Hay Acres ?

[Stocker Steve]

The USDA could not find enough corn and bean acres in the latest survey, which killed the beef rally. Rumor is we are going to plant a couple million acres of pot... I also expect hay acres will be going down this spring. Are you seeing any signs of this?

 

[Dave]

Here the dirt farmers do a potato, wheat, alfalfa rotation. If hay got to be cheap and potatoes high they will plow down the hay to plant more potatoes. But that didn't happen this last year. So I don't see the hay getting plowed down. I see 2 years of potatoes, 1 year of wheat, and 4 years of alfalfa.
All the pot farms are small acreage operations. About 10 acres at the most. They are required to build tall fences with visual barrier. If you mean hemp...... some have made money but more have gone backwards doing that.

 

[4hfarms]

I could see those that lost fields of onions or potatoes to try something different this year. Food also goes up when there isn't enough of it.

 

[ClinchValley86]

Where are these pot acres going to be? Sure with they'd do a federal decriminalization thing. Hemp has been bust here except for a few maybe. But the real deal would be a hit.

 

[SBMF 2015]

I think the good long term cattle people look at the markets and still stay true to plan. We planned last fall to put in 30 acres of oats and alfalfa. We've got 20 in,10 to go.

A long time ago a neighbor told me;
Ranchers raise cattle, hay, and maybe wheat.
Farmers raise livestock, hay, and harvestable crops.
Tractor Jockeys raise corn, and soy beans.

 

[Stocker Steve]

I think the good long term cattle people look at the markets and still stay true to plan.

But what if you have more than one plan?

Started out as a seasonal sell buy guy. This was very educational.

Then I followed a plan to upgrade the mined out dirt I later bought - - using a lot of bought in hay and some annual mixes. Could use some more OM, but P, ph, & K are "VH" now.

Working on plan C or D. Considering an alfalfa based rotation on the hills and permanent sod on the rest. Sod pays if you can sell a little seedstock in the mix.

 

[littletom]

We put a bean field back into grass that rolls pretty big should of never been out of grass. 10 acres i put in orchard grass to sell as horse hay in small squares. Another 12 is fescue for round roll cow hay. My dad bought a ajoining 40 acres we put back in grass from beans that will be pasture next year. Pretty sure we are only ones around here puttng grass back. Almost always other way around.

 

[AZAggie]

I could see that. In my area, acreage is being gobbled up and grow houses are being built all over the place. Makes me sick. I haven't quite figured out why they need 160+ acres yet when it appears they will be growing inside. They are all building big barns. If they do grow outside, the pot heads will have a field day.

 

[Richnm]

The USDA could not find enough corn and bean acres in the latest survey, which killed the beef rally. Rumor is we are going to plant a couple million acres of pot... I also expect hay acres will be going down this spring. Are you seeing any signs of this?

NM and Arizona are in a severe drought. Count the SW out.

 

[Big8.1]

Not much hay acres left here. Most only keeping what then need for themselves and everything else being planted to corn. Also loosing alot of acres to solar panel farms now.

 

[moses388]

Per the USDA -
corn acres planted for 2021: 91,144,000
corn acres planted in 2020: 90,819,000

soybeans acres planted for 2021: 87,600,000
soybeans acres planted for 2020: 83,084,000

There appears to be more corn and bean acres than last year. Must have been a rumor started by the fake meat companies. I agree there are more solar panels. And hunters are buying pastures. And the urban exodus is leading to more acreages and new home construction. Derecho victims still making repairs. Lumber now costs 4x more than last year.

littletom and Stocker Steve - I admire you for seeding hay, while tractor jockeys think it's okay to plant corn up and down the hill contour.

 

[LocustDaleCattleCompany]

We have a two year plan to put about 150 acres back to grass/pollinators/NWSG on our property. Highly erodible land or marginally stuff that never should have been put into cultivation by lease farmers. That's what happened when corn hit almost $8 years ago.

 

[Big8.1]

Iv never farmed any other crop besides hay. I really enjoy my summers in the hay field, its my idea of a perfect vacation actually. I think I even appreciate it more since my dad passed away. Hoping my son will be interested in it when he gets older

 

[Atimm693]

Iv never farmed any other crop besides hay. I really enjoy my summers in the hay field, its my idea of a perfect vacation actually. I think I even appreciate it more since my dad passed away. Hoping my son will be interested in it when he gets older

It's fun until the baler won't tie or the haybine flies apart.

When everything is working right, sure is rewarding, when you get one of "those" days, would be better off to just piss on it and go fishing.

 

[Stocker Steve]

We have a two year plan to put about 150 acres back to grass/pollinators/NWSG on our property. Highly erodible land or marginally stuff that never should have been put into cultivation by lease farmers. That's what happened when corn hit almost $8 years ago.

Corn will hit $8 this summer if it gets drier.

Ran some new numbers on grass cattle. It does not look great after feeder prices dropped during April.

 

[SBMF 2015]

Corn will hit $8 this summer if it gets drier.

That's kind of scary optimism. $8 corn in 2021 looks good on paper, until you get ready to buy inputs for 2022. High corn prices will slow ethanol production, curb demand for feeder cattle, and raise prices in the grocery store.
I'm all for making money, but when prices get this far out of whack it always comes back to bite us.

Around here bred cow prices have skyrocketed. Guys have extra cash from selling grain. Those cows still have to eat more than corn stalks in the winter to survive. By-products won't be a viable option. God forbid we feed $8 corn to stock cows. Silage will cost more. And feeder cattle won't be worth Sh!t.

I like $3.50-$4 corn a whole lot more. I can make a little money on the corn and a little money on the cattle at those prices.