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| Wow tough crowd here.
One of the main reasons for not giving one's life story with their first post is that it tends to bias the folks answering the question. I am certain that if I put my entire long rambling (boring) story out there I would have gotten far fewer constructive replies. To those that answered the question - thank you. I value your input.
Please do not assume that I haven't considered a straight land rental, crop share, or custom farming arrangement. I have, and I may go that route instead. Please don't also assume I haven't researched this question already before coming here. I am the type of person that is smart enough to know what I dont know and seek knowledge from those that do. One of the main reasons for my question is that most of the area farmers I've talked with are not overly interested in running their equipment on small acreage like mine and rental rates are lower than crop yields should demand.
As far as the land goes... It is decent cropland despite being patchy (multiple smaller fields). It is in a flat somewhat low lying although not flood prone area. Yields for beans are typically 35-40 bu/ac in the center of the fields. With the wood edges in place there is a fair amount of loss to wildlife and simply overshading and competition for nutrients from the trees and shrubs.
So a little background if you must know. I do not have much experience is this realm (I said I was a newbie, right?) other than growing plots for wildlife using an ATV, sprayer, and seeder. In fact, that experience has really led me to consider doing the planting of my tillable acres on a larger scale. From what I can tell, this business is really about labor and management. Value is not derived from inputs alone, since anyone can buy seed and fertilizer. That is why if I go the route of purchasing my own equipment I would focus on field work and planting as that is labor intensive. As I mentioned it would not make sense to invest in spraying and harvesting equipment on such small scale - I certainly have connections in the immediate area to make that happen.
I work in a completely nonrelated field and make a decent living, so this is really not a main source of income for me. Time spent in the woods, on the ATV, or on the seat of a tractor has a lot of value to me. The potential for a better return than a simple lease is also a consideration. I am trying to get as much value out of this piece of land as possible. The forested areas are managed for timber, the tillable acreage will be in row crops, and I have an orchard started.
Edited by waitforit 6/12/2011 16:12
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How much tractor do I need?
