Help me understand....

[BJE80]

OK after adding up everything I paid from the local coop in seed and paying their "breaking bag" charges I've found that I paid probably nearly double for my seed than if I would of just purchased some BOB seed. Now, I admit I only plant 0.5 acre total and one plot is brassicas and one plot is cereal of the LC mix.
So I decided to look at Whitetail institute seed for next year. Now, here is my problem. I picked up their "bowstand" mix and it has 5-10% rye grass in it. Now I understand why seed companies put it in there. It looks nice to the average plotter. But I thought WI was supposed to be a premium seed company? Am I overreacting to having rye grass in the mix I may purchase next year? Or is there actually a reason they put it in there that is beneficial?


Help me understand.

 

[wiscwhip]

Beneficial to WI's pocketbook, that is the only reason. Beneficial to keep novice plotters buying their seed, because as you said, "it looks nice to the average plotter".

 

[BJE80]

OK after adding up everything I paid from the local coop in seed and paying their "breaking bag" charges I've found that I paid probably nearly double for my seed than if I would of just purchased some BOB seed. Now, I admit I only plant 0.5 acre total and one plot is brassicas and one plot is cereal of the LC mix.
So I decided to look at Whitetail institute seed for next year. Now, here is my problem. I picked up their "bowstand" mix and it has 5-10% rye grass in it. Now I understand why seed companies put it in there. It looks nice to the average plotter. But I thought WI was supposed to be a premium seed company? Am I overreacting to having rye grass in the mix I may purchase next year? Or is there actually a reason they put it in there that is beneficial?


Help me understand.

But here is the deal. I'm ashamed to tell you how much I just paid for 1.5lbs of tillage radish. Absolutely ashamed. And this was a farmers coop. Yeah I am a little pissed right now.

 

[bueller]

My coop sells PTT and red clover to me by the pound with no extra charge. Rye by the bushel. Buckwheat and fertilizer by 50 lb bags. I ordered a couple years worth of GHFR and different turnips from welters a few years back.

 

[BJE80]

My coop sells PTT and red clover to me by the pound with no extra charge. Rye by the bushel. Buckwheat and fertilizer by 50 lb bags. I ordered a couple years worth of GHFR and different turnips from welters a few years back.

I need to find a new coop. I just paid over $11 for 1.5 lbs of radish.



Or I need to find some BOB seed that does things similar to the LC mix.

 

[LessRice]

oh boy :eek:... most coops I've seen priced around $3 a pound. Still not as bad as the Biologic stuff, they had a 2lb bag of radishes for $20 and it contained like 20%ish rape which is way cheaper.

 

[BJE80]

oh boy :eek:... most coops I've seen priced around $3 a pound. Still not as bad as the Biologic stuff, they had a 2lb bag of radishes for $20 and it contained like 20%ish rape which is way cheaper.

Their normal price is $1.27/lb. I asked why it was over $11 and she said because of the small quantities. They even have an open bag just sitting in their lobby for people to do this as it is already an open bag.

 

[dipper]

The coops are scamming you instead of the bob company. There is a crook behind every corner. I heard brassicas at jay mar in waupaca were more expensive than bio logics.
You are right, you need a new coop. I would chew their a$$ first, but that's just me. $$$talks, and the door swings both ways. If they want to be crooks they have to deal with an a$$ chewing.

 

[j-bird]

Yep - I think you got screwed (probably didn't even get a kiss either). I would tell them where they can put their "broken bag" fee! More than likely they didn't just stick it in you they stuck it in everyone (makes you feel dirty doesn't it).

 

[buckvelvet]

Before we go down the road of 'the coop ripped me off', aren't we kinda responsible also to be smart consumers? I don't know about you guys but I price out stuff everywhere to make sure i'm getting fair market value. I may be in Michigan but I even take into account what your guys in Iowa/Missouri/etc... are paying.

I'll give BJE the benefit that maybe he's just getting his feet wet and didn't know what to expect, that kinda stuff happens. Luckily my local coop doesn't do that broken bag crab, they sell all the small stuff by the lb.

 

[j-bird]

Was the "broken bag" fee posted? If not - I'd be telling them to go pound sand!

If it wasn't for shipping charges we could all get our stuff from MO and not have to worry about it! Unfortunately in most cases we would spend as much in shipping as we would on the seed itself!

 

[BJE80]

The coops are scamming you instead of the bob company. There is a crook behind every corner. I heard brassicas at jay mar in waupaca were more expensive than bio logics.
You are right, you need a new coop. I would chew their a$$ first, but that's just me. $$$talks, and the door swings both ways. If they want to be crooks they have to deal with an a$$ chewing.

