Important Reminder!
Have you turned in our request to comply with the FCC’s ruling on faxes? On Nov 7th, we faxed you a copy of a reply form. If you have not already sent that back to us, then this might be your last Snippets and Price Sheet. Under the new FCC ruling, we now need your written permission to continue to fax you information, price lists, and special offerings. If you need another copy, please contact Jonathan at 1-888-550-2930. By the way, thanks much for the majority of you who have replied!
Market Watch
Looks like most of the fall business is coming to a close for much of the northern part of the nation as cold weather, and even snow, are directing the populace to focus on putting up the storm windows, raking leaves and wishing they had a second home in Florida. For example, this weekend folks in Wisconsin saw temperatures as low as 9 degrees! Down South the action continues as the possibility still exists for more annual ryegrass sales. In the meantime, lots of quotations being generated for spring business.
A less than average year of consumption on orchardgrass seems to keep this market somewhat soft. Berseem clover is nearly non-existent. Interest in fine fescues, mostly as a replacement for ryegrass in mixes continues, and will surely affect the consumption of all fine fescues, but it may be a while before we have a better handle on whether fine fescues will actually go up in price this spring. Bluegrass watchers are mixed on which way the crop pricing will go, if anywhere this spring. Your guess is as good as anyone’s on this one!
Finally, the winter months typically are good months to find deals on off-grade or slow moving inventory. Send us your wish lists and we will see how we can fill them.
Crop Talk
Fall is a good time to look back at what was planted in order to get a view of what to expect for the next harvest year and how projected harvest might play into spring pricing. Below is a look at acreages per species as compared to last year for the key cool-season grass crops grown in the NW and Canada, (as best we understand it):
| Species | Change from last year |
|---|---|
| Perennial Ryegrass | Increased 20% |
| Annual Ryegrass | Increased 3-5% |
| Tall Fescue | Increased 5-7% |
| Orchardgrass | No significant change |
| Species | Change from last year |
|---|---|
| CAN Creeping Red | Down 20-30% |
| US Creeping Red | No significant change |
| Chewings Fescue | Increase about 5% |
| Kentucky Bluegrass | Up slightly |
Did You Know?
Next year “could be a bumper crop for insects and pathogens in turfgrass”, according to Kevin Morris, executive director of the National Turfgrass Federation, Inc. (NTEP). Kevin notes that when the east coast has a year like this past – plenty of summer moisture and limited new seeding, it is possible to have an increase the following year in disease and pest outbreak. For most of us, a little extra pestilence and disease is usually a good thing. As was once spoken by a wise distributor, “We are in the desiccation restoration business!” – Kevin’s comments were published in this month’s issue of Seed World