Archived Letter - 415

On page 9 of your insert you display a picture of round bales in a field. These are desrcibed as hay bales which they are not. They are in fact straw, a by product of the grain harvest with no nutritional value for livestock. To describe the crops in "good" condition belies the fact that we are in the worst drought in this area for many many years. First cut hay was poor, and second cut virtually nonexistent. The corn crop is also suffering raising a serious problem with availability and pricing of livestock feed. For many of your readers that may be unaware of this issue the realization will come with upcoming increases in grocery prices.

Nicholas Dalton