growing organic grains in stevens county...outline •converting to organic •nutrient...

Growing Organic Grains in Stevens County

Ron McLean

McLean Farms1/24/20

Outline

• Converting to Organic

• Nutrient Management/Weed Control

• Crop Rotation

• Inputs

• Markets & Yields

• Equipment used

• Contact Info

1/30/2020 2Farm to Food Pantry Program

Outline

• Converting to Organic


• Crop Rotation

• Inputs


• Equipment

• Contact Info


• You’ll be starting with a strong seed bank of very resilient weeds

• Problem Weeds

• Canada Thistle

• Controlled with rod Weeding

• Wild Oats

• Controlled with spring crop rotation

• Dog Fennel

• Controlled with regular winter wheat rotation

• Can’t use Lindane – Seed treatment that kills wire worms

• Jointed Goat Grass

• A problem in winter wheat

• Must switch to a spring wheat (or barley)

Outline

• Converting from conventional


• Crop Rotation

• Inputs


• Equipment

• Contact Info


• Two individual fields

• 220 Acres

• 300 Acres

• 3 Year Rotation

• Winter Wheat

• Peas

• Summer Fallow

220 Acres

300 Acres

• Year 1:

300 acres of soft white winter wheat

• Matson, Elton

• Mix of varieties (can get a better price)

• Planted Sept-Oct

• Harvest: July-August (following year)

• Straw disked down through winter

220 acres in spring green peas

• Same rotation, one year later

• Year 2:

300 acres that was winter wheat…

• Summer Fallow all summer

Fall

• Disk Plow stubble under

Spring

(When ground is dry & warm enough)

• Disk Harrow (shallow: 1”-2”)

• Shank Cultivator

• Rod Weeder once per week (until seeding time, Aug-Sept)

Summer

• Plant in winter wheat (Aug-Sept)

Year 3:

300 acres that was Summer Fallow…

• Winter wheat planted previous fall

• Harvest July-August

• Disk Plow stubble after harvest

Following Spring

(When ground is dry & warm enough)

• Disk Plow

• Disk Harrow (shallow: 1”-2”)

• Shank Cultivator

• Rod Weed (maybe only once)

• Plant Spring Peas (April-May)

Outline



• Crop Rotation

• Inputs


• Equipment

• Contact Info


Time:

• 200 hours of tractor cultivating

• 100 hours combining

Diesel Fuel:

• 2000-3000 gallons per year

Seed:

• Winter Wheat: 80 – 160 labs per acre

• Spring Wheat: ~120 lbs per acre

• Peas: 120 - 180 lbs per acre

Outline



• Crop Rotation

• Inputs


• Equipment used

• Contact Info


• Rule of thumb: Organic is double the price of Conventional

• Hard times recently

• 2017: Sold previous year’s crop (soft white wheat)

• 2018: No crop due to flood

• 2019: Soft white wheat market collapsed

• Normally $14-$20 per bushel (human consumption)

• Dropped to $8 per bushel (used in dog food)

• 2020: Switched to hard red this year

• Peas: Toll free number at “Oaksdale” has prices of crops

• 16c - 30c per lb for organic

• $8400 for 33,600 lbs of seed

Typical problems

• Late frosts (1st 10 days of June)

• Cold weather in winter with no snow (freezes winter crops)

• Sometimes floods

Yields

• Wheat: 35 BU – 85 BU per acre

• Some spots as high as 120 BU per acre

• Peas: 700-1500 Lbs per acre

Outline



• Crop Rotation

• Inputs


• Equipment

• Contact Info


• Make: Massey Fergusson

• Model: 1505, 1805

• Year: 1970s

• Hours on meter: 7000

• Horsepower: 200

• Dollar Value: $3500

• Annual Maintenance

• Oil: Changed every 100 hrs, 14 Quarts

• Filters: $30 - $100

• Other Parts – As needed

• Make: Massey Fergusson

• Model: Customized with spring harrows

• Year: 1970s

• Dollar Value: $12,000

• Width: 34 foot


• Shovels as needed

• Repairing bent parts

• Make: Morris

• Model: B36 (36 foot, 12 foot sections)

• Year: 1970s vintage, modified to fold up

• Size: Three 12 foot sections (36 Ft)


• Annual Maintenance – every 1000 hrs

• Replace rods

• Sprockets & roller chain

• Shoes that hold rods

• Dry bearings

$1200 per year for 1000 acres

• Make: 620 Massey Ferguson

• Model: on rubber, hydraulic operation

• Year: 1970s

• Size: 25’ width, 22” disks



• Bearings

• Disks themselves (after many hours)

• Make: International (2 of them)

• Model: 510 – hold 1700 lbs grain each

• Year: 1970s

• Size: 12’ each

• Dollar Value: $6000 each


• Sometimes disk opener bearings

• Make: International

• Model: 1420, Diesel

• Year: 1990s

• Hours on meter: 3200

• Headers

• Grain: 17 Ft

• Pea: Extension fingers on the guards

• Dollar Value: $10,000, fixed up like this one is


• Oil

• Filters

• Guards

• Type:

• Silos:

• Galvanized steel

• Floors: Concrete floor, cone shaped, auger in the middle

• Wood crib (1940s) with bucket elevator

• Count: 8 bins total

• Total Capacity: 18000 BU total

• Seed cleaning equipment: Density Cleaner

• $50,000

• Needed 3 phase power (expensive to put in)

• Annual Maintenance Costs

• Not much

• Make: Kenworth

• Model: T600

• Year: 1988

• Size: 12 Yard box

• Dollar Value: $12,000


• Change oil every 7000 Hrs

• 16 gallons

• Make: International 2 ½ ton

• Model: 1600 series

• Year: 1970s

• Size: 16’ box with dump



• Oil Changes – every few years

• $ 40 per oil change

• Don’t buy from a dealer

• Watch the auctions

• Buy out a retiring farmer

• One who took care of their equipment

• Learn how to rebuild older equipment

• Build custom equipment from available parts

• Probably get everything needed:

• $50,000 - $60,000

• Ron McLeanMcLean Farms

Phone: (509) 684-4875

Email: [email protected]

Contact Information

growing organic grains in stevens county...outline •converting to organic •nutrient...

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