Well, the first load is at the elevator...

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Dave H (MI)

Well-known Member

• Nov 21, 2016

• #1

Combine ran fine all day. All that work on the clutches on the corn head paid off. Not one row gave me trouble all day. So I finally know what the result of the big drought is. I planted my corn around memorial day. We had almost no rain until the second week of July. Most was only inches high going into July. A lot of seed never came up or died. Because the plants were small for so long the deer grazed large section nearly to the ground. Turkeys were also a problem. Also, we really never got the rows to canopy and weeds were an issue. Plants that normally top at 7-8' were 4-5' high at most and a lot was shorter. I noticed a lot of plants with good normal cobs but all the seed eaten from the cob. Anyhow, today we ran less than 30 bushel to the acre. We were well over 100 last year. Good and clean, test weight 59, moisture 16.3. Believe it or not, I will come very close to breaking even. I have an issue with the holiday but I might just be all done end of next week. Not complaining...my wife rode the buddy seat and we had a nice day.

 

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Kickinbull

Member

• Nov 21, 2016

• #1

Thanks for your report. It was enjoyable to read.

 

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Paul from MI

Well-known Member

• Nov 21, 2016

• #1

Good to hear you accepting what the weather can do to any crop. That's just part of farming. And a good day spent with your wife ain't all bad. Better than walking in the house with a list of chores to get done before Thanksgiving.

 

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Bob Harvey

Well-known Member

• Nov 21, 2016

• #1

All I can say is - ouch. Glad you had a good day with your child bride.

 

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GordoSD

Well-known Member

• Nov 21, 2016

• #1

30x$2.80 is $84 per acre. Did you get free seed, free fertilizer, and free pesticide? And some free diesel? How much real estate tax per acre? How much income tax for the total elevator check? How many man hpurs from tillage to drop at the elevator? And you broke even? Are you figuring a federal crop insurance check?

 

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DoubleR

Well-known Member

Location

Mid Mi

• Nov 21, 2016

• #1

I think I'm within 50 miles of you as the crow flies. If its any consolation to you I had the worst corn crop I've had in years. A combination of weather related events. I got it in the ground soon enough. It is what it is. I've been buying corn to fill my crib and get me through. I'm just glad corn cheap right now.

 

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crooked rows

Member

• Nov 21, 2016

• #1

Glad to hear you are finally getting it harvested....hope the weather holds so you can get your soys done. I hear a few people not too far from here are getting some good corn yields but right across here we missed even the light rains until the end of July.

 

casecollectorsc

Well-known Member

Location

E central SD.

• Nov 21, 2016

• #1

Seed here, E SD, is almost $100 a acre.

 

showcrop

Well-known Member

• Nov 21, 2016

• #1

(quoted from post at 16:00:18 11/21/16) Combine ran fine all day. All that work on the clutches on the corn head paid off. Not one row gave me trouble all day. So I finally know what the result of the big drought is. I planted my corn around memorial day. We had almost no rain until the second week of July. Most was only inches high going into July. A lot of seed never came up or died. Because the plants were small for so long the deer grazed large section nearly to the ground. Turkeys were also a problem. Also, we really never got the rows to canopy and weeds were an issue. Plants that normally top at 7-8' were 4-5' high at most and a lot was shorter. I noticed a lot of plants with good normal cobs but all the seed eaten from the cob. Anyhow, today we ran less than 30 bushel to the acre. We were well over 100 last year. Good and clean, test weight 59, moisture 16.3. Believe it or not, I will come very close to breaking even. I have an issue with the holiday but I might just be all done end of next week. Not complaining...my wife rode the buddy seat and we had a nice day.

Click to expand...

I bet you stopped for a break way at the back of the field.

 

OP

OP

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Dave H (MI)

Well-known Member

• Nov 21, 2016

• #1

There have been times...LOL! Crazy guy that owns that woods back there has cameras set up all over it and watches them on his cell phone at work.

 

OP

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Dave H (MI)

Well-known Member

• Nov 21, 2016

• #1

Yeah...it was terrible here. I was stressed about it for a while until I just had to give it up. Wasn't going to help even if it did rain. I had the new to me JD planter and had some high hopes. Not the planters fault...just a bad year.

 

OP

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Dave H (MI)

Well-known Member

• Nov 21, 2016

• #1

Gordy the troll strikes again! I always think it is kinda sad when an otherwise nice post brings out the trolls. I'm just going to take a stab in the dark and say that my 27 years as a CPA probably makes me more qualified than you. Probably I could even do break even analysis in my sleep. Not to mention those years I taught cost accounting at the college. Fifteen years after I started farming you think you know my business better than I do. Then, of course, you know what I did with my corn at the elevator? You know what other sources of income the farm has? What other activities it engages in? You just like to hear yourself make noise. I thought I got rid of you last Spring when you were sending me hate mail every week? Get lost.

 

OP

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Dave H (MI)

Well-known Member

• Nov 21, 2016

• #1

My right arm...especially with the kids gone to school. She fills all the gearboxes, greases everything, checks the oil, coolant and asks me about every other row if the gauges look good. I got a good one!

