Download - Seth Watkins - Integrated farming systems
Integrated Crop & Livestock Systems on Pinhook Farm
3 Topics
1.) Experiences & financial consequences of diversifying a farm.
2.) Key economic & social barriers facing farmers in moving fromspecialization to integrated crop & livestock systems.
3.) Farm as a holistic system & long term approach. What are the benefits of investing in the future?
About Pinhook FarmRevenue Sources:
Cattle
Outfitting
Land mitigation for LEEDSSc 5 credits
USDA subsidy payments My wife’s great job as a special education teacher
Pinhook Farm
Experiences and financial consequences in developing a diversified farm.
Why am I working against Mother Natureinstead of with her?
Experiences and financial consequences in developing a diversified farm.
“Good things as well as bad, you know arecaught by a kind of infection”.
C.S. Lewis
No till, crop rotation, cover crops, & STRIPsWhen combined reduce costs from tillage & fertilizer,
increase production by restoring soil health, protect water, feed the cows, & increase revenue by not farming some land.
Results
Greater revenue per calfCows
Cost Pinhook Farm TraditionalChemicals & Fertilizer 1 Acres @ $59.39 $0$59.50Nitrogen 2 acres @ $42.20 $0 $84.40Winter feed @ $1.50 per cow per day $67.50 (45 days)$180.00 (120 days)Cover crop grazing (grazing pays for cc) $37.50 (45 days)
$0Sub total: $105.00 $323.90Pinhook Farm net savings per cow: $218.90ProductionSteer weight @ 205 days 560#560#% calves weaned per cow exposed 93% 85%Pounds weaned per cow exposed 539.4# @ $1.90476# @ $1.90Revenue per calf @ $1.90 $1,024.86 $904.40Cost minus production ($105.00) ($323.90)
Pinhook Farm Production advantage: $957.36$580.50
Difference of $376.86 per calf
Lower input costs & greater resilience for my crops.
Corn(These reflect costs & production for comparable land in my
region.) Cost Pinhook Farm TraditionalTillage @ $40 per acre $0 $40.00Nitrogen $49.60 (80# @ .62) $93.00 (150# @ .62)Sub total: $49.60 $133.00Pinhook Farm net savings per acre: $83.40
STRIPs:Ag Solver data has documented revenue gains of up to $800 per acre by identifying land not suitable for crop production & enrolling it in CRP.
Current data shows production as neutral, with the exception of drought years. During drought years there is a documented yield increase from using cover crops.
More flowers & pollinators
(More birds)
More wildlife
We don’t have a shortage of corn & soy.
We do have a shortage of clean water, healthy soiland wild things.
More revenue through outfitting & land mitigation
Key Economic & Social Barriers Facing farmers in moving from specialized to integrated systems.
• Population distribution
• Federal Crop Insurance
• RFS• 1031 Tax Free
Exchange• Cheap Oil• Desire / Apathy • Poverty• Linear Thinking
50% of the US population is concentrated in 146 counties.
The Future
Change the way we farm to follow the principles of ConservationAgriculture
Focus on creating responsible land owners
Enforce compliance on Federal Crop Insurance
Make decisions based on calories & dollars
Return to teaching Agriculture as an Art & a Science