Re: Re Interesting Article

Jim Quinton (jquinton@csc.noaa.gov)
Thu, 22 Oct 1998 11:38:15 -0400

Any crop can be grown on Mr. Pool's land, but the returns are not
sufficient to match it's use for the two-crop rotation of corn and soybeans
(...not a "monoculture")... It's very likely that soft red winter wheat
could be worked into his cropping system better than any of the others you
suggest, but even that would not likely come within $50/acre of the
potential net returns in the corn/soybean rotation. IF "double-cropping"
the winter wheat with soybeans following were possible (it's too far north
for that), there could be the rotation change you ask about, but that
hasn't been feasible up to now.

At 10:50 AM 10/21/98 -0400, PetersFarm@aol.com wrote:
>Dear Dr. Magdoff -
>
>..............They don't have alternatives? Why in $%^%#@ not?
>
>Why can't they grow barley, oats, wheat, rape, sugar beets, whatever, for
a few years? Why can't they diversify - don't 1,400 acres of any one crop
invite trouble? Is monoculture the real culprit? Do the rules governing
federal subsidies prohibit alternatives? Are corn and soybeans the only
crops that can yield profits? $16 an acre for 1,400 acres = $22,400 cost
for one insecticide each year - for one farm. How much profit do the
insecticide companies get out of that?
>
>I guess these questions should really be addressed to Dr. Steffey, but maybe
>some SANeters have answers to offer?
>
>More than curious,
>
>Betty Gras

Jim Quinton, Risk Management Coordinator
Agricultural Conservation Innovation Center (ACIC)
2234 S. Hobson Ave.
Charleston, SC 29405-2413

phone: (843) 740-1327
fax: (843) 740-1331

e-mail: Jim.Quinton@agconserv.com

http://www.agconserv.com/

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