Tips for buying hay locally?

My chinchilla is a bit of a picky hay eater. I have found she does like the hay from Sweet Meadow Farm, but they recently had to change how you order their hay online (I can no longer order just one or two bags of hay because of a change in how they are charged for shipping--it's too expensive). I got a contact today for a farmer within about half an hour of me who has organic alfalfa and he suggested I should come see what he has. He said it is last year's alfalfa and is quite coarse, so that worries me--Dezzy may not like it. He says he will be cutting alfalfa again this spring.



Also, I know I can't give her only alfalfa due to nutrition and I don't know that this farmer has timothy hay or other grass hay. I suspect I may have a hard time finding timothy hay locally, but I will find out when I meet with him.



So, what tips do any of you have for buying hay directly from a farmer? What should I be looking for? I am mainly concerned about where the hay has been stored and if it has been protected from the elements. Any tips? Questions I should ask?



Thank you!

Nicole