Colorado State University Extension Dolores County

08/31/2026

Market Report 8/31/2026
Sources: Midland Bean and USDA/CO Dept of Ag.
Winter Wheat Spring Wheat Beans
Per Cwt....................N/A..........................13.00.....................35.00......
Hay (Conventional)
Alfalfa/Grass Mix...Mixed Grass...Orchard Grass
Small Square...Small Square...Small Square 3-Tie
QTY...N/A...N/A...540
Price Range...10.00...14.00-18.00...20.00
WtdAvg....N/A...N/A...20.00
Freight/Use...F.O.B. Stables (all)
Description...Covered...Certified W**d Free...Covered
Crop Age...New Crop...New Crop...1st Cut
Compared to last report: Trade activity Moderate. Demand Good to Very Good all markets of new crop hay. Premium small squares of mixed
grass and prairie/meadow grass sold 50 cents/bale higher FOB and Premium 3x3's of mixed grass horse hay sold $10.00/bale higher. No
comparable trades on feedlot and dairy markets, but prices remain firm. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor's High Plains Summary for
August 25, 2026, the High Plains saw a mixture of drought degradation and localized improvement. Rapid drought deterioration continued
across southern Kansas and southeastern Colorado, where dry conditions and excessive heat aggravated agricultural impacts. Further north,
widespread convection brought drought relief east of the Front Range across eastern Colorado, though some deterioration occurred in the
Rockies of Colorado and Wyoming where water storage impacts from last spring's limited snow cover are beginning to mount. Organized
convection along the northern periphery of the ridge promoted drought reduction in central Nebraska. Showers mostly maintained a statusquo depiction across South Dakota, save for small areas of degradation along its respective borders with North Dakota and Minnesota. More
widespread drought degradation was noted across North Dakota, where precipitation was sparser outside of a single, narrow convective
event that tracked across the northeastern corner of the state. For Drought Classifications, 47.52% of the state falls in Extreme-Exceptional
drought (D3-D4) categories, and 52.48% of the state falls into the Abnormally Dry-Severe Drought (D0-D2) categories. The next available
report will be Thursday, September 10, 2026.

Send a message to learn more

08/17/2026

Dolores/Montezuma County Extension Fruit Tree Project

Unfortunately, there will be no U-Pick at the Southwestern Colorado Research Center in 2026. Our fruit crop was lost to a freeze event in April, so we are unable to host a u-pick this year. Unseasonably warm temperatures in March brought the trees out of dormancy and they bloomed about 5 weeks earlier than normal. On April 18th, the stone fruits had set and the apples were just finishing the bloom when we had temperatures that hit 21 degrees for 8 hours at the research center. Thankfully, we did not experience any tree damage and we are hopeful for a solid crop in 2027. We will keep everyone posted on what happens next year.

For more information contact:
Dolores County Extension (970)677-2283 or
Montezuma County Extension (970)565-3123

