What rocked or flopped in ‘23?

[woodland]

Now that last year is in the rear view mirror I’m just curious what worked great and what needs shaking up for everyone out there?

Tried a couple experiments here this year and was quite impressed with a few of them. Bought a SP chopper with plans of chopping our corn but got way behind at harvest so called in a custom guy in late October that made a couple big piles quick. The feed test came back really good and it averaged 16 ton/ac. Ended up chopping a bunch of really green oat swathes in mid November that got snowed on with our own chopper and it was a game changer compared to the PT. Filling a tandem in 3.5 minutes sure kept the trucks hopping. Kinda made it enjoyable pushing the old Detroit on rubber blocks with tire chains to the max in the greasy hills

On the grain side we planted peas and fababeans. Every time we’ve grown peas it ends in frustration so they won’t be appearing on this place again anytime soon. The Fabas were our first time and stood perfect through the Oct snow and yielded decent considering the hail damage they got so trying them again.

For the cows we bought a hyd calf table this year and that sure helped take hurt away from my back for tipping calves. So easy to use even the girls can run it. Definitely a nice tool to have.

Looking forward to a hopefully less stressful and more profitable year ahead

[Old Cowzilla]

Had a great corn silage crop one of my best and sold yearlings off grass for new highs. The same day I sold those yearlings I should have been selling my canola but no I was too busy enjoying the cattle win -15 this morning and 2 inches of snow on ground everybody has been spoiled feeding cattle so far this winter. Cattle prices seem to be holding up pretty good so far but still lots of days before green grass.

[blackpowder]

Learned that I should be doing a more accurate yield estimation during growing season.
Learned we have to start treating our spray water.
Hoping we can do a better job training people.
Hoping our new harrows works out.

[flea beetle]

Diversification has been the goal here. Will let you know in a few years whether it rocked or flopped. A couple new ventures still in the incubation stage= taking all the spare cash lol.

[Old Cowzilla]

One thing we got going compared to other biz fads come and go but people still gotta eat. Grocery store was packed yesterday so I guess rest of leftovers were given to the cats.

[helmsdale]

-Biggest flop of 2023 (actually 2021 and 22 as well) was the laydown of fertilizer. 2021 was a healthy amount that had an actual negative ROI as late June, early July heat in combination with fairly significant N laydown absolutely fried the crops! 2022, and 2023's crops could have been grown with zero fertilizer. The only product that I can shake hands with is phos, which even though it becomes organic, will eventually over the long term be mineralized back into inorganic plant available P. '22 and '23's laydown was reduced, but I see that it can be reduced significantly further. One can keep laying down fertilizer for "the big one", or let reality grab ahold of you and realize you're likely just twisting money down the drain!

-What I hope rocked is yet to be determined. Chemical bill for 2023 was absolutely absurd, but it *should* reduce the available seedbank for this upcoming 2024 crop. Chemical tends to be one of the first things cut in drought years... The common approach is to go with 4 to 6oz of 2-4D and abandon any attempt at control on anything else be it wild oats, millet, persian darnel, foxtail, or harder to control broadleaves. Im *hoping* that what little crop im expecting in 2024 will at least not have to compete with as many weeds for what precious water is going to be available.

[furrowtickler]

The seed master SR rocked at seeding and establishment for canola. The modified liquid system for Alpine worked great .
Canola looked great until about June 30th then most of it hit a wall and ran out of moisture….. Flop
the canola that missed the hail but got some rain turned out very well though . Hailed stuff recovered ok depending on moisture .
The balance went from some of best looking canola ever to just a bit better than 2021.

so both rocked and flopped… but we knew that might happen after such a great start , warm ground , decent top soil moisture at seeding and if we missed rains the flop was coming with no subsoil moisture for any reserve . Needed at least 1 inch every 7-10 days to keep that canola going .
Was still happy with the yield and limited rain . The bushels per inch of rain was actually quite good considering

[Hamloc]

Was very impressed with Esma barley. Stood well, produced about 12 bushels per inch of rain. Grew Paramount soft white wheat for silage, again very impressed. Out tonned our barley by about 1.5 tons per acre.

What didn’t rock was my grain marketing. I didn’t forward price any canola as it was so dry in early June but canola crop did well, my marketing plan did not.

Calves did well this year. Had to bring them home early as pastures dried out. But they look good. Hope the prices hold.

[flea beetle]

Was very impressed with Esma barley. Stood well, produced about 12 bushels per inch of rain. Grew Paramount soft white wheat for silage, again very impressed. Out tonned our barley by about 1.5 tons per acre.

What didn’t rock was my grain marketing. I didn’t forward price any canola as it was so dry in early June but canola crop did well, my marketing plan did not.

Calves did well this year. Had to bring them home early as pastures dried out. But they look good. Hope the prices hold.

How much do you have to pay to seed your own seed next year for the VUA on esma? Neighbour friend grew some and was very happy with it as well. Just wondering how much flesh they take for you to keep your own seed?

[Guest]

Flops ;
-Using Everest to get rid of volunteer barley in wheat ,complete waste of time
- marketing, again !
-marketing
-marketing
-growing canary/barley/peas in a drought
-trying pioneer 607CL canola , 20 miles away , different soil it’s an all star
-not taking Larry’s advice last two years

positives ;
-growing pioneer 508CL again !
-sold more canola in fall than usual
-not selling any peas from combine
-selling some HRSW to pig barn for $9

[ajl]

The best move in 2023 on this farm was not buying another bin. This forced me to deliver canola directly off combine. The price realized is already $2/bu better than the bushels that did get into the bin. The next best thing was $7/bu barley sale made early July some of which was also delivered off combine as barley bin was also full. Is Esma barley better than Austenson? My Austenson did well this year.

[Hamloc]

How much do you have to pay to seed your own seed next year for the VUA on esma? Neighbour friend grew some and was very happy with it as well. Just wondering how much flesh they take for you to keep your own seed?

I believe the VUA is $2 an acre.

[Hamloc]

The best move in 2023 on this farm was not buying another bin. This forced me to deliver canola directly off combine. The price realized is already $2/bu better than the bushels that did get into the bin. The next best thing was $7/bu barley sale made early July some of which was also delivered off combine as barley bin was also full. Is Esma barley better than Austenson? My Austenson did well this year.

I grew Austenson side by side in one field with Esma. Esma stood right beside lodged Austenson. Austenson looked heavier, thicker. Esma outyielded it by roughly 12 bushels per acre. On lighter sandier soil I would grow Austenson. On your better dirt Esma is worth it in my opinion.

[AlbertaFarmer5]

I grew Austenson side by side in one field with Esma. Esma stood right beside lodged Austenson. Austenson looked heavier, thicker. Esma outyielded it by roughly 12 bushels per acre. On lighter sandier soil I would grow Austenson. On your better dirt Esma is worth it in my opinion.

Do you know anyone who grew it in drought areas? Once it started raining in your area, I don't think you were ever short of moisture again.
Does it have better drought tolerance than other short barley varieties?

[TASFarms]

What rocked
compost extract , sugar,phos.mono silic acid. Instead of insecticide. Soil test show over twice the n and 6 times more phos available than where used grasshopper/fungicide spray. Might have to retest that just to confirm it is correct