New pasture ground?

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southernultrablack

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I have some ground that is currently being row cropped, that I am turning to pasture ground. The ground is really flat ground but part of it stays wet for a good portion of the year. I have kicked around the idea of installing drainage tile (no experience doing this) have y'all ever tackled anything like this? Any suggestions on best way to go about it?

The wet ground is the lighter area between the two planted areas
 
Alot of my fields have tile I put in some had it already installed... It's not rocket science but you need the right equipment to make it go fast and smooth . I personally wouldn't go to the hassle/expense on leased property.
 
I'd talk with the NRCS and get their advice and they should even help you lay it out. Like Sky said, you need the right equipment. A ditching machine makes it simple but you need to be able to keep the grade as you ditch and lay the tile. I don't know how economical it would be on pasture though.
 
IF it has been dry enough all these years to be row cropped that it didn't pay to tile it for crop production, then
I have a hard to believing tiling it to turn it into pasture is a profitable move.
 
Son of Butch":2ommldf2 said:
IF it has been dry enough all these years to be row cropped that it didn't pay to tile it for crop production, then
I have a hard to believing tiling it to turn it into pasture is a profitable move.
It's always been wet, sometimes it gets planted late because of it. It's my land that I have been renting to a farmer, but now I'm getting ready to turn it to pasture. The whole property is about 30 acres, but It's only about 10acres +/- that is the problem and probably wasn't feasible for the farmer to tile it for that much ground, It may not be for me either? If not, what kind of grasses would y'all recommend for a wet area?
 
I know nothing of Alabam'... does grass grow down there? :)

Years ago we tiled virgin pasture ground to bring it into row crop production. I have thought about taking it back to
pasture, but hard for me to justify taking good land out of crop production for pasture.
I guess you could tile it now to turn it into pasture.
Then it would be ready to go back into row crop production as improved ground at a later date if you so choose
and still have a nicer pasture then you would otherwise have.
 
Jogeephus":149us6ze said:
I'd talk with the NRCS and get their advice and they should even help you lay it out. Like Sky said, you need the right equipment. A ditching machine makes it simple but you need to be able to keep the grade as you ditch and lay the tile. I don't know how economical it would be on pasture though.
May try to give the NRCS office a call next week! Thanks
 
ditching machines... nrcs..

by the time your done with that 10 acres you could buy another 10 ... hahahahahaha


just look for the lowest spots in the land.. throw a tile in with a little backhoe and that its.. 2' down is about standard around here.
 
If I'm not mistaken, you're supposed to go through NRCS or one of those gov't agencies to have a plan and permit to tile anything anymore. Maybe someone else on here would know more about it.
 
BFE":2gdjkh76 said:
If I'm not mistaken, you're supposed to go through NRCS or one of those gov't agencies to have a plan and permit to tile anything anymore. Maybe someone else on here would know more about it.
yes I know more about it.


no you don't need a permit to do something on your own property.


come on people.. this is exactly why they keep taking from us.
 
FSA likes u to fill out a 1026 form. I used to blow them off, but then decided to increase their utilization. ;-) Now I fill one out each year even though many of the projects are unlikely. They forward the form thru several offices and months later you get back a reply that is difficult to understand. I love it when a plan comes together!!!

Look into reed canary grass. It is a flood tolerant sod former.
 
Son of Butch":3t42etb0 said:
Years ago we tiled virgin pasture ground to bring it into row crop production. I have thought about taking it back to pasture, but hard for me to justify taking good land out of crop production for pasture.

I am not in the 300 bu corn country - - so the average producer currently loses less money per acre on pasture than he would on row crop. :nod:

The only way I can project a profit producing commodity grain is to build fertility/OM with cattle and then rotate into a crop. My bean ground tested no fertilizer required and I have the weeds to prove it. Our current high ground rotation is cover crop pasture/SB/under seeded oats/legume pasture.

I realize your banker may not like it, but the sustainable way to look at the economics is to apply annual credits when appropriate and then average out the entire rotation.
 
Stocker Steve":y90es342 said:
Son of Butch":y90es342 said:
Years ago we tiled virgin pasture ground to bring it into row crop production. I have thought about taking it back
to pasture, but hard for me to justify taking good land out of crop production for pasture.

the average producer loses less money per are on pasture than he would on row crop. :nod:
Unfortunately that sums up agriculture today... raise that which you lose the least money on.
:)
 
southernultrablack":196cmw18 said:
Son of Butch":196cmw18 said:
IF it has been dry enough all these years to be row cropped that it didn't pay to tile it for crop production, then
I have a hard to believing tiling it to turn it into pasture is a profitable move.
It's always been wet, sometimes it gets planted late because of it. It's my land that I have been renting to a farmer, but now I'm getting ready to turn it to pasture. The whole property is about 30 acres, but It's only about 10acres +/- that is the problem and probably wasn't feasible for the farmer to tile it for that much ground, It may not be for me either? If not, what kind of grasses would y'all recommend for a wet area?

I have a problem below my pools (ponds) with soggy ground. Fescue has been happy there. Don't know which I bought. Just went to the feed store and said I needed some Fescue seed. He ordered it, and I planted. I would broadcast it "thick" and light harrow over it with some balanced fertilizer with seeding, before the harrow. It's a clump grass and if you don't plant it thick the clumps will drive you nuts trying to drive over it with anything. Mine grows 10 months out of the year; July-Aug excepted in hot years; if wet, like this year, 24/7/365. Seeds out real well for future generations.
 
ddd75":y7ue9ef2 said:
BFE":y7ue9ef2 said:
If I'm not mistaken, you're supposed to go through NRCS or one of those gov't agencies to have a plan and permit to tile anything anymore. Maybe someone else on here would know more about it.
yes I know more about it.


no you don't need a permit to do something on your own property.


come on people.. this is exactly why they keep taking from us.
I don't mess with the government programs, that's just what I heard from people who do. They (gov't) don't just take it, people gladly just give it.
 
Son of Butch":1zsyjapt said:
Stocker Steve":1zsyjapt said:
Son of Butch":1zsyjapt said:
Years ago we tiled virgin pasture ground to bring it into row crop production. I have thought about taking it back
to pasture, but hard for me to justify taking good land out of crop production for pasture.

the average producer loses less money per are on pasture than he would on row crop. :nod:
Unfortunately that sums up agriculture today... raise that which you lose the least money on.
:)

When was that not the case? Grin. I always thought you farmed till you ran out of money then filed for bankruptcy.
 
Texasmark":3dq0m1a8 said:
Son of Butch":3dq0m1a8 said:
Stocker Steve":3dq0m1a8 said:
the average producer loses less money per are on pasture than he would on row crop. :nod:
Unfortunately that sums up agriculture today... raise that which you lose the least money on.
:)

When was that not the case? Grin. I always thought you farmed till you ran out of money then filed for bankruptcy.
1884-1900 the Bonanza wheat farms in the Red River Valley and Railroad shipping to flour mills in the Twin Cities.
 
There have been periods of general ag prosperity, but then long gaps in between...

Bonanza grain farms made good money till soil fertility and wheat prices both dropped. Once the wheat market was flooded - - they could not afford to pay wages and still compete with free family labor. So they subdivided, sold out, and let someone else to deal with the invasive weeds.

Not much has changed in 130 years.
 
Got a quote to put in a 4" drainage tile for 1.35 per foot. If I run a route similar to the one in the pic it will cost me about $2,000. I really need more than the one run, but it's a start!
 

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