At this point in the growing season, yield potential becomes reality. How do your crops look? By estimating yields, you can do more than satisfy your curiosity. Sound estimates can help you prepare for harvest and make better decisions.
When you hire seasonal help, the goal is to find employees who can help you get the work done. Investing a little time up front can help you avoid hiring employees who would add to your workload.
Farm upkeep projects might not top your summer fun list, but they sure beat making major repairs during the height of the season. And then there are chores that simply need doing — and the dead of winter is no time to paint a house. By making good use of these summer hours, you’ll avoid…
When you want to check out the weather or see how your crops are doing, you look out the window or walk your fields. That’s great information — if you’re planning a picnic or evaluating your fertility program. But you need a broader view when making cropping or marketing decisions.
Most years, you would be happy to kick a little mud off your boots in July. But when those boots are hip waders, the situation is serious. If you’re dealing with wet, saturated fields this summer, careful management can help those crops finish the season strong.
Hindsight is OK in farming. Questioning your hybrid or herbicide selection or your marketing strategy can lead to better decisions. But never put yourself in a position where you have to ask, “Why didn’t we devote more time to safety?” It’s too late. You need to recommit to farm safety today.
As the year closes, so does the window of opportunity to bring your 2014 income and expenses in line with previous years. This savvy business move can help lower your income tax liability.
With margins squeezed tighter than a gopher in a hay baler, efficiency and cost containment have become agriculture’s near-term mantra. Effectively marketing your crop to maximize income is critical, but as you prepare for the coming growing season, consider the expense side of the ledger.
By now, you’ve likely already begun implementing your 2015 cropping plan — seed order is in; your fall fertilizer is down; spring fertilizer is locked in; herbicide decisions are formulated. As you continue developing next year’s plan, don’t forget to factor in some flexibility.
Today’s planter technology allows producers to place seeds precisely where they want them. Now, thanks to Case IH and Precision Planting®, producers can take that technology to a new level by adding valuable new options that fit their individual needs.