Though not in the realm of Shakespeare, that is the question on the minds of many that attempt o farm in tough times. While others are looking into the possibilities of grassing down some acres, and others are renegotiating their lease arrangements to more fairly reflect the times, and their operating abilities, some are simply deciding if they can afford to plant a crop. This is not a pretty picture, and involves a lot of gut-wrenching decisions, especially when you have to consider a family and a way of life. But what's a decent law abiding steward of the soil to do? Is losing the family farm the real problem or is it the uncertainty over "what can I do" to earn a living for my family, at my age, with my education, training, or whatever.
These are all troubling thoughts that surface from time to time, and maybe they are simply a cyclical thing, or as some would believe, are the fault of Government not caring about the situation existing at a place they cannot see when they look out their windows.
Lets look at some basic facts. We have a large land base, with a small percentage (2%) of the population producing food for "the rest of us." This country has cheap food, when compared to others, and often seems removed from objectively reviewing the situation. The "central" part of the country is pressured on many fronts to keep the country together, assist other nations in relief efforts, keep a defense profile, deal with past experiences and promises, just to name a few.
Some, in the farming community say "raise the commodity prices" and we can earn a decent living. Many farmers have been investigating the production of non-traditional crops that have a demand in other parts of the world, and then get smacked in the face with high freight bill deductions. Fuel costs are rising, input cost of production are rising, and as happened in 1975, when the price of wheat and durum did rise, they saw the price of farm machinery rise 3 times over that year, and never did come back down, when the following year experienced a lowering of wheat prices.
This is a time for some "stubby pencil economics," when you get something to take scratch notes on and "get at it." Do we plant a garbanzo bean crop that has a huge potential to "save the family farm." Or do we do the opposite, let the place grow to weeds, then swath and burn the residue just before the R.M. bylaw enforcement officer assigns somebody else to do it and invoice the land taxes on your title? Either decision can be a shock and can have ramifications on your future. Enter now, the wonderful world of "what if", and see just what you are up against.
Swath & Burn |
Kabuli Chickpeas (Garbanzo beans) |
|
Costs per acre |
|
|
Fuel to swath 1.00 |
Fuel to seed 2.00 |
|
Matches 0.05 |
Inoculant 8.00 |
|
Swather repairs 1.00 |
Seed @ 0.50/lb 70.00 |
|
Seed treatment 2.00 |
|
|
Weed control 42.00 |
|
|
Combining 14.00 |
|
|
Trucking 2.00 |
|
|
Total operating 2.05 |
Total operating 140.00 |
|
Revenue 0.00 |
18Bu @0.25/lb 270.00 |
|
Profit -2.05 |
if no disease or frost 130.00 If disease -- less |
From the above tables, you may be better able to assess your own possibilities when it comes to planting a chickpea crop, but please remember that not all crops are completely successful every year. If seeding is delayed, there may be insufficient time to mature the crop, and markets may not exist for less than #1 product. What if a disease like (highly likely) Aschochyta hits? Do you have an alternate use market?
The secret of analyzing any crop production plan, is to figure out the contribution level of that crop, and then decide if it is an option for you on your farm.
Summerfallow, as an option should undergo the same analysis, to realistically determine what the costs are to you and your farm. It is widely calculated that summerfallow costs not only the pass across the field but in lost/gained moisture per pass. If it costs you 6 or 7 dollars per pass and you stand to lose ½ inch of moisture on each pass, can you afford to till? Remember that you have no revenue from the fallow year. Perhaps a treatment of Roundup Transorb makes much more sense to you from an economic point of view, let alone, the timing factor and effectiveness of the job.
Now, why don't we(you) try some other crops that you might plan to grow to compare?
Crop Analysis
|
Costs per Acre for Different Crops |
|||||
|
HRS Wheat |
2-row Barley |
Durum |
Flax |
Canola |
|
|
Fuel to seed |
2.00 |
2.00 |
2.00 |
2.00 |
2.00 |
|
Seed |
5.25 |
5.25 |
6.00 |
5.00 |
10.70 |
|
Seed Treatment |
2.00 |
2.00 |
2.00 |
2.00 |
3.25 |
|
Fertilizer |
17.75 |
17.75 |
17.75 |
17.75 |
21.80 |
|
Weed Control |
15.00 |
15.00 |
15.00 |
22.00 |
17.50 |
|
Swathing |
3.00 |
||||
|
Combining |
14.00 |
14.00 |
14.00 |
14.00 |
14.00 |
|
Trucking |
2.00 |
2.00 |
2.00 |
2.00 |
2.00 |
|
Total Operating |
58.00 |
58.00 |
58.75 |
64.75 |
74.25 |
|
Yield Est. Bu/Ac |
29 |
43 |
29 |
18 |
17 |
|
Price |
3.00 |
1.50 |
3.50 |
4.50 |
5.50 |
|
Revenue/Ac |
87.00 |
64.50 |
101.50 |
81.00 |
93.50 |
|
Profit? /Ac. |
29.00 |
6.50 |
42.75 |
16.25 |
19.25 |
Put your own figures into this type of figuring and see what you get. I have not put any cost of ownership, crop insurance, hail insurance, or labor, other than the cost of custom harvesting into the formulation, so you will get an entirely different set of good or bad news numbers .
So who is right? Maybe none of us are, but it is that chance of profit that motivates us to continue to crop our land every year. I am not saying that we always get a positive income figure, but if we have a variety of crops (good rotation) and watch the cost of our inputs, we stand a chance. Pride sometimes gets in the way of good sound management decisions, but we have seen some very substantial benefits of such practices as direct seeding, and thus we continue to promote it.
The rebuilding of soil carbon in our soils is an indicator that we are doing something right for our soil and hopefully our farms, and that too, has promise of good things to come in the farming game.
A few old "Rules-of-Thumb" and sayings are worth reconsidering from time to time, such as:
1.The most expensive weed control is none at all.
2.A dollar spent on timely weed control is worth four spent on fertilizer.
3.What emerges first on your field gets to survive best.
4.Knee marks are one of the most valuable things you have on your soil.
5.Marrying a nurse or a teacher can be a smart move for a farmer.
6.Things that can go wrong on a farm, usually do.
7.Interchangeable parts don't always.
8.Weather is always a factor.
9.Take care of your dirt; they quit making it.
10.All of us are born for a reason, but some don't discover why. Success in life has nothing to do with what you gain in life or accomplish for yourself. It's what you do for others.