Lessons learned /reinforced this spring

[norton17]

The 1545 conveyors arent made for canola at all.
We wrecked two different belts loading canola (multiple loads). If you only have a load or two its fine but if you have 15 loads to go, get the auger out.

We're waiting on a 10" auger to unload canola bins for this very reason.

Thing I learned most: get out and get your work done, it can freeze in early June too so you might as well be seeding early. Some guys late crops in our area are just coming up now.

2nd thing: if someone comes wanting us to fill our fertilizer bins in early august...punch them in the throat. Not only did we pay ridiculous prices, but every bin was a pain in the butt to get the fertilizer out. We used kitty litter in the bottom and garbage bagged the top and it was still awful.

3rd: malt barley sucks. It sucks dealing with these guys when you have no leg to stand on. They can go through 20 different things on your barley until they find something to reject it b/c of, or they can still accept it and discount you $100/tonne.

[gustgd]

Norton thanks for the advice on the canola I had heard that as well.

fully agree with you on the fertilizer in July. and malt comments.

We've grown malt for years with no problems but this year the malties are being tools.

Another thing that was reinforced this year was the importance of grain pricing orders, set it and forget it.
well not quite but they do allow you to set a target and not have to watch the markets every moment.

[checking]

Appreciate your comment that you don't have to watch the market much if you've locked in a target, but do you not think you are giving the buyers a big bonus by doing that? In effect you've set a minimum acceptable price that could be reached in any event. If yours is the lowest target, you've allowed the purchaser the advantage of picking that off without having to think of going higher.

[rook]

I bought the good varieties this year but as I was doing so and paying their outrageous prices I thought to myself, "I'm probably better off buying the mid tier varieties for cheaper and putting an extra 10 lbs N on as you seldom reach top yield potential anyways." In hindsight as the crop whithers in 30 degree heat that would have been the way to go.

[bucket]

if it doesn't rain - it doesn't matter. Maybe an election will come up at the right time and we will get a payout like gm.

[Choice2U]

Cotton - you may have put me on to something. If there is auto steer, why not auto pee. I'm not sure what type of contraption could be rigged up but I wouldn't want to be the one using it when there was a malfunction.

I learned that most Agrivillers have allot to offer as I know more now than I did 2 years ago before I started reading this site. Just haven't figured out how to consistently make more $ on my farm with this new source of information. I still make mistakes that hindsight leads one to question one's intellect.

[gustgd]

checking
I do use it for a lowest I am willing to accept. and it is triggered whenever a futures price is achieved through out a specific time period for a small quantity.
usually 42 tonnes. When it is triggered I then can either sign up more at a similar price or readjust targets higher based on current info.

If I think that prices are going higher I can cancel as long as it has not been triggered.
I find it useful in the toolbox.

[checking]

That's not a bad strategy. I should have asked the tonnage you were committing for target. A Super B is a reasonable teaser, and is something I would do if I thought the spot price was interesting.

[Hopperbin]

Sometimes them higher priced triggers are hit all the while the price is never offered to farmers on the whole, peas a good example. A great tool on peas.