tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35188043.post2562073624453981768..comments2023-11-07T06:51:41.301-06:00Comments on The Beginning Farmer: Firewood and a Follow-upEthan Bookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333115493519268802noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35188043.post-39430855743641619652008-12-03T18:45:00.000-06:002008-12-03T18:45:00.000-06:00If you are interested in different crop rotations,...If you are interested in different crop rotations, etc. there is a book that details a number of different farmers around the country available online (and in print) at: <BR/><BR/>http://www.sare.org/publications/naf2/index.htm<BR/><BR/>A handful of other online books are also at:<BR/><BR/>http://www.sare.org/publications/handbooks.htmRichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11412944120622315804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35188043.post-25833216247391972722008-12-03T14:40:00.000-06:002008-12-03T14:40:00.000-06:00There are probably a number of reasons for a chang...There are probably a number of reasons for a change in the crops or crop rotations over the years. <BR/><BR/>As I mentioned, my grandfather (actually both grandfathers) grew a number of different crops in the past. But, the crops and rotations changed significantly over the years between WWII and the early 1980's.<BR/><BR/>The Federal Government's intrusive Farm Legislation always plays a role in crop rotations. I might be mistaken or have the facts turned around, but in the '50's and early '60's, the amount of certain crops that could be grown was limited <I>(i.e. only so much of available cropland on the farm could be planted to wheat)</I>, so other crops <I>(oats, barley, etc.)</I> were grown on the remaining cropland. At the same time, people were encouraged <I>(or bribed with subsidies)</I> to grow something like cotton. <BR/><BR/>So, you would be more likely to grow a variety of crops under this type of system, even if it didn't always make economic or agricultural sense. <BR/><BR/>In the late '60's and early '70's <I>(before the grain embargo)</I>, the Farm Bill restrictions changed, the value of wheat went up, beef cattle were worth more <I>(and so more winter wheat pasture was needed)</I>, and so wheat became the main crop with a little barley grown to provide grain to supplement the cattle.<BR/><BR/>When Grandpa first switched to continuous wheat growing, he didn't have any problems with weeds <I>(cheat, ryegrass, winter rye)</I>, because it had been controlled with the previous rotations and/or the weeds weren't as common then as now. His fertilizer applications were almost nonexistent, also possibly due to the previous rotations <I>(a slight modification of Argentina's system of crop rotation)</I>. So at the time, it worked to grow continuous wheat in this manner, he was able to make a decent profit from continuous wheat due to the combination of moderate grain yields, extremely low input costs, and adequate grain and beef prices. With the conditions he faced, it wouldn't have made sense to continue growing oats, barley, or cotton instead of wheat.<BR/><BR/>Now, it makes sense to change to something slightly different to address the problems that I face today. But changing now doesn’t mean that it was a mistake to do what was done in the past, or that what was done further in the past was a superior way of doing things; it just means that agriculture is a dynamic instead of a static pursuit.<BR/><BR/>Of course, if the Federal Government <I>(and state and local governments to a lesser extent)</I> would stop trying to micro-manage agriculture, we would all be better off.Richhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11412944120622315804noreply@blogger.com