I'm working with my mother on putting some farmland into a government program for wild life preservation. Part of the requirement is that we need to plant a food plot each year. It will be about approximately 10 acres. Do any of you do smal amount of planting like this? If so what kind of equipment are you using?
schlot I've never done 10ac of food plot but most of it will depend on the lay of the land. A quad and small disc is probably not going to tackle 10ac, but a reasonable 2wd used tractor (if the land is flat) with a disc or you could hire the ground work out and plant with a broadcast spreader. Really depends on the lay of the land as for how to tackle it effectively.
That's what I was thinking too. The ATV didn't seem like much of an option. Although we have the latitude to place the food plot anywhere, none of the land is very steep.
10 acres is a little much to call a food plot! I put a couple of acres total in with a roto-tiller, set of drags, and a roller, and spread like and seed by hand. 10 acres-I think you are looking at small farm tractor or a large compact tractor-a 2 or 3 bottom plow and/or a 6-8' disc, a broadcast seeder and/or a grain drill depending on what you are planting, and some sort of cultipacker.
Food plots in general - (I'm assuming you're not hunting this) are better in spaced out areas rather than concentrated in one plot. what condition is the land currently? if old pasture it'll benefit from a bottom turning plow(again not knowing what soil conditions are in Iowa) setting for a year before top disc and seeding - but this a food plot not producing farming
We have to put 10% so it's about 10acres depending how the considerest the tree plots we put in years ago. It might go to 12 acres. Corn was recommended for both deer and pheasant.
Yes, I think a couple areas make sense, especially as a creek bisects the property. It's in corn/soybean rotation so no need for deep tiling. Actually it's discouraged for erosion reasons.
so the land is already prepped and I'm assuming leased/managed currently with top-drill seeding if there is a piece or two of low productivity I'd talk to the lessee and have them plant it as they do now - just not harvest, tree lines etc they'd be happy to not waste fertilizer or does this land have to belong to "the state"
Yes we have a renter for this year then we will plant about 100 acres in cover crop and 10 into a food plot next spring. Obviously the food plot planting is yearly after that. I'd love to see a purchase of a small tractor so I could manage other areas of the farm for her. If so it makes sense to also use it for the food plot.
I think you need to start a tractor buying thread with some guys familiar with large acreage management. I worked a table crop farm ~120ac + leased 3-400ac of rotational crops I've been researching tractors for my specific purpose, but it sounds like a good bit of bushhog and annual disc & seeding will occur on a large tract of land bring some tractor guys to the thread, they know how to spend your money concretegrazer , foragefarmer , MasterMech, Gasifier , 94BULLITT
An M Farmall, 12 foot disc, an endgate seeder, and an old 4 row planter. Pick all that stuff up at any consignment auction for a couple thousand bucks. Heck, that's how I farm. If you don't want to go that route, I'm sure the NRCS office can get you in contact with contractors that can do it for you. We have the equipment now to do all our own seeding and erosion control when we do NRCS projects, used to hire that all done. That's more profitable than the dirtwork anymore.
That will save you some time and money since the land does not need cleared. Do you have a tractor? If you do what is it? Maybe we can help recommend what size implements you need for it. Will C and Bgoathill named the implements you need. Like Will said it is going to vary depending on what you plan on planting. If you go to auctionzip.com you can preview some local auctions. You may get lucky and find some implements there. Craigslist is always good to watch too.
I'd think the big question is what are the rules for the food plot and if this is HEL ground? You did mention erosion concerns. If you can just broadcast the seed and harrow or roll it in it'll save the expense of the planter. What are your plans for planting the100 acres of cover?
Here's another option from way out in left field, but do you know of any antique tractor groups or even old tractor guys up in your area? I know they would love to bring their tractors out and actually play in the dirt instead of just driving up and down the highway obstructing traffic. Don't know about the actual seeding, but you could probably get a lot of the tillage done. Throw some cow meat on the grill or something, have a little spring fling for the old fellers. Looks like the opportunity for a spring seed sowing GTG at the Schlot homestead.
No tractor yet. Looking for possible ideas. No HEL. Just that deep plowing is discouraged. If we get away from corn broadcasting might work. They also recommend sorghum and sunflowers. I'm thinking we will hire initial planting of cover crop. Cool idea. My brother does have an old F12 that needs restoring.
Are smaller pieces of tillage equipment readily available in your area? An older 50hp tractor should be plenty for an 8' disc & will pull a 10' brushhog
I was thinking about a 50hp ag/ utility tractor too. I would want ag tires on it since you will be doing field work. Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk
