Fertilizing for next year

[Hay Dude]

Each fall, we begin the long process of fertilizing fields with mushroom compost. I got underway Monday with this Customer’s field.
Some nice scenery and a little Clay & Buck on the radio and I’m good to go.

Here’s the Challenger making use of that 8’ high capacity bucket I just picked up.

Here’s the Massey 7495 hooked up to the Artex SB600 spreader. I usually use the Magnum 270, but its getting some work done. Its a little light for hilly work, so need to be careful going downhill. Things can get sideways in a hurry if you’re not careful

Returning to the pile with Massey & Artex. We are spreading 40 tri-axle loads, so it’s quite a process.

Loading another

Was treated to a nice East Penn Railroad train

By the end of the 2nd day, we reduced the 40 loads down to about 14

Getting pretty late. Last load with lights on. Quittin time.

 

[big bubba]

quite a material & equipment set up. looks like good source for organic material. what is the equivalent nitrogen, phosphorus & potassium rating? will you top dress w/more nitrogen in the spring? regards

 

[JethroB]

The farmer who leases my 20 acres next to my house recently asked if it was ok if they spread chicken litter this winter. Hmmm? I asked if he would plant some type of cover crop so I didn’t have the dust and cotton stalks in view for 5 months. Agreed .
Win-Win for us both.

 

[EddieWalker]

The funny thing about this site is how many things you never knew you wanted, all of a sudden become something that I have to have. I've discovered that I want a manure spreader!!!! Nothing as big as yours, but something to deal with what's around the hay ring, and eventually inside my barn when I build it and get my cows here. We're just now starting to build the manure pile, which will probably continue to grow for several years. It's just funny how this has become a thing for me all of a sudden.

 

[eagle628]

I'm always amazed by how much tongue weight solid manure spreaders carry compared to liquid tanks.

 

[Hay Dude]

quite a material & equipment set up. looks like good source for organic material. what is the equivalent nitrogen, phosphorus & potassium rating? will you top dress w/more nitrogen in the spring? regards

www.mushroomcompost.org

Click the “hayfields” tab and it will give you a lot of useful information

Probably no nitrogen in spring. I honestly don’t have much need for it anymore. Trying to steer clear of chemical nitrogen and herbicides altogether.

 

[dirttoys]

www.mushroomcompost.org

Click the “hayfields” tab and it will give you a lot of useful information

Probably no nitrogen in spring. I honestly don’t have much need for it anymore.

This is quite impressive, I was going to ask the same about nitrogen. With the price of fertilizer, glad you don't need it!! Sorry if I have missed the story in previous posts: How much land and inputs do you have in the production of the shrooms?

Best,

ed

 

[Hay Dude]

This is quite impressive, I was going to ask the same about nitrogen. With the price of fertilizer, glad you don't need it!! Sorry if I have missed the story in previous posts: How much land and inputs do you have in the production of the shrooms?

Best,

ed

I don’t produce mushrooms. I’m a hay grower.
I currently have about 400 acres in hay and some smaller pieces in other agriculture ventures.
My area is a very easy area to sell hay for 2 reasons
1. We have a lot of horse owners
2. We have the largest mushroom industry in the world.

I grow hay with the intention of making as much feed hay as possible as organically as possible. Not an easy task without using herbicides and chemical fertilizers.
A lot of my hay doesn’t meet my standards as horse hay, so I sell it off as cow hay. If it doesn’t meet those standards, it’s sold as mushroom hay.

 

[Hay Dude]

I'm always amazed by how much tongue weight solid manure spreaders carry compared to liquid tanks.

Tankers also run brakes, yet manure spreaders rarely do. Tankers on the road a lot more. My 2 bigger tractors have hydraulic and air brake hook ups. It would be nice to have brakes on steep hills.
Once the ass end starts sliding, it‘ll put a scare in ya. Brakes would stop the pushing.

 

[dirttoys]

I don’t produce mushrooms. I’m a hay grower.
I currently have about 400 acres in hay and some smaller pieces in other agriculture ventures.
My area is a very easy area to sell hay for 2 reasons
1. We have a lot of horse owners
2. We have the largest mushroom industry in the world.

I grow hay with the intention of manuermaking as much feed hay as possible as organically as possible. Not an easy task without using herbicides and chemical fertilizers.
A lot of my hay doesn’t meet my standards as horse hay, so I sell it off as cow hay. If it doesn’t meet those standards, it’s sold as mushroom hay.

