Northern Wisconsin renting equipment and bulk lime/fertilizer

[EngineerinSquid]

So I got my land, got two half acre plots logged and stumped, took soil samples, got the results and am ready to get started but I realized I don’t have the $3k+ to buy actual tractor pulled tiller, seeder, and other such things. I could use some insight on anywhere that rents out these implements, I already have a truck and tractor. Also anywhere that sells pelletized lime and specific fertilizer blends too.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

What are you looking to have plant? If you have an ATV, and a small amount of equipment (pull behind seed/fertilizer spreader, drag, hand seeder, ATV sprayer) you can plant an acre of plots pretty easily.

You will have a flush of weeds coming shortly, so getting the plots sprayed will improve your chances. If it were me I would let the weeds get 6" tall then spray them. Then spend June spreading any lime and fertilizer needed and then spray again plant your plots in early July. No heavy equipment needed.

 

[EngineerinSquid]

What are you looking to have plant? If you have an ATV, and a small amount of equipment (pull behind seed/fertilizer spreader, drag, hand seeder, ATV sprayer) you can plant an acre of plots pretty easily.

You will have a flush of weeds coming shortly, so getting the plots sprayed will improve your chances. If it were me I would let the weeds get 6" tall then spray them. Then spend June spreading any lime and fertilizer needed and then spray again plant your plots in early July. No heavy equipment needed.

There are a couple of whitetail institute seed blends I’m looking at right now. Like I said I only have a tractor at the moment and trying to find a place to rent a pull behind tiller to get the seed bed ready, I’m planning on hand spreading with a handheld broadcast spreader. I also need to find a place that sells bulk lime, ~4000lbs, and specific fertilizer blends, like 6-12-12 and 0-20-20.

 

[TenPoint]

For years I planted with a backpack sprayer, a hand seeder, and a mower. You can easily no til that size for now. Just broadcast seed at a higher rate.

Any coops in the area? They should have fertilizer.

 

[Tree Spud]

There are a couple of whitetail institute seed blends I’m looking at right now. Like I said I only have a tractor at the moment and trying to find a place to rent a pull behind tiller to get the seed bed ready, I’m planning on hand spreading with a handheld broadcast spreader. I also need to find a place that sells bulk lime, ~4000lbs, and specific fertilizer blends, like 6-12-12 and 0-20-20.

I think you may be over thinking it. Not sure what is unique about you soil that you need specialized fertilizer and that much lime?

Some gly & a backpack spryer for weed control. You first year will have more issues with weed & grass control since you opened the canopy.

Per 1/2 acre plot ... a 6-7 lbs mix of red & white clover along with some PTT. Then overseed in the fall with 50# WR. All available at your local co-op. Don't believe the hype on the BOB seed blends.

To condition & rough up your soil, all you need to start with is a drag harrow for your tractor.

Field Tuff Heavy-Duty Drag Harrow 4ft. x 4ft., 7 Tine Rows, 1/2in. Dia. Tines, Model# HDHA-44 | Northern Tool

The Field Tuff Heavy-Duty Drag Harrow is an agricultural-style drag harrow that's great for use in the yard or field to lev...

www.northerntool.com

You can do all of the above for under $400.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

What I’ve found with bulk ag lime is most won’t deliver less than about 16 tons. The alternative is bags or pellet lime.

I just blew a pile of $ on a drop spreader because I couldn’t find anywhere that rents them. Thinking I’m going to rent it out some myself to recoup costs.

Rack mounted atv spreaders can be had cheap for fertilizer and pelletized lime.

 

[Foggy47]

I bought a pallet of bagged pell lime at TSC two years ago. Price was similar to Co op. Also have bought small amounts of bagged fertilizer when I was in a jamb. Also Fleet Farm and Menards are ok prices...just beware to not use fertilizers for lawns as they can contain some weed killers, etc. Garden fertilizers are ok.

Edit: and I would think there would be some machine rental stores in the area? Google is your friend.

 

[Bassattackr]

How large is your tractor? I would think a tiller could be rented fairly easily.

 

[chucker66]

Remember your not growing crops for ag, you're growing for deer. It doesn't have to be that think or that great the first year or 2. Amazing what broadcasting Rye and timely rain will do. Heck right now spread out 150 lbs of oats and some clover and you would be surprised what you have this fall.

 

[bigboreblr]

How'd ya make out squid?

 

[Maddog66]

Getting AG lime in Northern Wisconsin was a royal pain in the neck. But I finally found a guy to drop off 23.5 tons (full loads only) for $1k. The delivery cost 4x of what the lime cost.

 

[TreeDaddy]

I bought a pallet of bagged pell lime at TSC two years ago. Price was similar to Co op. Also have bought small amounts of bagged fertilizer when I was in a jamb. Also Fleet Farm and Menards are ok prices...just beware to not use fertilizers for lawns as they can contain some weed killers, etc. Garden fertilizers are ok.

