|
Little River, TX | I am the only alfalfa grower as a cash crop for 40 miles in any direction.
It may not be too bad as the small dairy goat owners have out grown their interest. Their children are now grown or they are now drawing social security.
I expect I will have to build a clientele for alfalfa again, in another year, but that is normal.
I have contacted my neighbor and he will plant RR corn on much of my alfalfa ground, and I will bring back alfalfa one field at a time. I figure the RR corn will help clean the weeds as a bonus. When I have 4 fields it will be time to start my alfalfa following alfalfa rotation, and get away from row crop distractions. My plan is to have 4 fields in alfalfa and one field fallow each year. I had been going 6 to 10 years in alfalfa but demand for alfalfa has gone down and for grass hay has gone up.
I was in the process of converting alfalfa ground to bermudagrass so it was not like I had 9 fields in alfalfa to drown out. The break even for grass hay is close to $1/bale more than. I do produce more bales of grass hay/A than alfalfa so the grass makes more $ per acre.
For those familiar with Tifton 85, I have some of that going in to ground that previously had been in alfalfa.
I look at this as an opportunity. Lemonade anyone?
| |
|
No alfalfa hay in 2008 for this fellow.
