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E. Kansas | Unless things are different this fall, in about 6 weeks or so it will be time to place orders for corn and beans for 2015 from some seed companies to get the biggest advertised discounts. I know there are many other ways used to negotiate prices too. I've done the early ordering for years, and have always had the seed available in the spring when I wanted it, until this past spring.
There were a lot of posts here last spring about guys throughout the midwest having to wait for their seed orders to arrive.
I am not faulting my dealer for the problem. The order was placed and completely paid for last fall, approximately 5 to 6 months before planting time, within the time frame published by the seed company. The check to pay for the order was definitely cashed ASAP last fall. My issue is with the seed company not getting the seed shipped by planting time.
The orders placed in the fall are for specific varieties/numbers of seed, as well as the quantities, not just for any kind of corn or beans that might show up. However, it was like I just called the dealer to buy right then at planting time. Like I said, it wasn't the dealer's fault. He and his company had been calling daily to find out when some of the seed would be available.
Nothing I ordered was noted as a limited or non-guaranteed availability at the time of placing the order. No updates were given through the winter about anything being late or not available. Some numbers showed up on time, but some were quite late, and of course those were some that should have been planted first.
It's not enough for the company to just say at planting time that the seed is 2 or 3 states away at some warehouse, and that you'll get it. The seed company offers the early-ordering, for the main reason to allow them more time to better manage their inventory for delivery by planting time.
I don't want to switch companies, since I like what I have planted. Otherwise, I'd be ordering something different.
For those that had to wait for seed to arrive after you were ready to plant, what are your plans for early ordering this fall?
How are you going to deal with late-arriving seed, if that is a problem again in 2015?
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Ordering Seed for 2015 and Delivery in the Spring