Was the "broken bag" fee posted? If not - I'd be telling them to go pound sand!

If it wasn't for shipping charges we could all get our stuff from MO and not have to worry about it! Unfortunately in most cases we would spend as much in shipping as we would on the seed itself!

No and she didn't even tell me. She even told me the price as she was filling it. Just didn't tell me the extra open bag fee until I asked about it.

 

[BJE80]

Was the "broken bag" fee posted? If not - I'd be telling them to go pound sand!

If it wasn't for shipping charges we could all get our stuff from MO and not have to worry about it! Unfortunately in most cases we would spend as much in shipping as we would on the seed itself!

Welters might be getting more business from me in the future. I'll just find another local place for the big and common seeds like the winter rye and oats.

 

[j-bird]

I'd be pissed. They should have at least said something to you (do you mind if we put the screws to you?) - not just try to hide it in the bill like that. I mean come on you know what they say......you can't rape the willing!

 

[BJE80]

I'd be pissed. They should have at least said something to you (do you mind if we put the screws to you?) - not just try to hide it in the bill like that. I mean come on you know what they say......you can't rape the willing!

ahhhhhhh yeah. That was probably the worst part. If they were up front about it to cover their costs I would be a little bit more understanding.

 

[BJE80]

Something to consider for future purchases...if you can find a few guys who are wanting the same seeds do a group buy of large quantities. I used to do that when I was at my old place.

Most people I know buy BOB seed.

 

[SD51555]

A couple different things could be happening there.

1) Word may have gotten out that they have cover crop seed available for farmers, and then micro farmers like us heard and were trying to get in there to get a cup or two of it to have a food plot. They may have never had the intention of serving food plotters in such small quantities. They may not even know how to price it, punch it into the computer, or have the equipment to weigh it. They may just not want to be in the plot business and therefore don't give it any consideration.

2) They may just be a terrible business trying too hard to make a high margin on a low dollar product vs being focused on retention and subsequent purchases.

I get my seed from a place 70 miles away. I always pick it up, but that requires me to call a week ahead of time, as well as plan a time when I can work it into my schedule to pick it up to have it all jive. But ya gotta call, ya gotta ask all the questions. Both times I went to buy ammonium sulfate at the fertilizer plant, they all looked at me like I had three heads when I said I needed a 5 gallon pale. Nobody knew how to price it per pound, and they had to find a grunt to "put up with me" by walking out to the pile and scooping it up. Each time I went I bought $10.50 worth of AMS. They even had to go find change somewhere for my $11. Next time I'll bring coins to avoid having to break a $1 bill.

All in - I wouldn't sweat it. Move on. "Fool me once..." Do your circle a favor and let them know that isn't the place for this stuff. Otherwise I'd keep going. I wouldn't focus on the bad seed sources, rejoice when you finally find a good one.

 

[tooln]

I didn't need to buy this year but here's what I paid last year.

Turnips $4 lb.
Rape $1.50 lb.
Radish $3.25 lb.
Red clover $2.55 lb.
Peas 1.29 lb. had to get 50 lb. bag
Rye $9.25 bag/bushel
Oats $6.50 bag/bushel

 

[foggy]

You gotta know that small quantities are going to cost you more money. Nobody is getting rich off of small seed buys. It takes time to weigh and re-pack seeds. Time is money. Sometimes I pay lots more locally than I would like for certain seeds....but paying shipping or driving long distances to save a few bucks doesn't add up either.

We all get a bit knicked with small quantitiy seed, chemical, and fertilizer purchases. Let the buyer beware. Do your homework.

 

[West Branch]

Our local coop seems to be pretty good. They do sell a few food plot mixes that come pre-mixed and were somewhere around $4/lb. I forget where they come from but I think I remember seeing Jordan, MN on the label.

If you want things by the lb they have a back room where they keep seed in Tupperware containers and have a small scale and they scoop the seed into paper bags. I can't remember all the seed they had there but they had sugar beets, purple top turnips, radishes, dwarf essex rape, chicory, white clover and I think another type of seed or two. They charge $0.50 extra if you only buy 1 lb but if you buy 2 lbs or more there is no extra charge. I don't remember the prices for sure but I think these were pretty close to what I paid:

DE Rape - 1.25/lb
PTT - 2.50/lb
Daikon Rad - 2.25/lb
Clover Mix - 4.20/lb
VNS Rye - 13/bushel

I think they had the GHFR and Tillage Radish for 2.50 and 2.90 a lb or something like that. Seems pretty good overall compared to some places, the clover would have been cheaper elsewhere but I was only buying 10 lbs. If/when I need more lbs than that of clover I will buy it somewhere else.