Well, I didn't buy anything at the farm expo today. I've realized how little chance I have of buying any equipment in the next year or two. It was fun to go look at stuff, though. There are some pretty talented people out there building things I would've never thought to build, or wouldn't have the know-how to build.
I did price some sprayers. Anywhere from $8,000 to $14,000 for what I'm looking for. Ag Service, who currently does our spraying, charges $7/acre to run their sprayer on our ground. If we sprayed 1,200 acres in the first year we had the sprayer, it'd pay for itself. Also, we could shop around for herbicide, which could save us some extra money. I know a guy around here who saves a bundle by getting his herbicide up north. I'm hesitant to buy a sprayer because I'm scared I'd buy it and we wouldn't use it. The last 3 springs/summers have been pretty crazy. We've had so much rain early in the year that we play catch up all summer. In the summer of '09 I did some field work while there was still water standing in the fields. This wouldn't leave any time for spraying. That being said, wet years cycle, and pretty soon it'll start getting dry again.
I don't know.
You have a really tough job!
ReplyDeleteI'll take my immature 9th graders.
(Of course, I'm saying that the night before my last day with them. It's easier to say I like them when there's just one more day.)
Go organic and then all your problems are solved. (Okay. I am completely aware of the fact that I am opening a large can of Worms, NE here.) :)
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