Alpfalfa

I posted a couple of days ago about planting corn, I have done some reasearch on Alfalfa and it looks like its going to about 100$ an acre plus fertizer. Some people have be asking 13$ a bale for it here in NC, and I will be in WV and from what I see its only bringing about 7$ dollars a bale. But it does seem like I would be able to make a little off of it. Im positive that I would be able to sale it. I also be able to have about 18acres of it. Input welcome!!!

farming is the easiest when using a piece of paper for a field and a pencil for a plough.

LOL

Bruce;

I like that. I don't farm in the true sense, only food plots, but it also applies to the garden. Beans and corn did great. Tomatoes, zucchini, and peppers not so much. I rotate every year and it looked good on paper.

Larry

Ain't that the truth.

Better get a soil test on the ground first, see where you're at on pH. Alfalfa will NOT grow in sour ground. In addition, alfalfa does not do well in wetter soils either, so hopefully your ground is well drained and free of heavy clay. How will you harvest? Gotta place to store it? Help to handle it? Will you hire the mowing & baling done? Or buy hay equipment?

Growing alfalfa requires management, management, management. You don't just throw the seed out there and reap the profits. Every insect known to man LOVES the stuff. (insect control) It also LOVES potash and phosphorus fertilizer. It requires multiple cuttings (3-5) on a timely schedule. It can be an absolute BEAR to dry down. If it gets rained on, it's basicly junk. You need to cut it at the right stage each time. 'Too early and you don't get any tonnage, too late and your quality goes to pot. Weed control can be a problem.

Alfalfa is ALSO the absolute "Queen of the Forages". Few other forage crops produce as much tonnage with such high nutrient levels. You don't have to plant it every year.....usually get 4-7 years out of a stand. Tonnage usually ranges 3-5 tons per acre.....much higher than that with good management. It's not cheap to establish either. You'll need to monitor the soil ph, keep phosphorus and potash levels high, add sulphur and boron as needed. You'll need GOOD equipment to handle it. If you bale it too wet, you've got junk. If you bale it too dry, you'll lose the leaves and end up with junk. You'll need to store it inside too.

Personally, I love to grow it. 'Have it growing on all open acres I own. I also "live" with it too.

Best advice: Walk before you run.

Thanks plan on buying, square baler, and cutter, already have ford 2600, tedder and huge barn to store it in, plan on getting about 50hp kubota or kioti, oh got to buy a gooseneck.