I have a friend who has about 160 acres of tillable land. It's in CRP now but he has it in his mind that he's going to make a killing raising corn. The soil is pretty sandy and was last plowed more than 30 years ago. Now he has no equipment, none, NADA, zip.... zero.....he's thinking that he can buy an old AC WD45, plow, disk, planter and cultivator, make 200 BPA and be in the clover. He figures that it will cost him about 150 an acre to plant. His plan includes hiring someone to combine it. He has no storage and no means of hauling it anywhere. He figures that becasue the land has been idle so long he will not need to put in any fertlizer. This is in west central MN. Just how sandy, he has another 40 acres that's so bad that if it's tilled and dry it drifts a little. The 160 acre chunk is a bit better than that but not much.
What do you guys think? No wrong anserws here, I know he's going to ask me again soon and I'd like to be able to give him better info than I have. If I ask any of the local farmers here I know they are all going to be over there trying to rent the land.
The last time I know of any fertlizer being applied to that land was in the early 80's and the last time it had anything like manure was in the early 60's.
Thanks
Rick
What do you guys think? No wrong anserws here, I know he's going to ask me again soon and I'd like to be able to give him better info than I have. If I ask any of the local farmers here I know they are all going to be over there trying to rent the land.
The last time I know of any fertlizer being applied to that land was in the early 80's and the last time it had anything like manure was in the early 60's.
Thanks
Rick