Let a neighbor use my field to grow corn?

[piller]

If you like the neighbor and he is taking good care of the place for you it might be a good arrangement. However you said your goal was to improve the soil. You need to get a complete soil test done so you know what you have and then you can see how it improves in the future.

As for hay, I won't make hay on my farm, I believe it makes much better sense to purchase hay than to make it. Look at the Penn State analysis link a couple of posts above this one, you are looking at break even numbers of $100 - $200+ / ton. You can buy hay for less than this and when you bring it to your farm you are adding nutrients/fertility to your ground while nutrients/fertility is leaving the field where the hay was produced.

I'd go with the natural compost on the field and then I'd see if the Amish neighbor would rotationally graze his cows in the field; hit it hard with animal impact then let it recover.

 

[radman1]

Do it. There is no better way to get a decent hay crop than to rotate out of hay, and back in. It is a win-win deal.

I am with you. Farmer is putting in most of the effort, time and expense. I suspect this years corn crop will be poor. It is hard to get a good first year crop of corn after land was hay/grass. Replanting the grass/hay may be the best thing you can do for the long term. Later, splitting the hay with you seems fair, if he does all the labor and haying.

 

[Duffster]

I suspect this years corn crop will be poor. It is hard to get a good first year crop of corn after land was hay/grass.

We grow some of our best corn on plowed in sod.

 

[smstonypoint]

We grow some of our best corn on plowed in sod.

I don't know about corn, but one of my former colleagues, an agronomist serving as state-wide Extension soybean specialist, used to tell me that soybeans following sod did really well yield-wise.

Steve

 

[Transit]

When I converted my land to build a house it was a corn field, like the moon. Tests showed that the ph was all over the place, mostly alkaline, not much NKP and the land conversation people wanted me to spend a fortune in fertilizer and lime. What I did was let it all go fallow, planted clover and rye grass. Let it go to seed and cut it twice a year. Over time nature did her thing, the clipping rotted into compost and the worms turned the compost over. The ph is a 7.5 to 6.5 and the NKP is returning to normal. The only thing I did added was compost maker to help speedup the clippings to compost, the worms do most of the plowing to turn over the soil and it is all free now.

 

[ultrarunner]

Don't know if it is done anymore.

My Grandfather had an arrangement with a neighbor to rent his small hay field for $1 a year. It was sour grass and he no longer had horses.

The Dollar a year was to establish the terms.

 

[deere755]

I plowed some alfalfa and put in corn last year. It was the best field of corn I had also the the smallest. Seems to be a good deal. I would extremly suggest that you get it all in writng and both parties sign it. If both of you are on the up and up there should be no problem in getting it in writing. It can save you a lot hard feelings in the end and maybe a lawsuit. It is always easy to say later I don't remember saying I would do that or that wasn't what I said I would do. Sounds like a good deal for you though.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

The farmer is looking at $8 corn, and you are looking at a rotation that will do a huge job of cleaning out weeds. You are both going to be better off after this deal. Go for it.

 

[flyingcow]

We grow some of our best corn on plowed in sod.

But i would assume your soils tweaked out to grow good crops

 

[deere755]

The farmer is looking at $8 corn, and you are looking at a rotation that will do a huge job of cleaning out weeds. You are both going to be better off after this deal. Go for it.

I hope you are right about the $8 corn but I don't think it will happen. Even so $6 is nothing to be upset about.