 

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Dave H (MI)

Well-known Member

• Nov 21, 2016

• #1

I just hope she isn't gonna make me cook again this year!

 

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Dave H (MI)

Well-known Member

• Nov 21, 2016

• #1

Weren't half bad being there either! Glad you liked it!

 

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Dave H (MI)

Well-known Member

• Nov 21, 2016

• #1

I've got guys north and west of me that do this for a living...me I am just a part timer. The big guys had a better population because snow fell and melted right after they planted and then it warmed up. Their seed set some deep roots while mine (planted a week later) lay in the dust. Even so, it was short and failed to canopy until late. I saw the big sprayer out there three times. In the end he had some burn on his leaves.

 

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Cmore

Member

• Nov 21, 2016

• #1

Break even???? Really????

 

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hrRoss

Member

• Nov 21, 2016

• #1

i call that a bumper crop, high as the bumper

 

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Philip d

Well-known Member

• Nov 21, 2016

• #1

I don't know you Dave or anyone who responded but I never saw so many nasty responses to what appeared to be a nice post weather the cost of production figures were accurate or not,I'm sorry for the responses that you received,chin up

 

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CCer

Member

• Nov 22, 2016

• #1

Local,S. Central Pa., elevator/feed mill got more corn than they can process. They bring in the large square bales and build a bunker on the parking lot. Fill it up. An Enormous pile! they'll work it it as they have time. Sorry, no pics.

 

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led

Member

• Nov 22, 2016

• #1

Thanks for your post!!!

Led

 

tomstractorsandtoys

Well-known Member

• Nov 22, 2016

• #1

Sorry to here of a poor crop. Did not know any part of MI was that dry. Here in WI we had one of the best crops ever. I was originaly from MD and have harvested many acres of poor corn. Like I tell my wife "There is always next year". Tom

 

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centash

Well-known Member

• Nov 22, 2016

• #1

Good to hear after all your trials and tribulations with the combine. It should work well for you for years now. Ben

 

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larry@stinescorner

Well-known Member

• Nov 22, 2016

• #1

A nice day with your wife is priceless,so you harvested a good crop!

 

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Kent Petersen

Well-known Member

• Nov 22, 2016

• #1

I think you must work for the government if you think you broke even. there is no way 30 bu. will brake even

 

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caterpillar guy

Well-known Member

• Nov 22, 2016

• #1

Glad to here you are getting things out of the field. We will finish corn here today barring some unforeseen problem.
I don't think the so called nasty responses were intended to be bad as much as they don't see the break even point. I suppose one can still break even in the grand scheme of things even though the corn itself is a loss. I think most of those comments were based on the fact that the corn is the loss not the whole picture.

 

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paul

Well-known Member

• Nov 22, 2016

• #1

30 bu regular corn would be a disaster here, no break even... Taxes here are $48 an acre..... But you were saying the farm broke even, not just the corn, and you might have a better basis depending what your market is.

Dumbfounded anyone had dry weather this year, we were just pounded with rain, all summer long. Hurt the crops, and hay was just a disaster... The few acres I planted early froze off at the 3-4 leaf stage, they grew back but took a 20bu hit. (Plus it was the bad seed, so was 40 below what could have been....)

First time ever, I got bad seed corn. One variety the one I bought most of, did not pollen ate right. At least a 20bu to the acre hit.

Despite the troubles, I think I cash flowed too. Despite some frustration.

Enjoy your stories on here.

When we read, we relate to our own back yard..... 30bu corn would be a really bad deal. That used to an ok bean yield 'here' but the last 3 years I've been 50-60 on beans, really pleased with them.

I think, when I hear someone got 30bu corn but still broke even, well what am I doing wrong, if I struggle with 150bu corn........ You must be full of it..... Perhaps some take it as a put down from their point of view, unintended.

Paul

 

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jim buford

Member

• Nov 22, 2016

• #1

I always just hobbied farm with livestock and some row crops but where I live in West TN we raise a lot of cotton, some corn and some wheat. Even though we had a dry few weeks from Sept to Nov it gave the farmers a chance to get their crops out and most reports are they made a bumper crop. Getting some rain now so will be good for wheat. I hope most of you guys did well.

 

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Spook

Well-known Member

• Nov 22, 2016

• #1

(quoted from post at 20:24:57 11/21/16) I've got guys north and west of me that do this for a living...me I am just a part timer. The big guys had a better population because snow fell and melted right after they planted and then it warmed up. Their seed set some deep roots while mine (planted a week later) lay in the dust. Even so, it was short and failed to canopy until late. I saw the big sprayer out there three times. In the end he had some burn on his leaves.

Click to expand...

Congrats!! Win or lose, you are following your dream. A lot of negative folks don't do anything.....

 

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Nick m

Member

• Nov 22, 2016

• #1

Do you rent her out?

Where are you in Michigan? I'm up in the Ionia area. Things could have been better but definitely not that bad. I did notice over in the Howell area there were some sorry looking crops.