What crop to Grow...

I am buying a property next door to me and I am thinking about what to do with it.

I grow a couple acres of sweet corn for family, friends and a few customers. I also grow about an acre of pumpkins for a pumpkin patch and hayride that I host in the fall. I give pumpkins to coworkers and also to friends and neighbors.

I am purchasing the place next door that is 26 acres - 20 of which is tillable. I am trying to make something work as far as crops that might help make the place pay for itself.

As far as the land, I see 3 options.

1) Cash rent the land to a local farmer. From what I understand, I could get $180-200/acre which would make about 1/2 of the mortgage payment.

2) Raise hay myself. I like growing things and I have been pretty good at it in the past. I am thinking about planting alfalfa, buying a mower, tedder, rake and baler and going to town. I know there will be a learning curve and I will probably screw some things up at first, but I think I could make it work in the long run.

3) I could try and raise more sweet corn and maybe pumpkins. I have been raising sweet corn for the last 3 years and have a spot at the local farmers market. I also have a local Lions Club that has ordered 1200 dozen. If I could get some more accounts like that, I would be in better shape.

Growing stuff has always been enjoyable for me, and I love my time in the field. That having been said, I have a full time job and I can't spend 40 hours/week in the field.

Finally, what is the best way to market this stuff? It seems like I can grow it, but selling it has been the real challenge.

Thanks ahead of time for your insight.

-Matt

3 acres of corn for a corn maize, another 1/2 acre of
pumpkins, and the rest rented out or hay?

Paul

Every option you give is doable. It's just a matter of
what you want to do. If you buy all the hay
equipment up front, quality stuff is gonna cost you.
Could slowly work into it if you have neighbors that
will do custom work for you. Could learn on the job
per say and slowly build your equipment up.
Craigslist is a great place to advertise for any
produce in my area. Seems the buy local bug is
really taking off.

I'd opt to cash rent it the first year or so. Why grow "more" pumpkins just to give away? That's not too profitable. Since you're limited on time, the extra sweet corn harvesting sounds like it would be challenging. Buying all that equipment for hay will get expensive....and alfalfa isn't exactly a "one cut one time deal". You'll be harvesting hay all summer long....pretty much on a 30 day schedule. You didn't mention "storage" for hay either. ?? In this point in time you're "approaching" too late to plant the alfalfa...unless the ground is already worked and ready. Personally, I like the alfalfa thought. But take your time and gather your equipment and get your customers lined up. That all takes time. In the meantime, cash rent it.

No dog in the fight, but I'd vote to rent property out. You could use the proceeds to start accumulating equipment for an alfalfa operation. More corn would mean a lot more work after a day on the job.

Larry

I agree with the cash rent for the next few years.

I am not going to jump into $25,000 worth of hay equipment this year. I would start smaller with the equipment and probably have the hay custom bailed for the first few years. I have a good relationship with a local custom baler.

The pumpkins would definitely not be given away. I have made contact with a few local pumpkin patches that haul in some pumpkins. That would be in addition to sweet corn.

Finally, the standing order for sweet corn I have is in the field. They have to pick it. I like that I don't have to pick it and they like the price. They are getting it for $1.50/dozen and turning around and selling it for $4.00.

Cash rent 15 acres and bale the other 5 yourself. Then you can "farm" some and try your hand at baling. If you like it then you can bale more of it, if you don't then nothing lost as you can always re-sell the hay equipment. The best thing if you already have a tractor is to buy a hay bine and a rake. Maybe a car trailer or a hay wagon if you don't already own one. Hire a neighbor or friend with a baler to just bale only, give him a 1/4. What fun is owning the ground if you don't get to farm it a little? You won't get rich but the experience is worth as much and it could open a door into more serious hay farming in the future. If you decide to do it just make sure you have your ducks in a row with someone that has a baler before the Summer comes. Soybeans are also easier than most people think. Get an old 4 row planter, 10' disk, 2 gravity wagons. Rent 10 acres to a local farmer, for him to plant corn, you do the other 10 in beans, next year flip flop the 10 acres, he'll once again plant corn on ground that was your beans and you follow his corn. Plant roundup ready beans and hire the spraying done by the local fertilizer dealer/farm service. Choose the right tenant farmer who would be willing to custom combine your beans for you, you pay him of course, you use your grain wagons and haul it to town. Not much time invested and not a whole lot of financial risk on 10 acres of beans.

26 acres of good grass and winter cover crops ought to support 12 cows and a bull year round and your soil fertility stays home, you can feed your sweet corn fodder and left over pumpkins and sell 12 calves a year.