All good, do you trade hay for the shrooms, or is there just a lot of "left overs" cheap? I only ask cause I would love to be able to top dress 30 or 40 acres of rocky clay with that. I had my fill of manure spreaders when I was a kid, but, spreading shrooms with cabbed tractor might not be so bad

Best,

ed

 

[big bubba]

www.mushroomcompost.org

Click the “hayfields” tab and it will give you a lot of useful information

Probably no nitrogen in spring. I honestly don’t have much need for it anymore. Trying to steer clear of chemical nitrogen and herbicides altogether.

that's a good thing

 

[ddbackhoe]

The funny thing about this site is how many things you never knew you wanted, all of a sudden become something that I have to have. I've discovered that I want a manure spreader!!!! Nothing as big as yours, but something to deal with what's around the hay ring, and eventually inside my barn when I build it and get my cows here. We're just now starting to build the manure pile, which will probably continue to grow for several years. It's just funny how this has become a thing for me all of a sudden.

Depemding on the end goal. if your going to go through the whole process of composting it down, keep an eye out for a topdresser too. More for residential lawn applications, but…..damn nice to have options sometimes.

Why You Should Use a Topdressing Machine | Benefits of Topdressing

Many people have heard of topdressing, but don't really know what it does. Click to learn about how using a TurfTime topdresser can help your lawn or field!

www.turftimeeq.com

 

[EddieWalker]

I never heard of a Topdresser. Looks too fancy for what I'm hoping to do. I like what you have a lot better, but for my needs, it will be a lot smaller. I'm nowhere near buying anything right now, I just want to figure out what I want and what I need to avoid. It's kind of interesting seeing the different brands and designs out there.

 

[Hay Dude]

Finished up at night again tonight. Short daylight sucks.

 

[big bubba]

Hay Dude: lots of haying, work, equipment & labor going on out your way.... how does it all break down, family hands at task as well? just curious & best regards

 

[Hay Dude]

Hay Dude: lots of haying, work, equipment & labor going on out your way.... how does it all break down, family hands at task as well? just curious & best regards

I’m going gangbusters full time-probably 60 hours/week.
My son is now in school nearby in Philly (was 150 miles away in Maryland).
He can now drive home when he can to help. Have other part time help.

Thanks.
How about you?

 

[big bubba]

sounds like you're fully engaged in your element. close to the same in my own way
all best in the tough climate & econ challenges for your endeavors. if i made my living at agri i'd starve... retirement has it's benefits. M series pre T4 as in our own case is icing on the cake as well

 

[sea2summit]

Each fall, we begin the long process of fertilizing fields with mushroom compost. I got underway Monday with this Customer’s field.
Some nice scenery and a little Clay & Buck on the radio and I’m good to go.

Here’s the Challenger making use of that 8’ high capacity bucket I just picked up.

View attachment 772732


Here’s the Massey 7495 hooked up to the Artex SB600 spreader. I usually use the Magnum 270, but its getting some work done. Its a little light for hilly work, so need to be careful going downhill. Things can get sideways in a hurry if you’re not careful

View attachment 772733



Returning to the pile with Massey & Artex. We are spreading 40 tri-axle loads, so it’s quite a process.

View attachment 772738



Loading another

View attachment 772737


Was treated to a nice East Penn Railroad train

View attachment 772739


By the end of the 2nd day, we reduced the 40 loads down to about 14

View attachment 772741

Getting pretty late. Last load with lights on. Quittin time.

View attachment 772740

No GPS?

 

[sea2summit]

I'm always amazed by how much tongue weight solid manure spreaders carry compared to liquid tanks.

I think a big part of that is the sloshing weight of liquid. Slamming on the breaks or going uphill with 1k tank half full can swing you 4k pounds one way or the other on tongue weight.

 

[Hay Dude]

All good, do you trade hay for the shrooms, or is there just a lot of "left overs" cheap? I only ask cause I would love to be able to top dress 30 or 40 acres of rocky clay with that. I had my fill of manure spreaders when I was a kid, but, spreading shrooms with cabbed tractor might not be so bad

Best,

ed

I sell them hay for $125/ton.
They give me all the mushroom compost I want.
Mushroom compost doesn’t have any mushrooms in it, its the soil they grow mushrooms in. Once it’s used to grow a crop of mushrooms, it’s “spent”, so they take it outside on conveyors and truck it to our fields.
Its a blend of hay, straw, screened topsoil, lime, horse manure and water.