Late Marketing plan

[marketeye]

On March 26, 2021, a farmer in southern Iowa, outside of Chariton (Highway 34), had yet to harvest his 2020 corn crop. By all accounts, it appeared the field was an 80 acre field. Doing some easy math, using average yield and today's prices, over $60,000 worth of corn was left in the field. Outside of a tragic occurrence in this farmer's operation, it looked like a shame that the corn was left out there. The truth is you never know the real story. Anyway, I wonder what test weight would be left? What do you think?

Iowa Corn in March 

March 2021 corn

What say you?

Mike

[BA Deere]

It seems to be standing good. I think the test weight will pick up some lbs since it was air dried.   What, maybe 13% moist? since it was a dry fall, winter and spring so far.   I would be very worried about fire, around here firemen busy with grass fires. 

[k-289]

Might  be  a  non- mortgage  field  - maybe - ?   

[sdholloway56]

The movie Hoosiers was filmed near us.

There’s a scene where Gene Hackman and Barbara Hershey are talking while walking through a field of standing corn before the state tourney.

One of the local characters always proudly proclaimed that they filmed it in his field.

[rickgthf]

  I harvested & sold corn last Nov. for $3.64, even had to put it in a bin & dry it some.  In early Jan. with the bins full and truckers lollygagging, winter closed in with the last forty acres still out.  After four feet of snow and one of the hardest winter in some years, we finally got in mid-March.  12.5% moisture and no discernable field losses, put it in the bin,  sold it for $5.57 picked up, got lucky, I guess.

  Now that doesn't happen every year (higher field losses) and I try not to make a habit of it but sometimes there's no choice.   Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't. 

[sw363535]

Rick you remind me of riding the train east (in winter time)as a boy and seeing the corn in Indiana, Illinois and Ohio standing just like that for miles and miles and my father envying their ability to do that.

Here the wind and insects would destroy it.

I would call it a storage plan rather than a marketing plan.  At that time there were pens of corn eaters in nearly every farm yard.  Or a crib that got filled every four weeks or so.

I sure don't see it as a sign of a problem.

On the other hand it could be a sign of an insurance decision waiting for the statute of limitations to run out.

[sdholloway56]

The storage plan tends to be a little hard on the blood pressure.

The year I decided to not rut up the last couple of fields a couple months felt like years.

[k-289]

Few  "  years "  back  had  some  brothers  that  picked  corn  in  the  spring ,  filled  cribs &  shelled  some  out  if  needed  to  finish -  -  -

Same  pair,  when  asked  about  fertilizing  acres  for  more  corn ,  they  declined , although  stated  IF  they  wanted  more  corn  they  would  BUY  another  farm , and  on  occasion  they did  -  -  -

When  they  sold  fat  cattle  or  hogs  in  Omaha ,  proceeds  came  home  in  cash ,  after  a  transaction  at  the Livestock Exchange  Building , as  required ,   a  '' Business Doctorate ''  called  the  Great  Depression  - - -    

[bruce MN]

Nothing to do much with what you folks are talking about but I have to tell you how much I envy you having had that train experience.

Passenger rail was all shut down in these parts by the 50’s and I never rode a passenger train until I was 68 and that was on vacation from Madrid to Barcelona. But it has always fascinated me.

We absolutely loved hearing our Dad talk about the train rides he took while in the Service in the 40’s. Especially the trip from Navy Pier in Chicago to the Naval Base  in San Diego.

[sw363535]

Super Chief/Southwest Chief....... since 1936 leaves garden city or Dodge City for Kansas City (on to Chicago) every evening around midnight.  Stops headed west early in the morning.  Been east from Chicago to DC a couple of times and one of those on south to Florida's version of Disney.

It isn't what I would call good train "Passenger" service.  The whole system is just a western tourist promotion.  But in the Chicago area, down the west coast, in the eastern corridor..... we all subsidize actual service for a few.  Not to mention that great new bullet train in California.........  Funny how we can get coal or grain anywhere we need it but public transportation is confined to a cheap flight to a casino or anywhere else you don't want to go.

And they are yet to subsidize good wifi for the midwest, even though you can't apply for much of anything governmental without it.  Instead we get windmills to cool the cows.

Been a family tradition for a while to take the family on a long train rumble for the experience.  It is still fun, if you make it fun, but it's a far cry from the public transportation expectations of the WW2 young folk.  Or the trip home for the family GI's.  A good % of the young folk coming home by the late 60's were on airplanes and landed wondering how to make the last 400 miles to home.

My favorite now is early spring or late fall from Denver to Sacramento or back.  Well timed for mountain scenery on both ends.  I can fly into Denver, take light rail to Amtrak then rent a car in Sacramento ..... spend a few nights with my uncle in the Bay Area and hear his tales of riding the rail back to Dodge City in his navy blues (1946) from his landing in Seattle.  Get back on and go reverse riding a thunderstorm back into swks.  As the wind rocks the plane like it is this evening.

I doubt that will match Madrid to Barcelona,  but it is what it is.