Posted 6/17/2024 17:51 (#10777936 - in reply to #10777331) Subject: RE: Crop update, north central Iowa pics.
Latimer, Iowa (north central)
I only bale what our local straw market will support. We cut just under the heads so leaving most of the straw. We will just spread 90% of the straw but on about 10% of the acres I let the combine windrow it. Usually have to run an inverter over it once to get it dried out (cut the oats with a 50foot draper on the combine so dense windrow). I shoot for around 5000 small square bales. We have storage for that and more in cattle sheds. I like selling straw for $4 a bale to people that pick it up themselves and pay cash. I just leave a jar for money and hope they are honest. When I have baled more people want a quantity discount or want it hauled somewhere. By they time we spend the labor of loading the stepdeck and hauling it somewhere then getting $3 a bale it is not worth it. Same goes for hay auctions, too much labor and trucking to get it there and then they take a cut, and the amounts are then over $600 dollars so another hand gets a cut. Pretty soon I am actually getting $2 a bale for the work of doing it. I have been getting around 80 bales an acre doing it this way.
I think they straw is good organic matter if can get it cycling. Also has some nutrient value which we try and replace. $15 a ton cattle manure vs $150 a ton straw so it does pencil to bale at the $4 a bale If we double crop soybeans or plant sorghum sudan after the oats its nice to have a little residue removed as they seem to come up faster.
As you know I have a new small square baler to pay for now too so we may bale a few more... Fire up your 4010 in about a month!!
Crop update, north central Iowa pics.
