Ducks Unlimited or Agristability

[Hopalong]

After three in a row record production years, wondering whether to take land out of grain production and into forage. Used to follow practice of rotating some, especially poorer grain producing acreage, into grass alfalfa for three to five years. As well, had sweet clover some years. Sold cow herd a few years ago and farm has been as profitable, or more so, since. Others in area have tended to do same.
Somewhat reluctant to get involved with Ducks Unlimited. Prefer to make production decisions based on market opportunity rather than benefits from government financed or other programs.
That said, we can expect weather and markets and even governments to change.
First consideration is to keep farm profitable as a business.
Conclusion, stay on course for another year.

[Hopalong]

Combination of seeded acres, fertilizer, better varieties and other inputs and favourable weather.
Also coming out of major wet year spell when a lot of lower land was too wet.
Point I am trying to make is about going back to a rotation or cropping system that saves the soil or wild life but might decrease our productivity in shorter term.

[6V53]

Stay away from 🦆 unless the government throws in a bunch for carbon capture, besides if you get a bumper hay crop so did your neighbors. Years ago I made $600 an acre growing Timothy seed.

[burnt]

Somewhat reluctant to get involved with Ducks Unlimited. Prefer to make production decisions based on market opportunity rather than benefits from government financed or other programs.

Will you not be far more safely independent if you stay with this assessment?

Sounds like you've been around long enough to know that you're best to go with your gut. What can you gain or lose by being beholden to anybody?

[hobbyfrmr]

Sweet clover works well for nitrogen fixation and weed suppression. It is shorter term than alfalfa. My experience is alfalfa works the best for fixing N and weed suppression but you are looking at making hay for 3-5 years. If you are satisfied with this timeline, seed the alfalfa heavy, 10 pounds per acre. After 3-5 years of making hay you will have a high fertility, low weed count field which should last about 3 crops.
Instead of breaking up the hay land with a disk, many farmers spray it dead with a high rate of glyphosate and direct seed into that field the following spring. Make sure you use a high rate like 2 litres/acre to make sure you kill all the alfalfa.

[workboots]

“Instead of breaking up the hay land with a disk, many farmers spray it dead with a high rate of glyphosate and direct seed into that field the following spring”


Would this require a disk drill or do they see enough residual plant material decomposition to run a shank through it?
Also, is the burndown occuring after the last cut of hay or how much biomass is present during that fall chemical application?

It would be interesting to know what the return from this legume cycle would look like, if even only once every 10 year.
For example: Alfalfa or clover fall terminated, followed by a wheat canola rotation for 8-10 years.

This might have a better paypack then strictly wheat and canola when considering multi year yield advantage & nutrients sequestered.

It would also be nice to avoid the bailing process, maybe replacing it with a mow down mulch without the incorporating. Green manure pulling from the depths and moisture conservation without tillage.

[Hopalong]

As stated on an earlier thread, might not have confidence to spend as much on grain farming inputs without production and revenue insurance. Our area and farm has a history for damaging early fall frost, other risks are disease and hail. Revenue risk includes trade wars and over production lowering prices. Cattle operation sometimes offset risk in grain production.
Recall farmer pleas for government assisted programs and presence of even higher levels in USA..With good coverage level it makes sense to use them to offset some of the risk in grain growing. Agree subsidies distort markets but also need to be considered in business planning.

[Sheepwheat]

I’ve taken out hay several times now and no tilled into it. Ancient shank seeder. Worked fine. But spray it the fall before, with 2 litres of glyph, AND a litre of 2 4 D, or you will have some regrow this.

Weed control is great, fertility and rotation break lasts for a decade or more. As per research, and as per this farm.

[bucket]

I would not recommend dealing with DU for anything....better to keep their paws out of any of your business...

But ...DYODD

[SASKFARMER]

I agree they are cancer worse than Trudeau.

We have more ducks and Geese than ever before and it wasn't because of the DU fields here or there. It started to rain.

[Braveheart]

I agree they are cancer worse than Trudeau.

We have more ducks and Geese than ever before and it wasn't because of the DU fields here or there. It started to rain.

Also, unless you're a real committed hunter, the cost of hunting, ie. guns, ammo, gas and booze has risen to a level that discourages many, so, bird numbers aren't as affected.

[WiltonRanch]

There’s a fellow selling inoculated alfalfa for $2.20/lb. screw DU buy your own seed and put up hay or get someone to do on shares. Keep in for 3 years, spray out year 4 about time you’d cut with 2l glyphosate and clorypalid. Give it a good 10 days and mow it. Come spring might need to touch it up with another litre but otherwise seed right in with any direct seed outfit you have. Most hay we’ve broke has been so old we end up spiking and discing it black and harrowing to get it level. If you don’t let it get that far direct seeding is doable. You need to get it sprayed out after the summer solstice. There’s enough time for the roots to rot then. I don’t want to sound like a know it all but that’s the experience we’ve had buggering around with breaking grass.

[bgmb]

Whatever you do don't sign any conservation easements.