I have a 25 acre field......

[TripleR]

Like others said it depends on how much time you want to spend on the tractor. How will you harvest corn? Pay to have it combined. If grass what will you harvest the milo with, cut the hay and then bail your wheat whatever? Sure you can prep and plant but that is only part of it. You may end up paying more than its worth if you have to lease the harvest out, but i dont do this so i have no idea. Think about subsistence farmers that use to farm that acerage or double that with farmal cubs that were 7-9hp. Or a farmer farming 75 acres with a ford 8n (~23-26hp). It is doable but all depends on like others said how long you want to spend at it. But those farmers probly did not have another job that they went to from 8-4 like i assume you do, unless your retired.

-nate

I grew up on a farm much like you describe, 160 acres and a Ford 600 Series. We borrowed an extra tractor from a neighbor when needed and loaned ours out too. Both of my parents worked at other jobs while my brothers and I did most of the farm work. There really isn't enough of a profit margin in farming anymore to farm on a small scale doing row crops.

 

[sweettractors]

For Corn, You will need a spray rig for kill down before no-tilling the corn in, a nice 2 row no till corn planter and a 1 or 2 row picker for ear corn or combine for shelling. For the smaller seeds, a drill will work fine. and then another harvester or combine for the small grains or cotton. You will need a crib to store your ear corn in or a grain bin for small grain or corn storage. Another possibility would to store the harvest off farm on a rental basis or sell it out of the field. Ken Sweet

 

[warhammer]

I have been watching the operations on the farms that surround mine for a couple of years now. Looks to me like most all of them hire the harvesting out as it is the same combine rig and trucks in the fields.
I am not retired but have a very large amount of personal, sick, vacation and comp time accrued. At the risk of way oversimplifying - a few days to disc in fall and a handful of days to plant, fertilize in early spring even if taken all at once would be ok.

Like others said it depends on how much time you want to spend on the tractor. How will you harvest corn? Pay to have it combined. If grass what will you harvest the milo with, cut the hay and then bail your wheat whatever? Sure you can prep and plant but that is only part of it. You may end up paying more than its worth if you have to lease the harvest out, but i dont do this so i have no idea. Think about subsistence farmers that use to farm that acerage or double that with farmal cubs that were 7-9hp. Or a farmer farming 75 acres with a ford 8n (~23-26hp). It is doable but all depends on like others said how long you want to spend at it. But those farmers probly did not have another job that they went to from 8-4 like i assume you do, unless your retired.

-nate

 

[warhammer]

I have an idea of fertilizer costs per ton as I have been working at establishing a pasture. I have no idea what seed costs. I do not know how much fertilizer a corn field takes as opposed to a pasture so good points. Is it huge amounts of money to seed and fertilize 25 acres?
Around here land lease rates are $35 an acre. Could I beat that with this method of farming? Current cost of land and equipment is $305 an acre per year for me. In a couple of years as I pay equipment off that should decrease to about $175 a year per acre.
This field yields 90+ bushels of corn an acre with normal rains and is not irrigated. Last year in an extreme drought it only put out about 55 bushels an acre.
I am not expecting to get rich. I would be really happy if between farming the field and raising some cow/calfs on the fenced area and pasture I am establishing that I could break even soon and eventually turn some profit.
I like farm work a lot in part because it is completely different from what I do for a day job in an IS department managing a computer support crew. That has me in a small room from 6:30-7AM to whatever time I can get out in the evening working on a computer with multiple screens pretty much the entire time. I like the day job as well but it is really great to work outside and not hear the phone or constantly answer emails all the time.

Just as an aside, we have the land and equipment to farm several hundred acres, but find it more profitable to cash rent and much less stressful. I still love operating equipment, but not if my income depends on it in any part. Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[warhammer]

I have a 3 point 55 gallon spray rig that seems to work ok. Looks like the other farmers around here all hire the harvest and haul off of the crops.

For Corn, You will need a spray rig for kill down before no-tilling the corn in, a nice 2 row no till corn planter and a 1 or 2 row picker for ear corn or combine for shelling. For the smaller seeds, a drill will work fine. and then another harvester or combine for the small grains or cotton. You will need a crib to store your ear corn in or a grain bin for small grain or corn storage. Another possibility would to store the harvest off farm on a rental basis or sell it out of the field. Ken Sweet

 

[TripleR]

I have an idea of fertilizer costs per ton as I have been working at establishing a pasture. I have no idea what seed costs. I do not know how much fertilizer a corn field takes as opposed to a pasture so good points. Is it huge amounts of money to seed and fertilize 25 acres?
Around here land lease rates are $35 an acre.
This field yields 90+ bushels of corn an acre with normal rains and is not irrigated. Last year in an extreme drought it only put out about 55 bushels an acre.
I am not expecting to get rich. I would be really happy if between farming the field and raising some cow/calfs on the fenced area and pasture I am establishing that I could break even soon and eventually turn some profit.

Man, I'm glad I don't live where you do; cash crop rent here starts at $100 per acre and goes to $225 in some areas. Of course we also get well over 100 bushels to the acre according to our renters with thirty five to forty in soybeans; don't know about the wheat.

My brother and I got out of farming as we were too small of an operation and it was just for a little extra money. The cost in time away from our family did not make it worth while. We lost value on our crop when we couldn't get someone in to pick our crops in time and they remained in the field too long.

In my area 1000 acres is not considered a big farm and it is next to impossible to get someone in to harvest small acreages due to the size of the equipment and operating costs.

I can't speak of where you live, only that it is simply not being done in my area. We have a small parcel of land, sixty acres not too far from here and we are on our third renter. Not meaning to throw a bucket of cold water on it, but farming on a small scale is not as easy, as much fun or as profitable as most people think. You may certainly be an exception, so good luck to you. I loved farming and you may too.

 

[sweettractors]

At that # bu. per acre, you wont break even. Ken Sweet

 

[warhammer]

I have been looking up seed, fertilizer and corn commodity prices tonight.
Seems like margins are pretty tight if I get the same yields as a pro which I realize is not going to come close to happening.
My original plan was to put the field into pasture as I would only need to fence another 6-700 feet and put in one more gate to enclose it and run more cow/calf pairs on it. Might have to look harder at that option again.
Still probably worth getting an old drill for that as well. ;o}
Thanks for the replies - good info.

At that # bu. per acre, you wont break even. Ken Sweet

 

[warhammer]

I bought a cultipacker that looks similar to the one in your avatar. What kind of paint is on that packer? Does it hold up on the wheels when its used?

At that # bu. per acre, you wont break even. Ken Sweet

 

[sweettractors]

I bought a cultipacker that looks similar to the one in your avatar. What kind of paint is on that packer? Does it hold up on the wheels when its used?

Paint is JD Green and Massey Red on the ends. Rollers are usually coated with a plow moldboard black that is used to keep cast or steel from rusting. Scours right off the wheels the first time it is used and then you re-apply at the end of the season. Ken Sweet