Trent’s Christmas List – Better Prices, Warmer Temps
Trent’s Christmas List – Better Prices, Warmer Temps
The first two items on Trent Brandenburg’s Christmas List for 2016 are: better crop prices and warmer temperatures. With the between-seasons farmer optimism, Trent is looking forward to starting another crop year. Although soybeans are more profitable than corn right now, he does not plan to change his rotations. Corn-on-corn incurs more input expenses for fertilizer and disease control. The disease issues are suppressed in a corn-bean rotation.
Trent sees no major changes in planning his crop inputs of seeds and chemicals for the new crop year. He continues to study marketing strategies to enhance his operating return during the current period of low prices. Most trade predictions see the low prices lasting for another two years at least.
More from The Field Report
Machinery and Tile Repairs While Awaiting Warmer Weather
Trent Brandenburg is enjoying the first day of Spring finishing up some machinery repairs. His fieldwork right now involves fixing broken field tiles and clearing waterways to ensure good drainage during the crop year. Trent has not started serious field [...]
Need More Cold Weather, Warmer Markets
Trent Brandenburg wants more cold weather to freeze the soil deeper and kill more overwintering insects. "We are having too many 40-degree days," he observed. Trent noted, "Not much grain is moving," due to lower market pricing. "Eventually, the owner [...]
December Details, Then Christmas
Trent Brandenburg has a lot of details to work with in December before the presents can be wrapped and the tree trimmed. Trent farms plots of land for many different owners. In December the harvest is done. No two plots [...]