Buying Land

[kaceybirchmier]

When you purchase a new piece of land, how do you get it ready to farm? Do you check the fertility of the field or install new tile? Does anyone have strict protocol they follow, or do you just farm it the first year and see how it does?

Thanks,

Kacey

[Shaggy98]

It probably depends on what your location is whether you would check the amenities what ever they are, tile, irrigation equipment, grain bins, etc... As far as the ground goes, I would treat it just like I treat the rest of my ground. If my operation is zoned or setup on grids, I would start the process to get this new piece in line with the rest of my operation. If time doesn't allow, pull random soil samples to figure where the base fertility level might be.

[Geniusfarms]

Kacey> One thing i always do is find out the coop/agronomist that supplied the fertilizer for the ground the last several years and ask what the previous owner/tennant has applied. I also ask what the last few years of yield has been, as well as crop rotation. The information along with random soil samples is great information to use as a base guidline for the first couple years. Never had a local coop manager not give out this information. Good Luck !!

[buckfarmer]

I've only bought one "new" farm and signed a few long term leases on others. 1. Cut
Brush. 2. Clear fence rows. 3 get fertility correct. 4. Tile. 5. build grass waterways. 6. Build "roads" to get in and out of fields in less than ideal weather.

[Shaggy98]

Your local cooperatives must be different than mine, they won't give a bit of information about a neighboring producer. Kind of ticked me off at first, now I'm glad. No one else needs to know how much fertilizer I apply. As far as the crop rotation goes, I'll look at the ground myself. Even in full tillage you can generally tell what it has produced in the last two year time frame.

[Geniusfarms]

Sometimes guys around here are coc for 5-10 yrs in a row. I like to know on farms that we buy what the rotation has been for the last four years, for corn rootworm pressure,gray leaf spot, northern leaf blight, as well as other diseases that might apply if this has been coc for years. Especially if this is a farm that i have not driven by on a regular weekly time-frame, you really don't remember the farm that well. The fertilizer and yield if someone want to know i will tell them, as whats the big secret. Some years yield better than others as we all well know.

[kaceybirchmier]

Thanks, all. That's really helpful information. Are there any practices that the previous owner used that would turn you away from a piece of land, or make you hesitant to buy it?

[Shaggy98]

Not really, land is a precious commodity and they aren't making any more of it. If you've found some that is in your price range I'd say go for it. If it has improvements that need to be accomplished along the way that is just something that you'll have to deal with. I'd venture to say there aren't to many "perfect" pieces of ground that come up for sale.

[JCCWIS]

Land with improvements{ tile , good ph , top fertility levels, etc. ] will be priced higher but still probably cheaper than land without the improvements when you add in the cost of improving the land !! At least thats the way it usually works up here in Nort. Cent Wi....John

[KSKid501]

Within 15 miles of my "home base", I wouldn't buy any irrigated farm ground. 

Why, you ask? Well, around here the ground water is extremely salty, and is starting to cause saline-sodic soils.  I don't want to buy any toxic assets if I can avoid it.