I am considering buying a farm that has 50 acres of alphalpha on it and I would like to know what the income would be in a years time selling the alphalpha. Any information that you can give me would be apreciated.

-- Anonymous, May 27, 2003

Answers

Hello Don,

There are a lot of variables involved in the answer to your question and the varieables will change every year. Farming is exciting, inprecise, and unpredictable. Very much like gambling.

Your annual income raising alfalfa will depend on your expenses (equipment, fuel, fertilizer, chemicals if you are so inclined, water, etc.) versus gross income. It also depends on what you have set as goals. If you are just looking to make a little extra to help with bills, 50 acres is nice. If you are trying to make a living raising hay on 50 acres, it is probably not realistic.

My father-in-law had a 650 acre alfalfa ranch and made good money for a few years and then the bottom dropped out of his market. He ended up changing on the fly to raising replacement dairy heifers and steers. This way he added value to his hay crop by feeding it himself. Being successful at farming requires remaining flexible and changing as quickly as necessary.

What I would do is to check the prices of hay in your area. Call local feed stores, dairies, farms, etc. and ask what they pay. I would contact the local county extension agent and ask them for information about raising alfalfa in your area and what kinds of yields per acre you might expect. Weigh these numbers against what it is going to cost you to cultivate, harvest and sell.

I hope that this helps a bit.

Mike

-- Anonymous, June 01, 2003