Oregon Public Broadcasting

In Washington and parts of Oregon, heavy rains are making a soggy mess of hay fields. And some farmers in Idaho say their crop is a month behind schedule because of the cool weather.

Each rain costs farmers thousands of dollars. Anna King reports.

Much of the Northwest's first alfalfa cutting is sent to places like Japan and Korea – but those Asian dairy farmers don't like bleached hay for their cattle.

Typically, the first cutting of hay is the most valuable because it's the highest quality. So when Drex Gauntt wakes up and sees it pouring outside he knows he's losing thousands of dollars.

Gauntt farms near Burbank, Washington and is the president of the Washington Hay Growers Association.

He says a good sized rain shower on cut hay is a really expensive day on the farm.

Drex Gauntt: "The closer it is to be ready to bail the bigger negative impact the rain has on the hay."

Many alfalfa and hay farmers are hoping to make up their losses in the later cuttings this summer.