Growing Organic Grains in Stevens County...Outline •Converting to Organic •Nutrient...
Transcript of Growing Organic Grains in Stevens County...Outline •Converting to Organic •Nutrient...
Growing Organic Grains in Stevens County
Ron McLean
McLean Farms1/24/20
Outline
• Converting to Organic
• Nutrient Management/Weed Control
• Crop Rotation
• Inputs
• Markets & Yields
• Equipment used
• Contact Info
1/30/2020 2Farm to Food Pantry Program
Outline
• Converting to Organic
• Nutrient Management/Weed Control
• Crop Rotation
• Inputs
• Markets & Yields
• Equipment
• Contact Info
1/30/2020 3Farm to Food Pantry Program
• You’ll be starting with a strong seed bank of very resilient weeds
• Problem Weeds
• Canada Thistle
• Controlled with rod Weeding
• Wild Oats
• Controlled with spring crop rotation
• Dog Fennel
• Controlled with regular winter wheat rotation
• Can’t use Lindane – Seed treatment that kills wire worms
• Jointed Goat Grass
• A problem in winter wheat
• Must switch to a spring wheat (or barley)
Outline
• Converting from conventional
• Nutrient Management/Weed Control
• Crop Rotation
• Inputs
• Markets & Yields
• Equipment
• Contact Info
1/30/2020 6Farm to Food Pantry Program
• Two individual fields
• 220 Acres
• 300 Acres
• 3 Year Rotation
• Winter Wheat
• Peas
• Summer Fallow
220 Acres
300 Acres
• Year 1:
300 acres of soft white winter wheat
• Matson, Elton
• Mix of varieties (can get a better price)
• Planted Sept-Oct
• Harvest: July-August (following year)
• Straw disked down through winter
220 acres in spring green peas
• Same rotation, one year later
• Year 2:
300 acres that was winter wheat…
• Summer Fallow all summer
Fall
• Disk Plow stubble under
Spring
(When ground is dry & warm enough)
• Disk Harrow (shallow: 1”-2”)
• Shank Cultivator
• Rod Weeder once per week (until seeding time, Aug-Sept)
Summer
• Plant in winter wheat (Aug-Sept)
Year 3:
300 acres that was Summer Fallow…
• Winter wheat planted previous fall
• Harvest July-August
• Disk Plow stubble after harvest
Following Spring
(When ground is dry & warm enough)
• Disk Plow
• Disk Harrow (shallow: 1”-2”)
• Shank Cultivator
• Rod Weed (maybe only once)
• Plant Spring Peas (April-May)
Outline
• Converting from conventional
• Nutrient Management/Weed Control
• Crop Rotation
• Inputs
• Markets & Yields
• Equipment
• Contact Info
1/30/2020 11Farm to Food Pantry Program
Time:
• 200 hours of tractor cultivating
• 100 hours combining
Diesel Fuel:
• 2000-3000 gallons per year
Seed:
• Winter Wheat: 80 – 160 labs per acre
• Spring Wheat: ~120 lbs per acre
• Peas: 120 - 180 lbs per acre
Outline
• Converting from conventional
• Nutrient Management/Weed Control
• Crop Rotation
• Inputs
• Markets & Yields
• Equipment used
• Contact Info
1/30/2020 13Farm to Food Pantry Program
• Rule of thumb: Organic is double the price of Conventional
• Hard times recently
• 2017: Sold previous year’s crop (soft white wheat)
• 2018: No crop due to flood
• 2019: Soft white wheat market collapsed
• Normally $14-$20 per bushel (human consumption)
• Dropped to $8 per bushel (used in dog food)
• 2020: Switched to hard red this year
• Peas: Toll free number at “Oaksdale” has prices of crops
• 16c - 30c per lb for organic
• $8400 for 33,600 lbs of seed
Typical problems
• Late frosts (1st 10 days of June)
• Cold weather in winter with no snow (freezes winter crops)
• Sometimes floods
Yields
• Wheat: 35 BU – 85 BU per acre
• Some spots as high as 120 BU per acre
• Peas: 700-1500 Lbs per acre
Outline
• Converting from conventional
• Nutrient Management/Weed Control
• Crop Rotation
• Inputs
• Markets & Yields
• Equipment
• Contact Info
1/30/2020 16Farm to Food Pantry Program
• Make: Massey Fergusson
• Model: 1505, 1805
• Year: 1970s
• Hours on meter: 7000
• Horsepower: 200
• Dollar Value: $3500
• Annual Maintenance
• Oil: Changed every 100 hrs, 14 Quarts
• Filters: $30 - $100
• Other Parts – As needed
• Make: Massey Fergusson
• Model: Customized with spring harrows
• Year: 1970s
• Dollar Value: $12,000
• Width: 34 foot
• Annual Maintenance
• Shovels as needed
• Repairing bent parts
• Make: Morris
• Model: B36 (36 foot, 12 foot sections)
• Year: 1970s vintage, modified to fold up
• Size: Three 12 foot sections (36 Ft)
• Dollar Value: $3000
• Annual Maintenance – every 1000 hrs
• Replace rods
• Sprockets & roller chain
• Shoes that hold rods
• Dry bearings
$1200 per year for 1000 acres
• Make: 620 Massey Ferguson
• Model: on rubber, hydraulic operation
• Year: 1970s
• Size: 25’ width, 22” disks
• Dollar Value: $6000
• Annual Maintenance
• Bearings
• Disks themselves (after many hours)
• Make: International (2 of them)
• Model: 510 – hold 1700 lbs grain each
• Year: 1970s
• Size: 12’ each
• Dollar Value: $6000 each
• Annual Maintenance
• Sometimes disk opener bearings
• Make: International
• Model: 1420, Diesel
• Year: 1990s
• Hours on meter: 3200
• Headers
• Grain: 17 Ft
• Pea: Extension fingers on the guards
• Dollar Value: $10,000, fixed up like this one is
• Annual Maintenance
• Oil
• Filters
• Guards
• Type:
• Silos:
• Galvanized steel
• Floors: Concrete floor, cone shaped, auger in the middle
• Wood crib (1940s) with bucket elevator
• Count: 8 bins total
• Total Capacity: 18000 BU total
• Seed cleaning equipment: Density Cleaner
• $50,000
• Needed 3 phase power (expensive to put in)
• Annual Maintenance Costs
• Not much
• Make: Kenworth
• Model: T600
• Year: 1988
• Size: 12 Yard box
• Dollar Value: $12,000
• Annual Maintenance Costs
• Change oil every 7000 Hrs
• 16 gallons
• Make: International 2 ½ ton
• Model: 1600 series
• Year: 1970s
• Size: 16’ box with dump
• Dollar Value: $6000
• Annual Maintenance Costs
• Oil Changes – every few years
• $ 40 per oil change
• Don’t buy from a dealer
• Watch the auctions
• Buy out a retiring farmer
• One who took care of their equipment
• Learn how to rebuild older equipment
• Build custom equipment from available parts
• Probably get everything needed:
• $50,000 - $60,000