Aiden Johnson and Cole Glasgow launched HayWire to tackle the extreme fragmentation of the hay market. Unlike liquid commodities, hay prices remain opaque because they vary wildly by type, such as alfalfa or clover. The founders use an AI model to mine public USDA auction data to provide clarity for buyers and sellers.

This effort addresses a market similar to scrap metal where pricing is often hidden or illiquid. By leveraging vibecoding and direct networking with farmers, the team transforms raw government reports into a weekly newsletter. This data allows participants to track regional price swings that previously required manual, hands-on investigation to uncover.

Rising costs are now hitting the livestock and equine sectors. Johnson notes that spiking hay prices are actively reducing the ROI of owning a horse as supply tightens. This shift creates a financial squeeze for owners who cannot find affordable feed in a market with tightening demand and limited transparency.