Tractor News What is driving up the demand for tractors?

[Hay Dude]

For me it was, 430/ton for fertilizer last year, today I was told 620/ton. Last 2 years have seen significant increases and has me second guessing alternatives. Fertilizer rep is thinking they may out of work shortly due to lack of demand.

Well one alternative you might be able to get cheap is mushroom soil. Depends on what part of MD you are in. Im Right nearby so luckily, I get free fertilizer. You‘d need to be close to PA to get it cheaper

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

We are likely holding off on a tractor and pole barn build at this juncture, as our investments have lost 10% or more in the past few weeks. A weak economy, plus inflation, isn’t making likely those will recover soon. The idea was to use $120k cash from those to fund the improvements... but selling those now accepts a $12k loss. We could finance to avoid some opportunity cost, but as a rule we typically don’t borrow for anything. Still on the fence.

Your investments have gained probably well over fifty percent over the past twelve or thirteen years. It’s nonsense to look at a four week period and start fretting and wringing your hands.

Markets go up, and they correct and go down. Look at stock charts over the past fifty years. If you can’t deal with that fact from an emotional standpoint, you should probably stick with safer investments and stay out of the markets.

No risk, no reward, though.

During the last administration, they earned 25-40% per year... each year. Yes. I’m not looking at only the past few weeks, and I’ve been through a couple corrections... it just doesn’t seem like good fiscal policy to sell $120k of investments at a 10% loss at this point, when as you said, markets go up and they go down... I’ll probably wait until they recover at some point. We should have done so last year, but we were more optimistic than we should have been about how this “recovery” would be handled. My guess is after midterms, we will see positive changes with sentiment.

Who said I was fretting? I’m looking at what that $12k loss could buy, if I’m a little patient.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

For me it was, 430/ton for fertilizer last year, today I was told 620/ton. Last 2 years have seen significant increases and has me second guessing alternatives. Fertilizer rep is thinking they may out of work shortly due to lack of demand.

We were quoted $960/ton for urea. Cow **** it is!

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

We were quoted $960/ton for urea. Cow **** it is!

Yes, manure from the chickens, cows and goats all composted with other items (straw, leaves, alfalfa meal). Crop rotation and cover crops to enrich the soil. Funny how old is new again. It is a lot more labor intensive though.
But I eat what I grow and I know the content of my food.
Also add organic dairy manure from a neighbors property.

 

[ddbackhoe]

Well one alternative you might be able to get cheap is mushroom soil. Depends on what part of MD you are in. Im Right nearby so luckily, I get free fertilizer. You‘d need to be close to PA to get it cheaper

Near the US 301 bridge. One of the guys I know hauls wheat straw up, mushroom dirt back. Last time we chatted, he got $350 for a back haul load. I’m leaning towards a medium scale compost recycling operation but haven’t gotten any decent feed back on hauling in. Last time we tried hauling in manure their containers had trash mixed in (old posts, poles, mcD bags)

 

[Hay Dude]

Near the US 301 bridge. One of the guys I know hauls wheat straw up, mushroom dirt back. Last time we chatted, he got $350 for a back haul load. I’m leaning towards a medium scale compost recycling operation but haven’t gotten any decent feed back on hauling in. Last time we tried hauling in manure their containers had trash mixed in (old posts, poles, mcD bags)

Can you and some neighbor farmers go in on an old bulk high sided tri or a 50’ trailer and haul loads like a co-op?
Guarantee ya it’s cheaper than chemical.
The Lime helps, too.

 

[ddbackhoe]

Can you and some neighbor farmers go in on an old bulk high sided tri or a 50’ trailer and haul loads like a co-op?
Guarantee ya it’s cheaper than chemical.
The Lime helps, too.

Tag, title and insurance are what make that a pain. you can road tag and insure through another state and fedex stuff back and forth, DOT and fuel stamps are another small problem. Not sure it would be worth the aggravation for a few trips. Of course, I have found end dumps can be had cheaper than homeowner 16-20 footers.
Class B biosolids can be had kinda cheap (~23/yd delivered) and that has some lime added. Class A (sludge) has about 2 x as much lime and that is usually available for free but on their schedule.

 

[ovrszd]

For me it was, 430/ton for fertilizer last year, today I was told 620/ton. Last 2 years have seen significant increases and has me second guessing alternatives. Fertilizer rep is thinking they may out of work shortly due to lack of demand.

Almost all Anhydrous was put on in October and November here. Same with dry phosphate and potash. Trying to beat the price increases that have came since then.

It's a tough position to be in. Do I go all in and put on the needed fertilizers and chemicals? Or,,, do I skimp and put on only what is absolutely necessary?

As my large farmer friend says, "You can't grow a profitable yield if you don't feed it".

 

[ovrszd]

Yes, manure from the chickens, cows and goats all composted with other items (straw, leaves, alfalfa meal). Crop rotation and cover crops to enrich the soil. Funny how old is new again. It is a lot more labor intensive though.
But I eat what I grow and I know the content of my food.
Also add organic dairy manure from a neighbors property.

So how many people can you feed?

 

[sea2summit]

For me it was, 430/ton for fertilizer last year, today I was told 620/ton. Last 2 years have seen significant increases and has me second guessing alternatives. Fertilizer rep is thinking they may out of work shortly due to lack of demand.

N went from $500/ton to $900 here. Chicken litter was nearly free four years ago, now it’s almost $500/ton if you can even find any.