OT, you seem to get things confuzzled from time to time.  The grass program you spoke of didn't come close to $85 an acre.  Perhaps that was a maximum set out, but certainly no-one got it, based on the requirements of the program.  I'll see if I can find the original paperwork for you and scan it in.

As far as the glut goes, that wasn't caused by the program.  Actually, the program was a raging failure, as farmers took old grass/hay out of production, and sowed down new fields, then cropped the old ones.  Total grass/hay acreage didn't go up.  Or at least it didn't go up to the extent that we expanded our animal production.

Anyway, the glut was caused by the Japanese reducing imports of our alfalfa cubes.  A few years ago, it was a heyday up here, with dehydration plants spouting up all over.  Most of those plants are now closed, and with grain farming being what its not, most farmers have left their land in alfalfa and are simply taking the $20/ton.  Also, a few wet years bumped our grass and alfalfa production through the roof in many areas, especially the north east.  I had some old (15 yrs) ground spitting out 3 ton/acre.

I'm sorry to hear about your hay guys going under, but like someone else mentioned, its called competition.  Canada has a leg up on production costs and we aren't subsidized near as heavily as most other countries (including the USA).  I don't blame you for being angry about how difficult it is to make a living, but take out your frustrations on someone other than us.  We're scrambling, trying to make a living and fighting the same forces that US producers are trying to fight.  Its much better that we work together, not against one another.

Rod