CHATEAUGAY -- June's wet weather might dampen the hopes of some North Country farmers planning multiple harvests from their hay fields this season.

Average rainfall last month in the Tupper Lake area was 5.25 inches, while Newcomb measured an average of 4.18 inches and Malone 4.96 inches, according to the National Weather Service in Burlington.

Arnold Lobdell of Chateaugay said that even with that much rainfall, farmers putting up silage or chopped hay to sell on the horse-feed market are right on target for their harvest.

BALING CONCERNS

But farmers who bale their hay that are behind schedule by about two weeks because of the lack of consistent dry days needed to remove the extra moisture from the standing fields.

"We need about 48 hours of continuous rain-free weather before we can get our first cut of dry hay," Lobdell said.

First cut usually occurs in mid-June, and the second crop is then planted.

A third and sometimes even a fourth crop can be harvested before the growing season ends, Lobdell said.

"But if you're not getting at least 48 hours of dry weather, you can't get the first cut done, and it prevents the second crop from coming up."

HAY QUALITY

The quality of the hay is also impacted the longer it remains in the field.

First-cut hay, which is preferred by horse owners because it's greener, moister and less dusty than later yields, is a cash crop for farmers.

But second-cut hay and subsequent hay crops have a higher nutrition value, which farmers store away for their cattle for winter.

The higher the protein content, the less commercially produced material the farmer has to add to the feed, which can save a significant amount of money, Lobdell said.

At the same time, lesser quality hay left standing too long has lower protein and requires more subsidizing to maintain the delicate nutritional balance that dairy cattle need, he said.