Hay isn’t something farmers can produce on demand. It’s tied tightly to the rhythm of the season. Grass and legumes must be seeded at specific times of year, and the crop only grows when temperature, daylight and soil moisture line up. A farmer can’t simply “make more” in winter or during a dry spell. The plants won’t grow, and the quality would be poor even if they tried. Every cut of hay is the product of that season’s rainfall, heat, and timing.