Send a message to learn more

08/10/2026

Market Report 8/10/2026
Sources: Midland Bean and USDA/CO Dept of Ag.
Winter Wheat Spring Wheat Beans
Per Cwt....................N/A..........................11.00.....................28.00......
Hay (Conventional)
Alfalfa - Premium...Alfalfa/Grass Mix...Mixed Grass...Mixed Grass...Orchard Grass
Small Square...Small Square...Small Square...Small Square...Small Square 3-Tie
QTY...150...N/A...N/A...150...N/A
Price Range...14.00...10.00...14.00-18.00...15.00...20.00
WtdAvg....14.00...N/A...N/A...15.00...N/A
Freight/Use...F.O.B. Stables (all)
Description...Covered...Covered...Certified W**d Free...Certified W**d Free...Covered
Crop Age...2nd Cut...New Crop...New Crop...New Crop...New Crop...
Compared to last report: Trade activity Moderate. Demand Good to Very Good new crop hay. Small squares of grass sold steady to $1.00/bale
higher this period. Market prices are establishing on straw moving into dairies with the floor getting set at $150/ton FOB due to short supply.
Horse hay per bale prices continue to increase as drought conditions worsen and abnormally high temperatures impact hay quality and yield.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor's West Summary for July 28, 2026, on the map, drought-related conditions deteriorated in areas of
eastern Colorado, eastern New Mexico, southeastern California, and western Washington. In Colorado, drought expanded and intensified on
the map in response to anomalously warm temperatures, decreased soil moisture levels, and elevated evaporative demand. Looking at
climatological rankings for the past 30-day period, numerous locations ranked among their warmest or near warmest mean temperatures on
record, including: Montrose, CO (warmest on record; +3 °F departure); Dinosaur, CO (warmest on record; +4 °F departure); Grand Junction,
CO (2nd warmest; +4 °F departure); Trinidad, CO (2nd warmest; +4 °F departure); Denver, CO (2nd warmest; +3 °F departure); Rock Springs,
WY (3rd warmest; +4 °F departure); Casper, WY (3rd warmest; +5 °F departure); Salt Lake City, UT (5th warmest; +4 °F departure); and
Pocatello, ID (5th warmest; +4 °F departure). For Drought Classifications, 50.76% of the state falls in Extreme-Exceptional drought (D3-D4)
categories, and 49.24% of the state falls into the Abnormally Dry-Severe Drought (D0-D2) categories. The next available report will be
Thursday, August 13, 2026.

07/29/2026

We are able to offer a virtual option for the Burn Area Recovery and Reclamation Workshop this evening at 5:30 pm! The Zoom link is below:

Zoom meeting. Topic: Burn Area Recovery and Reclamation

Meeting Time: Jul 29, 2026 17:30 Mountain Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87469591409?pwd=1SVadPINQc5bsn0HUDb848ZaDaZPUz.1

Meeting chat link https://us02web.zoom.us/launch/jc/87469591409

Meeting ID: 874 6959 1409 Passcode: 903351 ---

One tap mobile +17193594580,,87469591409 #,,,,*903351 # US +12532158782,,87469591409 #,,,,*903351 # US (Tacoma) --- Join by SIP • [email protected] Join instructions https://us02web.zoom.us/meetings/87469591409/invitations?signature=7SnqfhXA3AI5FZmfTNbwYGuFzuWYf7HZp0O649SnzIo

07/28/2026

Tomorrow evening from 5:30-7:30pm!

In response to the Ferris, McCloud, and Sharps Creek fires, Join us July 29th from 5:30 - 7:30pm at the Dolores County Public Service Center (8477 Rd 7.7) for information on Burn Area Recovery & Reclamation.
We will speak on topics including:
~Recovery Assistance and Resources Available to Landowners.
~Vegetation Response from Fire and Fireline Disturbance - What to Expect.
~Assessing Damage to Forest, Pasture, Cropland.
~Erosion Mitigation.
Hear from Caleb Marucci - Supervisory Forester, Colorado State Forest Service SW Area, & Gus Westerman - CSU Extension Dolores County.
For any more information or questions please call our office at 970-677-2283 or email [email protected].

07/20/2026

In response to the Ferris, McCloud, and Sharps Creek fires, Join us July 29th from 5:30 - 7:30pm at the Dolores County Public Service Center (8477 Rd 7.7) for information on Burn Area Recovery & Reclamation.
We will speak on topics including:
~Recovery Assistance and Resources Available to Landowners.
~Vegetation Response from Fire and Fireline Disturbance - What to Expect.
~Assessing Damage to Forest, Pasture, Cropland.
~Erosion Mitigation.
Hear from Caleb Marucci - Supervisory Forester, Colorado State Forest Service SW Area, & Gus Westerman - CSU Extension Dolores County.
For any more information or questions please call our office at 970-677-2283 or email [email protected].

