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Why Not Grow Alfalfa For Seed?

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in-too-deep

09-29-2007 19:51:44

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My boss at the camp grew up in the Yakima Valley in eastern Washington, and he said folks grew alfalfa for seed. I figure the growing season is just about the same here in Illinois as it is in Washighton, only with less snow. I would think alfalfa would be a heckuva cash crop with a bag of seed around $300 or so. What would prevent a midwestern fella from growing it and selling the seed? He would need to a find a buyer obviously, and a draper head for his combine...what else?

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nballen

10-01-2007 11:39:22

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Re: Why Not Grow Alfalfa For Seed? in reply to in-too-deep, 09-29-2007 19:51:44

I live in SW Idaho, grew up in Eastern Oregon. There is a good bit of Alfalfa seed grown in this region (very similar to the Yakima Valley -and actually that would be "Central Washington").

You've also got to consider the $/acre - revenue, expenses, and profit. As small and light as alfalfa seed is, it takes a lot of seed to make a pound. Don't forget to look into the annual seed certification costs, specific chemicals (and other weed control costs - i.e. field labor to remove other legumes like red clover & sweet clover, both serious contaminants).

Growing up, my neighbors typically used a 12' - 16' auger head on the combine, with a chemical burn-down on the alfalfa to defoliate the plant and finish drying down the seed.

I'll be happy to ramble on more if you'd like....

Nathaniel

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mmguy

09-30-2007 07:59:12

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Re: Why Not Grow Alfalfa For Seed? in reply to in-too-deep, 09-29-2007 19:51:44

I am in eastern SDakota. My dad farmed from 1935-1983. He always said that the cattle,hogs,sheep,corn,oats & barley furnished a fair living, but the seed crops paid for the farm. He harvested 2 cuttings of alfalfa for hay and let the 3rd go to seed. as far as i know all we had was honey bees. He also sold brome & crested wheat grass. He took all this seed with a model 66 allis chalmers combine with a straight head. Smiled all the way from the seed buyer to the bank.

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Iowa_tire_guy

09-30-2007 07:09:09

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Re: Why Not Grow Alfalfa For Seed? in reply to in-too-deep, 09-29-2007 19:51:44

I was traveling southwest of Great Bend Kansas in the late 70"s where they grow a lot of alfalfa hay because the ground water is at 12 feet. I went past a field were they were combining seed and they had the 350 bushel truck topped off and were still running. Seed then was bringing a dollar a pound. Do the math. In that part of the country it just depended on the weather to determine if you would have any seed to harvest and if you could get it in before a rain would shatter it.

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Bill(Wis)

09-30-2007 06:27:37

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Re: Why Not Grow Alfalfa For Seed? in reply to in-too-deep, 09-29-2007 19:51:44

The climate of the Yakima valley is quite different from the climate in Ill. Quite arid. Rainfall there is measured in inches per year whereas rainfall out on the Olympic penninsula in western Washington is measured in feet per year. Irrigation allows for precise amounts of water to be applied. Yakima is also famous for apples. Yakima used to be a wild town. I was stationed at Ft Lewis and spent a lot of time at the Yakima Firing Center.

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TomH in PA

09-30-2007 06:22:57

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Re: Why Not Grow Alfalfa For Seed? in reply to in-too-deep, 09-29-2007 19:51:44

A couple of years ago I was at an auction here in PA for an old farmer with very well maintained equipment. He had an Oliver combine that he'd used just that year to harvest some red clover seed. Four bags of seed went for $80 per bag. Then the combine sold for $300. You do the math.

I had a moment of temporary insanity thinking of going into the clover seed business. But the combine went home with someone else.

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bradley martin

09-30-2007 03:23:58

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Re: Why Not Grow Alfalfa For Seed? in reply to in-too-deep, 09-29-2007 19:51:44

In order to produce seed alfalfa you need to have leaf cutter bees, honey bees will not pollinate it. Clover & grass seed is much easier to produce(but also not as valuable). A good crop of red clover seed is 6 bu/ A, sometimes as high as 8, so 6x60 is 360 lbs@even$1.50 is 540/A....plus the 1st cut hay....not bad.

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rotten rrobert

09-29-2007 22:26:45

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Re: Why Not Grow Alfalfa For Seed? in reply to in-too-deep, 09-29-2007 19:51:44

Dad always hoped for a good "Seed" crop. This was in SE Mt dryland country and with good rains after the first and generally last cutting was off would bring on a good stand of Alfalfa that he would let go for seed. I have seen it sell for as low as .30# up to $1.00#. I have combined it out of windrows, cut standing after a good frost and was around an old time crew that threshed it with a late model "Red River Special".

As for all the high dollar stuff it's hard to tell the difference after a stand is established.

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kyhayman

09-29-2007 20:45:50

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Re: Why Not Grow Alfalfa For Seed? in reply to in-too-deep, 09-29-2007 19:51:44

Seed cleaning and sorting equipment, bagging equipment, permits, foundation or breeders quality seed supply/cost, inspection costs, isolation of fields to insure purity of the open pollentated alfafla remains true to variety. There the is the climate, humidity (seed alfafa is normally swathed for 2 weeks to make sure it is dry enough to combine and process. Then, of course you loose that crop of hay. Most seed operations I have been to have at least seven figures invested in infrastructure. While some of the premium varieties may bring 300 a bag retail (half that wholesale) there is a lot more seed sold for 75-125 a bag retail. Not many of the seed companies want to let out first generation designer germplasm to start up operations.

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in-too-deep

09-30-2007 07:54:22

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Re: Why Not Grow Alfalfa For Seed? in reply to kyhayman, 09-29-2007 20:45:50

Oh...that's why. Well, that clears it up : )

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Bill in Colo

09-29-2007 20:34:29

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Re: Why Not Grow Alfalfa For Seed? in reply to in-too-deep, 09-29-2007 19:51:44

Humidity is the likely reason that most seed is grown in the west

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