Cost per acre estimation

[DRG3]

I am considering taking the portion of my land that is leased in row crop production out of that so that my family and I can work our land and build wildlife habitat the way we want to and have the joy of working the land.

IT's not strictly a financial descision, but I am trying to run some estimates- can anyone give me a rough number of how many dollars per acre to expect to spend to plant corn and beans?
These would only be a small part of my new layout, but still a part of it, however I have costs for NWSG and traditional food plots- but no clue on the corn and beans.

Any help is much appreciated. Thank you!

 

[FarmerDan]

You can spend any amount of money you want...and get what you pay for. Here's a "big boy" budget for 2024.

 

[bigboreblr]

Corn is around 100 lbs of nitrogen per acre, it may be more. Food plotter general rule of thumb is about 300lbs of triple 15 an acre. Do you need to purchase equipment?

From what limited I have seen between your own land and renting it out to someone else. I like when you take a strip of a large field. Like 30 yards of the field edge to the woods kind of thing..

Alot of modern AG is roundup ready. So, your neighboring habitat seed should be roundup ready too.

You could avoid some work and ask the farmer to leave a portion for habitat, or charge him less to put in soil building winter crops. Maybe even help out terminating the crops for him before he plants for the next years of beans / corn.

 

[Brokenbear]

You do not say what kind/size equipment you now have which is a big factor in the decision you are trying to make ..you also do not say how many acres ..
Nor do you say what kind of farmer you are presently renting to ..there are farmers and there are good farmers ..walking away from a good farmer is a really big decision !
If you do walk away ..how you walk away is important for if you get a bad rep as a land owner you will have a hard time getting a good farmer to work with you should you wish to return to renting
Keep in mind good farmers base equipment acquisition on acres he can amortize the equipment costs across so if unexpected or unplanned acreage loss occurs it makes it tuff ..
Think of a plan that BOTH you and the farmer can live with ...look at the tables above and figure out what he pays in rent to you would allow set aside in unharvested acres for example
or
Not knocking your hopes to play in the dirt as I know I certainly do love playing in the dirt HOWEVER ..
Why would you consider staying with mono crops (maybe you weren't) when the "Buffalo system" / Grant Woods/ green 24/7/365 solves every issue we face of erosion, soil building, weed control, no fertilizer, no chemicals, year round wildlife food and habitat , minimal equipment and cheap as compared to corn/bean mono system seed costs

Understand I am likely only voicing things you have likely already thought of but thinking outside the box is all I'm suggesting as I am sure you will !

Have a safe hunting season everyone

Bear

 

[buckdeer1]

You don't have to take it all out and before I did I would find out the difference in ag taxes and non ag taxes.We farm 95% of our farm ground and leave the rest

 

[DRG3]

Thanks to all for the fantastic replies.
Apologies for leaving out some of the details as I didn’t want to be a bother- but I’ll attempt to fill in some of the gaps and address some of the questions-
I’m talking about 25 acres that is current rented for row crop production. The reason im considering doing it is that I’ve recently sold my 2 hunting farms after moving away from them, so I’m looking to do on my home farm what I had done on the others- which Is manage strictly for wildlife. And be able to do the work myself.

Because I had the other farms lm fairly well equipped in both tractors and implements for tillage, lime and fertilizer spraying and planting - I don’t have a grain drill but I’m not factoring the cost of that into my question in this case as I’m looking at options. But other than a grain planter I won’t need to buy anything

I took out 5 of the 25 acres this past year on the edges only to plant NWSG. Being such a small tract if I take out more- I don’t think it would be worth his time to move in equipment, or else I think the alternative arrangements may be interesting

This is the first time I have ever rented crop ground and it was in rent when we purchased it so I don’t know about the good or bad part. He’s a good guy and we get along well. I get paid on the low end locally but he’s easy going and I am too so the rent is no biggie.
I appreciate the context for what impact losing the ground may have on him. I was assuming since it’s small and the yields typically are only average for no till that it wouldn’t be a problem- but I’ll take a different approach and ask him how it would land.

Also great point on the taxes. I’ll have to find that out.

Thanks again to all and please let me know if I can add any more info that would help

 

[b116757]

If there is little to no other row crop close by it maybe best to leave the current arrangement be. If you’re surrounded by row crop then something different maybe what brings the deer to your place.

 

[356]

Having control of the property is important. As opening weekend approaches, the farmer we lease to is harvesting the corn, which some neighboring hunters will celebrate and others lament. For the next five days the farmer will have his pickup, combine, tractor, field grain trailer, semi with highway grain trailer and side-by-side on the property harvesting our field and the adjacent landowners field.

