start of the season to $200 per ton, before dropping again this summer.
Hessman says farmers and ranchers are having an easier time finding hay for their operations than in the past three years, although supplies of high-quality dairy hay is still a little short due to the rainy weather, which is keeping alfalfa in the fields too long.