Modern Times

[sjerden]

I've posted this once before, but its one of my favorites, so I'll post it again. This is a shot I took last year from my front yard of my next door neighbor laying plastic mulch and drip-line irrigation. It had just hailed last April and punched holes in his plastic. He had to rip it all up and re-lay it. Mennonites don't carry any insurance. He said it was $5,000 worth of plastic, but he also said he would have paid more than that in premiums over the years if he had crop insurance; laughing all the way to the bank.

 

[hunterridgefarm]

$5000.00 worth of plastic is a lot of plastic, (to lay with horses). A 4000' roll 48" wide cost between $125 - $143.00 per roll. How many acres does he plant?

 

[creekbend]

I agree that the price of the plastic mulch seems high. He must be planting many acres. The price also depends on the MIL of the plastic. The thicker and heavier - the more expensive it is.

 

[sjerden]

That's what I was told. You have to include the drip line in with that. He's farming 30 acres of an 80 acre track. How many feet would it take to cover an acre with plastic?

 

[dave1949]

An acre is 43,560 sq ft.

43,560 sq ft / 4 ft = 10,890 ft long (for a 48" wide roll)

At 4,000 ft per roll: 10,890 / 4,000 = 2.72 rolls per acre (for solid coverage)

30 acres would need: 30 acres x 2.72 rolls per acre = 81.6 rolls.

$5,000 / 81.6 rolls (rounded to 82 rolls) = $60.98 per roll.

 

[sjerden]

The rows are 4' apart, which would make it around 40 rolls per acre and $125 per roll. Thanks Dave

An acre is 43,560 sq ft.

43,560 sq ft / 4 ft = 10,890 ft long (for a 48" wide roll)

At 4,000 ft per roll: 10,890 / 4,000 = 2.72 rolls per acre (for solid coverage)

30 acres would need: 30 acres x 2.72 rolls per acre = 81.6 rolls.

$5,000 / 81.6 rolls (rounded to 82 rolls) = $60.98 per roll.

 

[dave1949]

The rows are 4' apart, which would make it around 40 rolls per acre and $125 per roll. Thanks Dave

You are welcome. It sounded like a lot, so it made me curious. I guess like many things, costs can add up quickly.

But taken on a per acre basis, ~40 rolls / 30 acres = 1.33 rolls per acre (about half of solid coverage, or 2.72/2 = 1.36 rolls per acre).

That would put his cost per acre for plastic at $166.25. (1.33 x $125). Put that way, it doesn't sound so bad, except for the backache.