Like you, I don’t get top dollar, but I am working with a local farmer who is a “one man” operation and works hard to make a living. The $100-150/acre covers our taxes and pays for habitat work on the non-tillable portions of our property, but not much more.

While having other row crops near you is one of the factors to consider, a good fall blend that is part of an overall strategy for wind/access/cover could be a far more powerful attractant. If you chose corn, you will still need to practice rotation practices and can expect input costs of $200/acre (seed/fertilizer/fuel) for “food plot” quality plantings.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

Great topic and one I’m seriously considering but on 60 acres of tillable. The rent pays the taxes. It’s nice but I think in the big picture of why I have the property it’s not that important to me. The part I fear is if I take that amount of land out of tillable does the land value take a big hit. I would plan on managing it like native does, in a prairie/early succession habitat with about 10 acres of it being put into alfalfa for the deer. I know my hunting would actually improve. I have row crop all around me so it wouldnt impact the quality of deer by any stretch. My access is so bad because of the way the crop fields lay. Additionally the erosion with the corn this year was horrible. Washed out my roads and took away topsoil which eats at me. Also he decided he wasn’t going to plant wheat after corn so now I don’t have the benefit. In my world of managing for wildlife I don’t think the juice is worth the squeeze on my place.

 

[DRG3]

update- I called my local PVA office and spoke to the commissioner. I was told that the change I am thinking about would not impact the "farm" tax discount as it's still farm land. Row cropping or commercial practices are not required where I am for that classification.
I'm not speaking to anywhere else as I certainly dont know but wanted to share. I found the PVA office very helpful if anyone finds themselves in a similar situation.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

Just a thought, but since the renter is already planting in corn, and you were thinking about planting in corn, why not let him do the work? The deer wont care if he plants it for profit, or you plant it for wildlife? If you want it to be there later into winter, maybe ask him if he would pick it last, or even wait until spring, and just give him a big discount for doing the work, and losing some of it to wildlife?

 

[DRG3]

Just a thought, but since the renter is already planting in corn, and you were thinking about planting in corn, why not let him do the work? The deer wont care if he plants it for profit, or you plant it for wildlife? If you want it to be there later into winter, maybe ask him if he would pick it last, or even wait until spring, and just give him a big discount for doing the work, and losing some of it to wildlife?

Makes sense, but I want my kids and I to be able to do the work is the main thing. We just enjoy being out working the land.
Also- I think if i decrease the acreage since it's only 20 acres now, it wont be worth the trouble for the farmer to move in the equipment. He's in the area but not doing any directly adjacent fields. I'm open to this if the farmer is, but realistically- It's going to be a max of 5-10 acres in corn/beans, and the other in the traditional food plot crops or natives.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

Great topic and one I’m seriously considering but on 60 acres of tillable. The rent pays the taxes. It’s nice but I think in the big picture of why I have the property it’s not that important to me. The part I fear is if I take that amount of land out of tillable does the land value take a big hit. I would plan on managing it like native does, in a prairie/early succession habitat with about 10 acres of it being put into alfalfa for the deer. I know my hunting would actually improve. I have row crop all around me so it wouldnt impact the quality of deer by any stretch. My access is so bad because of the way the crop fields lay. Additionally the erosion with the corn this year was horrible. Washed out my roads and took away topsoil which eats at me. Also he decided he wasn’t going to plant wheat after corn so now I don’t have the benefit. In my world of managing for wildlife I don’t think the juice is worth the squeeze on my place.

I wouldn't think it would take too big of a property value hit as long as it is left easy to convert to tillable again? If you can get some kind of CRP that fits the habitat goals that might help too?

good ground in prairie isn't the same as prairie/pasture/hay that is that way because it's not good enough to justify row cropping..

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

I wouldn't think it would take too big of a property value hit as long as it is left easy to convert to tillable again? If you can get some kind of CRP that fits the habitat goals that might help too?

good ground in prairie isn't the same as prairie/pasture/hay that is that way because it's not good enough to justify row cropping..

Yeah and that would be my plan. Not let it slip away to where the woody encroachment would be an undertaking to set back.
As far as crp it definitely makes senses for some situations. I have some buddies that do and they make more than I do per acre row cropping. I just personally can’t tie my land up in a government program that restricts my rights.

 

[bigboreblr]

A nice plus when theres soybeans. Often the lowest bean is below the cutter head. Happens often when harvssting is on the muddy side. Could ask to cut hjgh around edges.