Has any one changed their seeding plans from last report we did.

[farmaholic]

I'm just jealous because my premium is at the max from not being enrolled! I thought there were checks and balances built in. I had a Crop Insurance farming relative that complained how the program treated him after a while....when everyone else in the area was growing crops and he was always in a claim position, how do you justify that in your mind. How would a big pay-out affect your low-payout/experience discount premium and for how many years forward?....maybe it's worth it. But if you fore go a good crop with good prices for an insurance payout? On owned land cutting back on weed control is just stupid...long term ramifications. I supposed nutrients can be replaced in subsequent years if you grow a good crop with reduced fertilizers. Split apps if things look good if you cut back in spring.

I understand the desire to reduce risk and take the "sure bet".

[farmaholic]

..........and you would go broke farming the Ag-Stab-Me-In-The-Back program!

[farmaholic]

Hopalong, I remember you mentioned the fact that you might be able to seed through many low spots that you couldn't get through the last few years.

Without much run-off this spring(too early to tell yet), we would be seeding basically wall to wall(except for hay sloughs I refuse to bust up because they are hay sloughs 19 out of 20 years). Years like that we grew some of our best crops, every acre gets used and with timely rains crops can be quite good.

I wish I had a crystal ball.

[SASKFARMER3]

Really thinking now will drop peas to either two quarters because I have inoculant paid for or three at most, barley maybe add 300 to 800 and rest wheat canola split.

Big two inch snow storm not adding bushels wind making sure of that

[Hopalong]

Remember when Agristability was being introduced, USDA had observers at some of our agriculture meetings. One report filed was that it would encourage more risky behaviour by our farmers in order to collect subsidy money contributed by governments to the program. Don't believe that has happened to any great extent and US has since introduced risk management programs similar to our own.
Still on the fence myself but not afraid to take advantage of programs when opportunity is presented.

[helmsdale]

Farming for crop insurance by area farmers has made the program entirely useless to me. Area averages have been drug down here by mixed farmers baling up what would have been high teens or even low 20bu/ac crops and crop insurance valuing the production at only 3bu/ac. I don't blame the guys with hungry critters to feed. I do however blame crop insurance for artificially diminishing the area average. The argument they present is that if i'm in the program long enough my average will exceed the area average. Over the long term it may be money well spent, but if a crop failure occurs, the payout is unlikely to keep creditors at bay. A decent coverage level would require me to have good crops over 5-10 of the next few years so that I would have decent coverage after that. On the flip side if I have that many decent crops in a row and remain financially prudent it's likely that the money's saved would open credit doors or even provide enough of a financial safety net to make it through on my own.

Every year, the decision comes down to: do I roll the dice or not? Even if I rug the insurance, and take out a cash advance against the coverage to pay for it, its unlikely to cash flow me into next year's crop anyway.