Grain farmers chime in! Advice?

[Robert_in_NY]

Robert,

What hay market do you mainly focus on? Horse hay in square bales seems to be the thing around here.

Horse farms are the biggest buyer around here. Most of my hay goes directly to them so I don't have to store very much, just enough to cover them if they run short.

 

[D7E]

No till does not work here !.....I would never get custom combines either , a small acreage like yours will be last on their list and you'l never get them in a busy season and they will want to fit you in when grain is not fit . Buying your own machine will pay for it's self in quality of grain and earlier harvesting. Small combines to fit your acreage are around with very little work on them for peanuts .

 

[Depmandog]

When budgeting, consider purchasing crop insurance. They offer multiple policy types, such as hail only, multi peril (hail, wind, disease and drought) and one that includes price drops (you buy the policy for corn at $8.10, but at harvest you only get $6.10 - the policy pays off yield times $2 / bushel).

You also might check into the CRP program. http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/webapp?area=home&subject=copr&topic=crp

There is a long list of qualifiers to be able to enroll, but basically it takes erodible crop land out of production for a 10-15 year period. They (gov) pays half of the cost to establish ground cover, then pays you a yearly per acre fee of (variable depends on numerous factors) $65 to $100? Per acre.

BUT- during drought years, they allow you to hay the ground, and you can lease the ground for hunting, etc.

My thought process here is - if (big IF) you could get some ground enrolled based on previous farming of the ground - your tenant or father, it would be some cheap fixed income.

Are these applicable to you?? I don't know. But I do know that the successful farmers take FULL advantage of EVERY government program there is to make the operation work.

I am not a farmer, (but I did stay in a Holiday Express last night - ok bad joke but worked on farms as a teen, and back when my FIL used to row crop several hundred acres I would help him when I could.

Another thought, you might check into college classes in your area. Never hurts to learn the science of growing.

Dean

 

[slowzuki]

You can get small 4 row planters to use with smaller tractors. We live in an even colder climate and no-till corn pencils out here. Takes a while to get used to it and the yields do go down a bit. Fuel costs go way down.

Its not a case of believing in no-till for everyone. In our area of NY no-till just doesn't work. I'm way too small to worry about buying a good no-till rig but the reason I keep hearing is because we have such a short growing season here and a very short window to get planted. Turning the soil over (either with bottom plows or with chisel plows) helps our ground warm up faster allowing to get the seed planted earlier then with no till.

But your correct in that if it is a viable option for his area then it would help keep equipment costs down but you still need a decent sized tractor to pull a good no-till planter just because of the added weight those planters need to work.

 

[Illinoisdmax]

So if I got a 4 row no til planter, what's the max size HP I would need? After that I would just need a sprayed and harvester, correct? If I was to go the hay route what's a ballpark number it would cost in a good alfalfa seed to do 45 acres? What would I need in equipment to do custom small squares? The equine business is big here, not to mention I know the owners of 2 boarding facilities and my gf and all her family and friends are really big into showing competitively.

 

[DanD78]

Another resource it the University Of Illinois ACES web site. I have not looked my self but have heard there is a lot of data about current costs and returns as well as rental and coustom farming rates. I am not sure where you are at in Illinois but around here not all dirt is created equal. You might very well know that. That will make a huge difference on income.

Dan D.

 

[Illinoisdmax]

I live along a river basin so we have really fertile soil around here.

 

[cowski]

your 504 should pull a 4 row.but i would recommend haying small square bales.alfalfa may be the best choice in illinois .i have bermuda grass ,but i live in alabama.on 120 acres i think you have a better chance with horse hay.i would suggest a 1/2 ton pick up, 16 ft trailer,disc,disc mower,rake,square baler and another 50 horse tractor.

 

[Illinoisdmax]

I have a 600 horse Duramax so I'm good there lol. But I could use a new tractor.

 

[cowski]

my equipment list was minimum .the least amount of equipment you have ,the better the chance of profit.do you want a new or used tractor?