Edit: and I would think there would be some machine rental stores in the area? Google is your friend.

How are you spreading lime?

That would be 50 bags of TSC lime for one ton.

Thats four runs in my 500# cyclone spreader to achieve 1ton/acre

Gotta be a better way . Co ops hate sending trucks out to spread food plots around here in east texas

bill

 

[MRBB]

well lets try this, are there any farmers near your property?
if so, why not ask them WHO they buy bulk lime off of, or ask them if they have means to spread bulk lime and would do so for you, if you can get the lime, be it in bulk or by bag, as pulverized lime will be way cheaper than pelletized lime

as for renting farm equipment, try talking again to local farmers, farm supply stores, like AG way, NOT tractor supply company store
but AG stores that sell more BULK seeds and farm products
you can also try talking to local tractor stores, that actually sell tractors
they may rent or know of rentals
NEXT you can also try contacting local contractors, many these days have an arsenal of implements, and OR know where to RENT them, or borrow them
you can also try your local soil conservation office, and inquire about if they know who sells bulk lime, and or spreaders
as odds are they have dealt with them, and a lot of folks in places like this have a LOT of information they gathered over the yrs in there area!

a LOT of RURAL hardware store rent things too, but DON"T have web sites showing so!, not everyone is on the web to look up!
some other tips or?? is, if you have the time, drive about your local area, and LOOK for older farm equipment sitting on older farms, or stop and talk to the farmers on these lands,
as a long time ago, they ALL had bulk lime spreaders, ground driven units, were the norm and many still work just fine, but no longer get used and lay about there properties ,and many farmers will SELL them if you inquire
same can be said with a lot of the other out dated farm equipment they have laying about, like drag behind disc, cultipackers, spring tooth harrows
almost ALL older farms have these things or HAD them, and many still work just fine or can be made to work again pretty easy
Bought dozens of them over the yrs and fixed, for my use, friends, and even sold some!
be surprised what you can find if you make the effort to look! and almost ALL this older farm equipment can be used behind smaller tractors, as it was MADE for that smaller stuff, from 15 hp + small

tractors! and a ta fraction of the cost for NEW so called SUB and compact tractor implements!
last tractor, (farmall H) an 8 fr drag behind disc and 10 ft wide 1,500 lb drop lime so spreader, and a spring tooth harrow, I bought I paid under 3k for it all of it,

fixed all the things up and sold and made a BIG profit LOL
its out there if you have the willingness to look!, best of luck to you!

 

[TreeDaddy]

well lets try this, are there any farmers near your property?
if so, why not ask them WHO they buy bulk lime off of, or ask them if they have means to spread bulk lime and would do so for you, if you can get the lime, be it in bulk or by bag, as pulverized lime will be way cheaper than pelletized lime

as for renting farm equipment, try talking again to local farmers, farm supply stores, like AG way, NOT tractor supply company store
but AG stores that sell more BULK seeds and farm products
you can also try talking to local tractor stores, that actually sell tractors
they may rent or know of rentals
NEXT you can also try contacting local contractors, many these days have an arsenal of implements, and OR know where to RENT them, or borrow them
you can also try your local soil conservation office, and inquire about if they know who sells bulk lime, and or spreaders
as odds are they have dealt with them, and a lot of folks in places like this have a LOT of information they gathered over the yrs in there area!

a LOT of RURAL hardware store rent things too, but DON"T have web sites showing so!, not everyone is on the web to look up!
some other tips or?? is, if you have the time, drive about your local area, and LOOK for older farm equipment sitting on older farms, or stop and talk to the farmers on these lands,
as a long time ago, they ALL had bulk lime spreaders, ground driven units, were the norm and many still work just fine, but no longer get used and lay about there properties ,and many farmers will SELL them if you inquire
same can be said with a lot of the other out dated farm equipment they have laying about, like drag behind disc, cultipackers, spring tooth harrows
almost ALL older farms have these things or HAD them, and many still work just fine or can be made to work again pretty easy
Bought dozens of them over the yrs and fixed, for my use, friends, and even sold some!
be surprised what you can find if you make the effort to look! and almost ALL this older farm equipment can be used behind smaller tractors, as it was MADE for that smaller stuff, from 15 hp + small

tractors! and a ta fraction of the cost for NEW so called SUB and compact tractor implements!
last tractor, (farmall H) an 8 fr drag behind disc and 10 ft wide 1,500 lb drop lime so spreader, and a spring tooth harrow, I bought I paid under 3k for it all of it,

fixed all the things up and sold and made a BIG profit LOL
its out there if you have the willingness to look!, best of luck to you!

Thank you for the ideas

Will be printing a hard copy of this post for reference

Many thanks

bill