07/16/2026

Colorado Horse Rescue has a fund to help horse owners affected by the wildfires. This isn't a fundraising ask - we're ready to help now. Details are here: Equine Fire Relief Fund - Colorado Horse Rescue. https://chr.org/resources/fire-relief/

07/15/2026

Hello SAFE!

Continuing with the agricultural community, SAFE and the CSU extension are putting up a Pizza for Producers in Yellow Jacket, CO. You and your families are warmly invited to join us! We are hoping just to bring this community together with such a hard summer dealing with droughts and fires happening in our area. We hope this gathering provides an opportunity for producers, neighbors, and community members to come together, enjoy a meal, connect with one another, and support each other.
Please help us spread the word by sharing this invitation with others who may be interested. If you plan to attend, we kindly ask that you RSVP by July 22 so we can ensure we have enough food for everyone.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Pizza for Producers
Calling all farmers and ranchers! Join us for an evening of food, laughter and real conversations about the ups and downs of farming and ranching.
When: Thurs., July 23 from 5:30-7:00 PM
Where: SW CO Research Center 16898 Rd Z, Yellow Jacket, CO
What: Pizza and lawn games
Please RSVP by July 22 so we have an idea of how much pizza to order: https://col.st/jurqy
Hosted by your friends at CSU Extension and SAFE Coalition
Questions? Contact Emily Lockard 970-570-5497

07/15/2026

The CO Division or Insurance is holding an online townhall meeting today at 5pm explaining how to navigate insurance issues during and after a wildfire.

Registration link: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/6417839577703/WN_5OjTdgHOTvqmEhJnXDW4QQ?fbclid=IwY2xjawTCOkdleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFHT0prR0EwSkgxTDFPR0xjc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHrIo1I8Hpo2FGbFY_Kn90N29XxH11ywEfQYMqq5-Zr9y-RRNdwazQRt1GxuF_aem_sTi4Umv-euzL-BeNgF7K-w #/registration

Please share out to anyone who might be interested in attending. You may also register even if you can’t attend as they may record the meeting, so you can view the recording afterwards!

Join Colorado's Insurance Commissioner Michael Conway for a webinar explaining how to navigate insurance issues during and after a wildfire. There will be plenty of time for Q+A.

06/22/2026

Market Report 6/22/2026
Sources: Midland Bean, High Country Elevators, and USDA/CO Dept of Ag.
Winter Wheat Spring Wheat Beans
Per Cwt....................9.00..........................10.00.....................28.00......
Hay (Conventional)
Alfalfa/Oat Mix...Mixed Grass...Orchard Grass
Small Square...Small Square...Small Square 3-Tie
QTY...N/A...N/A...N/A
Price Range...10.00...14.00-18.00...20.00
WtdAvg....N/A...N/A...N/A
Freight/Use...F.O.B. Stables (all)
Description...Covered...Certified W**d Free...Covered...
Crop Age...New Crop (all)
Compared to last report: Trade activity Moderate. Demand Good to Very Good on both old crop and new crop hay. 3x3's of old crop alfalfa
horse hay sold $5.00 per bale higher this period. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor's High Plains Summary for June 16, 2026, across the
High Plains states, drought continues to persist across western Kansas and eastern Colorado. The most severe and exceptional drought areas
extend from eastern Wyoming into western and northern Nebraska and far southern South Dakota. Continued lack of rainfall and warmerthan-normal temperatures led to worsening drought conditions in the plains of eastern Colorado and small portions of northwestern Kansas.
Exceptional drought was expanded across three counties in the Nebraska panhandle, where pastures and dryland wheat conditions are the
poorest seen in decades, as a result of the record warm, dry winter followed by meager spring rainfall. The agricultural impacts in western
Nebraska were confirmed by drought indicators spanning the last 6-12 months. For Drought Classifications, 34.62% of the state falls in
Extreme-Exceptional drought (D3-D4) categories, and 65.38% of the state falls into the Abnormally Dry-Severe Drought (D0-D2) categories.
The next available report will be Thursday, July, 2 2026.