Is it beg enough

[expedoman55]

I am considering a life change and retiring from industry to become a gentle man farmer and doing some light crop farming. I have a TC34Da and some clear(fields) acreage and wondered if my TC34 is large enough to do some light plowing etc. The fields have been tipped in the past and today have timothy grass, alfalpha planted. There has been corn within the last 10 years. We are looking to do some crops for sale. Not sure what yet but have even considered a strawberry and blueberry farm. We are in central NY just north of the PA border. I am mainly concered if it is large enough. I have an FEL and BH for it but know i need other plows etc. Any thoughts or input would be appreciated.

 

[Jerry/MT]

I am considering a life change and retiring from industry to become a gentle man farmer and doing some light crop farming. I have a TC34Da and some clear(fields) acreage and wondered if my TC34 is large enough to do some light plowing etc. The fields have been tipped in the past and today have timothy grass, alfalpha planted. There has been corn within the last 10 years. We are looking to do some crops for sale. Not sure what yet but have even considered a strawberry and blueberry farm. We are in central NY just north of the PA border. I am mainly concered if it is large enough. I have an FEL and BH for it but know i need other plows etc. Any thoughts or input would be appreciated.

Depending on your soil conditons you should be able to pull at least a two bottom plow and a 6 foot disk.

 

[jimmysisson]

The crops you grow will determine the preparation and keep-up work you will do. That work will determine the tools you might need. The tools will determine what you need to operate the tools. Research crops first, tractor last (sad to say). Too often, it's more fun to think about the machine than the task.
For bush fruits, you'll not need a tractor as often, though certainly moving mulch and compost will give you time to think about a loader.
Jim

 

[jinman]

You mentioned possible crops, but not the total acreage. If you are talking 10 acres or less, then a crop that requires annual tillage would probably be okay. If more than 10 acres, I'd want a bigger tractor. If you plan on strawberries or blueberries, those don't require annual ground prep and planting, so your tractor would probably be okay even for more than 10 acres. You need to know how materials will be delivered and if your tractor is big enough to handle the palletized products. If you constantly have to break down pallet loads to be able to handle them, you'll tire of the TC34DA quickly. If below 1000-1100 lb or less, the TC34DA will work very well.

If you are considering corn, soybeans, or any grain crop, you'll need a different tractor for sure as well as many specialized pieces of equipment.

 

[MiserableOldFart]

If you want to grow blueberries in NY, buy LOTS and LOTS of bird netting ;-)

We have about a dozen bushes here, and they have spawned a legion of hungry birds to eat them. The turkeys don't bother them too much - they prefer raspberries. The bears seem to make a mess once in a while by breaking some branches, but the little birds get about 75% of the crop. Hate to stop them now, but I'm not selling berries.. Might just cover three or four this year so I can freeze a few quarts.