Suggestions on what to plant?

[City Farmer]

Hi all.
My neighbor has been planting my property for the last couple years. He is a great guy but I am finally ready to take it on myself. I was getting $485/yr to plant 35 tillable acres and he takes about 400-500 square bales off the rest in 2-3 cuttings.

My total acreage is 50 with 40 tillable. I already have tractors, disc, plow, rock picker and do not mind spending some money on a planter or hay equipment. Theres no way I will retire off this operation but I would like to break even or put a few bucks in my pocket. I have a son and a few nephews (13-15yrs old) that need to be worked something terrible.

I was thinking hay but I have no idea where I would put it all or plant it myself and have someone combine it for me. I have an old 25ftx40ft with 10ft ceilings I could put some hay but not all of it.

I am not sure which direction I should go so any input would be greatly appreciated.


Thanks,
Andy

 

[MossRoad]

Do you need hay for any reason? If so, then storage concerns are pretty valid. If no, sell it ASAP. If you bail it yourself, you're going to have to coordinate with a buyer(s) to pick it up or you'll have to store it. If you have someone else bail it, and you take half, they'll take theirs and you'll still have to deal with storing yours. If you have someone else bail it and sell/use it, they take it all right then, you get paid, and you don't have to store it. I see lots of people leaving round bales out along field edges, so maybe you don't have to store it inside at all. As long as you sell it before it starts to decay (I have no idea about how long that stuff stores like that).

 

[RNeumann]

I’m not sure buying and fighting with bailing equipment is worth it....especially to start. Get the hang of planting and growing without the big investment of bailing. You can always upgrade LATER if you like it and it pencils.
As noted above, you will need to figure out who you are selling to.

 

[Shaneard]

With only 35 tillable acres it will be a long time before you see any kind of profit off whatever you plant. Seed, fertilizer and fuel add up quick, not to mention equipment and time. If you want to get into baling and make any profit that will be a while too. I agree with having someone else bale it on halves if you can find someone to do that.

 

[MossRoad]

AS for crops other than hay....

Christmas Trees
U-Pick vegetables, fruits
U-pick flowers
Heather
Contract sweet corn with a local grocery chain
Sell sweet corn from a stand
On that note, there's a guy near us that sells sweet corn. He does about 20 acres. He also does tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, etc... his stand is packed on weekends.
There's plenty of ways to make money off of 35 acres.

 

[City Farmer]

Thanks for all the suggestions.

No use for the hay yet but there’s a chance I’ll need some eventually.
I was talking to the another guy up the road. He’s $35 per acre to combine and haul to the granary.

If I planted corn next year.
Here’s some Really Rough estimates to plant 35 acres.
Please let me know if I’m missing something.

$4320 for Seed at $120 per acre
$2340 for Fertilizer is $65 per acre
$1260 for Custom Combine is $35 per acre
Fuel. $125.

Plant 3 acres an hour. 12 hours to plant 35 acres.
Tractor uses fuel at 3.5 gallons per hour so that’s 45 gallons.

$8045 to plant 36 acres so let’s call it $9000.
My break even is about 63 bushels per acre at $4 corn.

I think I might try it.

 

[RNeumann]

$3/bushel
100 bushels an acre

That’s $300 acre
$10,500 for your 35 acres

You are definitely in the “hobby” pay scale! Not that that’s bad....Just not a money maker.

 

[boomer1025]

You forgot spraying, so if you don't have a sprayer then you'll have to hire it done. Does your fertilizer cost include top dressing after the corn is up. Does the ground need lime ?
Maybe look at planting soy beans.

 

[City Farmer]

Looking at those numbers and the extra money I’ll have to spend. I hate to say it but it’s almost a waste of time for me to think of row cropping.

MossRoad hit the nail on the head. I’ll have to get creative and mix it up. I planted 50 fruit trees last year on an old horse paddock. The deer pounded the Honeycrisp apples but everything else is doing great. Some of the Red Haven peach went from 3/4 inch at the base to 2-1/2 inches today.

 

[RNeumann]

I’d agree! If money is the goal I think you would do better investing the up front costs and being a greeter at WalMart.