Expensive soybean harvest situation

[Anonymous-0]

Need some input/advice...
Have a 9 acre patch of land that I needed disked, planted, and combined - soybeans. I live 90 miles away and have no equipment. Found a neighboring farmer this spring via the internet who handled it for me this year. He charged a super! premium for disking/planting ($100/acre without seed), but I paid it because I had no option.

Now, when it came time to harvest, I just found out that he had someone else harvest the soybeans because he does not have a combine. He is now asking for $80 per acre to combine and haul to elevator.
I got name of the guy who actually combined it and because it is a small piece he wants $40 per acre (then the original guy wants another $40 for his time (a few hours), so $80 total). How would you handle this situation? I was expecting the total harvest, haul to elevator to be $40 per acre - OSU says the average is $30, but I think I should pay extra because it's only 9 acres.
P.S. I likely wont be using this guy next year. Even with high crop prices, might be cheaper to let it sit. With soil prep,, planting, seed, spray once, harvest, I am close to $300/acre.

Thanks!

 

[Ron/PA]

I guess if it were me I'd feel obligated to pay his price if I solicited his help without getting firm prices before hand, [i:1734ee819c](Oh yeah, I'd have done just that in the past, and may well again) [/i:1734ee819c] Write it off to experience then see if I could find someone to rent it to or even work on a shares basis for next year.

 

[Animal]

I believe that I would ask the guy that actually combined it if he would be interested in farming it. Forget that other rascal!

 

[paul]

I agree.

What you are doing is having it 'custom farmed'.

In your distant situation, might be better to have it 'rented out' and just collect a set fee per acre. Then you have no risk. For a small plot, you'll get less than the huge rent figures you hear, but still will get some garenteed income & no risk. It is common to collect the rent in March, so a rascal farmer doesn't run off with the crop and forget to pay you. They don't pay before planting, they don't plant....

If you want to feel a bit hands on, you could share crop it - split the seed & fert cost, and split the grain that is harvested. Maybe 40-60 would be common, or some such. You have some risk, but the farmer wants a good crop too, for his 60%, so both of you work together to make a good profit.

If you custom farm it again - and in these higher crop price years I understand the appeal of this - then get your prices in writing ahead of time.

And I'd talk to the combiner - not the fella you got this year. If he only does combining, he still might be a pretty good source of finding an honest farmer in the area that would work with you, not against you. Combine folks have connections and a reputation in an area, will likely be up front with you.

For the 2011 season, you kinda got took but that's were you are, didn't get the numbers ahead of time so it is what it is - a learning experience. Write the check is about all you can do.

I take care of a 4 acre plot 5 miles from me, so I undserstand both sides of the issue with costing more for small acres - mine is a family deal so a little different.

Today I spent 1/2 the day fishing wagons around, getting the flight elevator to work with ice in it, hauled 2 wagons to the elvator to weigh & over to a neighbor, cleaned everything up and put away for winter again, out in a cold wind, and leveling off ear corn while unloding by myself - couple bushels in the elevator, crawl up the wagon level off, repeat.

He raises 1/2 a dozen beef on 5 acres, and wants to try ground ear corn. He wanted to pay me today, I took about 1/2 the amount, will take the other 1/2 when he gets the wagons empty - he'll get a couple sold by then to finance things, got a young little boy, hard to take all the money right at Christmas time! Corn went down 9 cents today, so went with that price, said we can see if prices go down some more by spring and can charge less for the other 1/2.

Spent the good part of the day to get less for my corn and worked hard at it - feel great about it, good neighbor, nice young family, love to see his enthusiasim for this sort of stuff, think I get rich on a day like today, not in the pocketbook - tho I come out alright. But I feel kinda rich this evening.

Hopefully not all 'farmers' are like the one you met on the internet in your area.

--->Paul

 

[dixon boy RL]

call it the real world lessons,nothing in writing,pay it go on.BUT don't do the same stupid thing again Hopefully. we all been there if really honest about things. small patches are real hard to get taken care of thou.

 

[TGIN]

If you have a neighbor that is next door to it it can be worth some cash rent but if a guy has to travel very far for that small of a field most operators wont take time for it . There is a few big guys around here that have a route and rent all over the county . They start at home and make a big circle , one of these type guys may be the way for you to go . I have 3 fields up and down the road I bale for free just to keep them clean and they can keep there ag stats for taxes . I keep the edges bushhogged once a yr. even that I get the ground for free it is still about a breakeven deal if ya figger in your time , travel and aggervation on the road with equipment . Alot of yrs. I could buy the hay I get off of them as cheap as baling it but there are yrs there is not much hay to be found and ya better bale all ya can .