Week of April 27, 2026 · 751 price records · 62 markets · Source: USDA AMS
The 30-Second Version
Rock Valley IA alfalfa hitting $222/ton Thursday — Levi confirms markets still trending up with quality in high demand. Wyoming alfalfa cubes at $375–380/ton as drought bites hard. Shipshewana IN and Topeka IN pushing $300–350/ton on premium forage — Eastern dairy demand showing no signs of cooling. First cutting is 4–6 weeks away. The window to buy ahead of it is closing fast.
📍 From the Field — Rock Valley Hay Auction, IA
Data Partner · Rock Valley Hay Auction
Levi Rus, Rock Valley Hay Auction:
"Markets still trending up with quality in high demand."
Rock Valley Thursday numbers back that up: Premium/Supreme alfalfa averaged $222/ton, with top lots hitting $230. Fair/Good alfalfa moved $125–$157/ton. Grass hitting $130–$185/ton for Good/Premium quality. Corn stalk cleared at $46–47/ton.
🌾 Midwest Markets
Rock Valley, IA (Thursday)
Alfalfa Fair/Good: $125–$158/ton (avg **$138–$146**)
Alfalfa Good/Premium: **$180–$185/ton**
Alfalfa Premium/Supreme: $215–$230/ton (avg **$223**)
Grass Good/Premium: $160–$185/ton (avg **$167**)
Rock Valley, IA (Monday)
Alfalfa Fair/Good: **$122/ton**
Grass Fair/Good: $115–$134/ton (avg **$124**)
Pipestone, MN
Alfalfa Fair: $60–$105/ton (avg **$83**)
Alfalfa Good: $120–$185/ton (avg **$132**)
Grass Good: $110–$160/ton (avg **$136**)
Dakota SD (Corsica)
Alfalfa Fair: $110–$140/ton (avg **$124**)
Alfalfa Good: $130–$165/ton (avg **$142**)
Grass Good: $135–$195/ton (avg **$159**) ↑
Brome Good: **$165/ton**
HPL Auction, IA
Alfalfa Good: $70–$95/ton (avg **$87**)
Alfalfa Supreme: **$125/ton**
SW Missouri (Golden City)
Alfalfa Good: $80–$102/ton (avg **$90**)
Alfalfa Premium/Supreme: **$180/ton**
Alfalfa Supreme: **$230/ton**
🗺️ Regional Roundup
Eastern Premium Zone
Shipshewana, IN — Alfalfa/Grass Mix Premium: $320–$330/ton (avg **$327**) 🔥
Topeka, IN — Alfalfa/Grass Mix Good/Premium: **$350/ton** 🔥
Wolgemuth, PA — Alfalfa/Grass Mix Supreme: $390–$450/ton (avg **$419**) · Timothy Premium: **$365/ton**
Plains & Mountain West
Wyoming Central — Alfalfa Cubes: **$375/ton** (drought premium)
Wyoming West — Alfalfa Cubes: **$380/ton**
Montana — Alfalfa Fair/Good: $170–$180/ton · Timothy Good: **$270/ton**
Kansas NW — Alfalfa Premium/Supreme: $185–$250/ton · Supreme Pellets 17%: **$335/ton**
Southwest
Arizona — Alfalfa Premium/Supreme: $295–$310/ton
New Mexico SW — Alfalfa Premium: $210–$252/ton
Texas Panhandle — Alfalfa Supreme: $255–$265/ton (avg **$260**)
NEW THIS WEEK — Rushville, VA (First issue with Virginia coverage)
Mixed Grass Good: $35–$73/ton (avg **$56**)
Orchard Grass Good: $42–$50/ton (avg **$46**)
Mixed Grass Good/Premium: **$81/ton**
Colorado
Centennial (Fort Collins) — Alfalfa Supreme: $150–$170/ton · Alfalfa/Grass Mix Supreme: $115–$170/ton
Brush — Alfalfa Good: $62–$93/ton · Alfalfa/Grass Mix Good: $52–$87/ton
🐴 Horse Owner Watch
Timothy and orchard grass prices this week:
Idaho East — Timothy Premium SS 3-Tie: **$220/ton**
Montana — Timothy Good SS: **$270/ton**
Washington/Oregon — Timothy Good/Premium SS 3-Tie: **$300/ton**
Wolgemuth PA — Timothy Premium: **$365/ton**
Colorado NE — Timothy Medium Square: **$165/ton**
Quality orchard grass remains scarce in Midwest markets. Pacific Northwest holding firm at $230–$300/ton for premium.
⚡ Quick Hits
**Wyoming sold out.** Not low. Not tight. Sold out. Alfalfa cubes hitting $375–$380/ton confirm the drought premium is real and buyers are paying it.
**51% of the US in D1+ drought.** Western snowpack collapsed — OR down 71%, UT down 65%, CO down 51%. First cutting will tell the story.
**China re-entered the export market** — +4.9% in February. More competition for Western premium alfalfa heading into summer.
**Nebraska up $25–30/ton** since February. Platte Valley alfalfa at $147/ton ground. Pellets hitting $300–$340/ton.
**Dakota SD grass jumped.** Good large rounds averaging $159/ton — up sharply from recent weeks. Northern Plains tightening fast.
**Shipshewana and Topeka IN** both running $280–$350/ton on forage mixes. Eastern dairy demand showing no softness.
📊 The Bottom Line
Buy signal is getting louder. Every week we wait, the spread between current prices and post-first-cutting prices gets harder to predict — and drought years don't soften after first cutting, they tighten.
Buyers in drought-affected regions (WY, CO, OR, UT, NE) should be securing supply now, not watching. Sellers in the Midwest core (IA, SD, MN) are in a strong position — quality is moving at premium prices and demand from Eastern dairy isn't letting up.
First cutting results in 4–6 weeks will either confirm or ease the pressure. Right now the data says confirm.
751 price records · 62 markets · Data: USDA AMS Livestock, Poultry & Grain Market News
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