Year Two Nets 3.2X Higher Profit Per Acre than Historical Conventional Harvest
Final harvest numbers are in, and we are satisfied with the yields. This was year 2 of our transition to making the farm fully organic and we consider it a success. In year 1 we used grain sorghum and knew it was a scavenger crop that would help us minimize erosion and water use. In year 2 we had half the farm in Non-GMO Soybeans and the other half in Non-GMO Corn. The corn yielded 185 bushels per acre and the soybeans were 34 bushels per acre.
We consider the 185 and 34 a win compared to “normal” production.
Normal production would have raised 225 bushels of corn and 50 bushels of beans per acre, but inputs are much higher, and the price is much lower using traditional fertilizers and chemicals.
Example:
- 185 bushels per acre x $10.50 for Organic Corn is $1942.50 per acre
- The cost to Grow that crop is $865.00 per acre
- Net Profit = $1077.50 per acre
- 225 bushels per acre x 6.75 for Regular Corn = $1,518.75 per acre
- The cost to Grow that crop is $1150.00 per
- Net Profit = $368.75 per acre
You can see that organic yielded nearly 3x the revenue as traditional farming.
Planning for Spring
We will now take the winter months and analyze our soil samples to plan for this spring. Fertility is limited in organic production but having hog manure on the farm is a huge saving for us. This manure will be the variable rate applied and sampled as it’s pumped to verify the amount of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium we are putting on the ground as well as how much is readily available.
We are also updating our organic paperwork to verify with the certifying agency that we have a green light to grow and market our first organic crop. They will verify that nothing in the last two crop years that was unapproved was applied to this ground. This process starts in January and follows up with an onsite inspection sometime during the growing season. Equipment cleanout, buffers, and seed selection are all part of the process that become critical in the next growing season.
The days are getting longer, and we can’t wait to be back in the field growing our first organic crop!
