What was your most profitable crop this year?

[Partners]

You seed your wht at 3 bu/ac? Seed growers must love you. I can buy new wheat for under $13. I do agree should buy new seed at least for a quarter every couple years. Seed is “cheap” this year with commodity prices in the da shitter.

Correct on seed price this yr.
Bought VB wht for $10.50..from seed grower..
Hardly pays to clean own.

[helmsdale]

My best is a oil seed that I pay 16$ acre for seed sell it fob and returned 400$ acre net this year. Keep eating hotdogs.

Shhh... When it goes hybrid, they'll screw that up for us as well...

Can't wait. I'll be paying royalties on what are my two most profitable and dependable crops...

Read an article here the other day that Sask Pulse growers is running a deficit, and complaining that their revenue is down by some 40% over previous years. They have a surplus sitting on the books, so have decided to draw it down. If prices stay depressed, one can only imagine that they will be looking for an increased levy, along with every other provinces pulse boards. And if wheat and durum go the way of seed cost levy's who's to say the pulse breeders wont want to get in on that action? or the flax breeders?

[fjlip]

Okay a little late but canola beat wheat for us in 2018. Over $200 return to labor and investment at current market prices. Yields were records for this farm. 2018 wheat yields for us were less than 2017, still almost $100/ acre return to labor and investment. I feel my Fixed and Variable costs are fair. Each must be honest estimating depreciation for sure. LOTS of iron = higher costs.

[bigzee]

No canola for this cat in 19. Before I put the tractor in the field it’s $150 ac. It’s getting past ridiculous to grow this high risk crop, at least in my area.

[Sheepwheat]

I am in a pretty easy 50 bushel canola area. Trouble is in the wet years I over time lost my yield guarantees, and 6 bushel canola ain’t good when the costs are so extreme. There is also this thing called net return. Oats at 140 vs canola at 50. Pretty clear winner when you talk NET RETURN.

I frankly have no idea the infatuation with canola either, and this from a good canola area. Seed costs are just sick. Fertility needs are extreme. And there are about seven million bugs and diseases that attack it ruthlessly.

Maybe everyone is closet input capital men?

I think I will order more alfalfa and orchard grass, brome. Can seed it for 25 bucks an acre, or around 4 bucks for seed per year, and have it produce well for 6 years or so. Once established, it sure doesn’t cost much, and the soil building is insane. A few bales an acre, even at 60 bucks a bale is pretty fair actually, let alone 120 bucks on a year like this. Rotate out and do organic 40 buck a bushel flax, a couple other crops like faba then oats, and then back to hay. Graze the sheep after baking for a bit of cheap lamb gain, and nutrient recycling.

Maybe I am as insane as the price of canola seed. ... lol There has got to be a better way.

[Oliver88]

I think I will order more alfalfa and orchard grass, brome. Can seed it for 25 bucks an acre, or around 4 bucks for seed per year, and have it produce well for 6 years or so. Once established, it sure doesn’t cost much, and the soil building is insane. A few bales an acre, even at 60 bucks a bale is pretty fair actually, let alone 120 bucks on a year like this.

I think alfalfa acres would of been a good net income this year if selling bales.

How heavy do you seed alfalfa?

[Guest]

I think alfalfa acres would of been a good net income this year if selling bales.

How heavy do you seed alfalfa?

for the dehy plants to grow hay is 8 lbs 's ac , for seed production 1-4 lbs ac
we try for 3 for seed production which may be a thing of the past

[Oliver88]

for the dehy plants to grow hay is 8 lbs 's ac , for seed production 1-4 lbs ac
we try for 3 for seed production which may be a thing of the past

Good to know. 👍🏻

[willy16]

In order:

Canola
Malt Barley
HRSW Wheat
Peas

[grassfarmer]

....I think I will order more alfalfa and orchard grass, brome. Can seed it for 25 bucks an acre, or around 4 bucks for seed per year, and have it produce well for 6 years or so....

I agree with your sentiments but where the heck do you buy an alfalfa/grass seed mix for $25?? It's closer to twice that for any I've used.

[Sheepwheat]

I agree with your sentiments but where the heck do you buy an alfalfa/grass seed mix for $25?? It's closer to twice that for any I've used.

Have a source that is 2.10 a lb inoculated for alfalfa, and 3.20 a lb for grass. 8 lbs Alf and a few lbs grass is right around 25 bucks. Certified seed. Common is cheaper. Independent guy.

[Taiga]

Have a source that is 2.10 a lb inoculated for alfalfa, and 3.20 a lb for grass. 8 lbs Alf and a few lbs grass is right around 25 bucks. Certified seed. Common is cheaper. Independent guy.

I bought 4400lb for $1.75 (alfalfa). I don’t bother with any grasses and seed straight alfalfa, the smooth brome is hard to kill and comes back naturally here. Also have a lot of natural birdsfoot trefoil everywhere. It grows short but is a fine plant (with nice yellow flowers almost all summer). Alsike clover natural too. The seed bank must be just littered with these types. Grey wooded soil type. I seed 14lbs total by seeding two passes perpendicular to each other at 7lbs each. I use a BG 5710 and just pull the drill in the raised position and then roll the field. Works well. Could probably dial the seed rate back to 5lbs per pass.
My fields are 6 years as hay and then cycle out for two years of annual crops, then back to alfalfa. Every field the same, though on different schedules so there is always hay and grain and fields being turned over. I don’t buy nitrogen fertilizer.

[pourfarmer]

This is the part I don't understand? I have neighbours planting canola on canola and I hear that this is common in other areas. If its not the most profitable why ditch the a good rotations?

Canola cash flow is relatively stable.

[Daylate]

Best ROI AVERAGE of the last 10 years...
LL Canola
CL Canola
RR Canola
Durum
Flax
Peas

Canola is running our economy, IMO...

[iceman]

2019 will be

1. Hail insurance
2. Crop insurance
3. Gars
4. Bareback