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Best way to figure acreage of a field

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Lance_MF_180

08-14-2007 09:36:00




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I have tried a few times to figure out the acreage of our fields. I have used a measuring wheel and multiplied the LxW/43560. Is there a more accurate way or is that about it?
Thanks
Lance




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buickanddeere

08-15-2007 08:28:32




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 Re: Best way to figure acreage of a field in reply to Lance_MF_180, 08-14-2007 09:36:00  
Walk around the field with a gps.



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KBath

08-15-2007 04:30:44




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 Re: Best way to figure acreage of a field in reply to Lance_MF_180, 08-14-2007 09:36:00  
The court house should have the measurements of your place on file decribed in the deed. Multiply Length of your field x Width of your field and divide by 1 acre(210ft x 210ft=(44100ft) that should give you your over all acreage. Thats how we figured ours. Kris



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John A.

08-14-2007 21:43:48




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 Re: Best way to figure acreage of a field in reply to Lance_MF_180, 08-14-2007 09:36:00  
Lance, If memory serves me..... ..... ..... ..... ..
L(in chains) -X- W(in chains) = Acres
Later,
John A.



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Allan In NE

08-14-2007 13:22:01




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 Re: Best way to figure acreage of a field in reply to Lance_MF_180, 08-14-2007 09:36:00  
Stop in at your local FSA office. They'll tell you within a tenth of an acre.

They've got aerials of every farm in the country.

Allan



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rrlund

08-14-2007 13:34:41




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 Re: Best way to figure acreage of a field in reply to Allan In NE, 08-14-2007 13:22:01  
You stole my thunder. They can put the map on a table and split fields for you even just by moving that thing with the crosshairs on it.



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Paul from MN

08-14-2007 12:24:36




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 Re: Best way to figure acreage of a field in reply to Lance_MF_180, 08-14-2007 09:36:00  
GPS.

I have a small handheld Garmin Legend and it will calculate area. All you have to do is start it then walk or drive the perimiter of the field. Typically it will be off on any point 15-30" but that will average out and you will get a very accurate measurement.

If you have hills any calculation will be off, (more hills and larger hills will give you more surface acreage) because you are measuring the plane and not accounting for the slope. This could affect seed and fertilizer requirements. If this is a factor for you GPS will also allow you to take elevation readings at various points in the field. There are calculators online that you can input that data into and get extremely accurate information on the surface acreage of your field.

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Paul from MN

08-14-2007 12:20:09




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 Re: Best way to figure acreage of a field in reply to Lance_MF_180, 08-14-2007 09:36:00  
GPS.

I have a small handheld Garmin Legend and it will calculate area. All you have to do is start it then walk or drive the perimiter of the field. Typically it will be off on any point 15-30" but that will average out and you will get a very accurate measurement.

If you have hills any calculation will be off, (more hills and larger hills will give you more surface acreage) because you are measuring the plane and not accounting for the slope. This could affect seed and fertilizer requirements. If this is a factor for you GPS will also allow you to take elevation readings at various points in the field. There are calculators online that you can input that data into and get extremely accurate information on the surface acreage of your field.

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kyhayman

08-14-2007 11:58:22




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 Re: Best way to figure acreage of a field in reply to Lance_MF_180, 08-14-2007 09:36:00  
Short of using some fairly expensive instruments or a lot of time and trig your method works great if the fields are square or rectangular. If not and the way I did it for spraying calculations was to measure all sides of the field and draw it out on graph paper. Then I could plot straight lines and make it into rectangles, trapazoids, and triangles. Using a little high school algebra and geometry its then possible to figure the field.

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bva

08-14-2007 11:37:00




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 Re: Best way to figure acreage of a field in reply to Lance_MF_180, 08-14-2007 09:36:00  

your method is good for day to day work when dealing with squares or rectagles. When dealing with odd shaped areas this becomes more difficult. Using accepted mathmatical methods to measure areas is acceptable. do a search of USGS TOPO maps and get you a map of your area. Your local government offices or department of transportation may have them. An aerial photo of your are to known scale is a very valuable tool. Most all state Departments of transportation have full coverage of the state. These photos will be to scale as in 1"on the photo is equal to25' on the ground. Two adjacent photos and a set of sterio glasses will allow you to see the topo in 3D.

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Gerald J.

08-14-2007 11:13:35




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 Re: Best way to figure acreage of a field in reply to Lance_MF_180, 08-14-2007 09:36:00  
That's as accurate as your measurement and if your two directions are exactly 90 degrees apart. My field corners are about a half a degree off and I had to fight with the assessor's office, they rounded the corners to 90 degrees and gained an acre to tax over the surveyed acres.

Sometimes the county FSA office has aerial photos printed to a standard scale so they can use an planometer or a simple plastic scale to figure the actual planted area and with practice they are now within .05 acre of my computation based on the survey and the gaps to the fences and the parts that I don't cultivate drawn up in AutoCad which will figure area if you ask it.

Gerald J.

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MGTPa

08-14-2007 11:05:18




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 Re: Best way to figure acreage of a field in reply to Lance_MF_180, 08-14-2007 09:36:00  
Using the formula works if you have accurate measurements. Checking at the local county ag folks works too. I often been told that a fooball field is just a tad over an acre in size, about 1.1 acre. 300ft X 160ft = 48000 divided by 43,560 = about 1.1 acre. I think?



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Dick L

08-14-2007 10:49:45




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 Re: Best way to figure acreage of a field in reply to Lance_MF_180, 08-14-2007 09:36:00  
Call your county tax office or CRP office. They will have exact acreage on your farm aerial map.



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Walt Davies

08-14-2007 10:05:52




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 Re: Best way to figure acreage of a field in reply to Lance_MF_180, 08-14-2007 09:36:00  
I don't know but have you looked on the deed.
Walt



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chuck t

08-14-2007 10:00:23




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 Re: Best way to figure acreage of a field in reply to Lance_MF_180, 08-14-2007 09:36:00  
Seems to me there should be a way to get very close with Google Earth or a similar internet aerial photo. Anybody tried this way?



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paul

08-14-2007 10:02:36




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 Re: Best way to figure acreage of a field in reply to chuck t, 08-14-2007 10:00:23  
One needs exact elevation level of the picture to get the acrage measurement. The govt does this over most ag land in the USA, and creates maps from the pictures. But you need some exact info on the scale of the pics. Check your FSA office for such maps.

--->Paul



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mjbrown

08-14-2007 09:46:48




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 Re: Best way to figure acreage of a field in reply to Lance_MF_180, 08-14-2007 09:36:00  
Yes there is a more accurate way. Hire a surveyor to measure it with a laser transit. He (or she) can measure to the inch or so.



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Triplerange

08-14-2007 09:59:02




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 Re: Best way to figure acreage of a field in reply to mjbrown, 08-14-2007 09:46:48  
Nah...we're usually off 2 to 4 inches. :-)



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KRUSS1

08-14-2007 09:42:31




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 Re: Best way to figure acreage of a field in reply to Lance_MF_180, 08-14-2007 09:36:00  
Yes, in feet (square feet) that is exactly how you figure it out.



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dan hill

08-15-2007 03:57:43




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 Re: Best way to figure acreage of a field in reply to KRUSS1, 08-14-2007 09:42:31  
Try the easy way.put a chalk mark on your rear tractor tire.Measure the distance one revolution travels.Count the revolutions on two side lines.This will give the figures you need.



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