Page B—Com Talk, Lancaster Farming, Saturday, October 14, 2000
First-Time Five-Acre Corn
(Continued, from Pago 4)
More is always ready to try
new things, and has worked
closely with the Penn State
Cooperative Extension ser
vice in the past. This year he
cosponsored a crop field day
at his farm and a neighbor’s
farm. He is also always
searching for new hybrids
that meet his needs.
“Each year we have cer
tain varieties that we test.
They may be new varieties
that are coming on the
market or they may be some
varieties that I’ve had in the
past that may be very good
yielders but may have some
other traits that I didn’t like
very much. We still give them
another chance,” he said.
When the six to 12 varie
ties that he tests are har
vested, More carefully
determines yields by weigh
ing the corn.
“It’s very hard to
eyeball it,” he said.
“If you’re talking
yields of close to 200
bushels per acre,
and you miss it by 20
percent, that’s 40
bushels.”
He also looks for
good standability,
stalk strength, and
depth of root
system.
All of More’s crop
is custom harvested.
After drying and
storing the grain,
More has it custom
hauled to the buyer.
The hauling expense
might soon be a
memory for More,
however, because
less than a mile up
the road, a new mill
is under construc
tion.
“Normally when
you get the grain
hauled, it’s like 15
cents per bushel,”
noted More. “Now
that it’s right next
door to me, I’ll do
the hauling and it
will give me a sav
ings of about $6,000
in a year.”
More has again
entered the Five-
Acre Corn contest
for the 2000 crop
year and has also
signed up for the
soybean contest.
Plentiful rain this
year proved to be a
double-edged sword
for farmers in some
areas. A wet spring
caused late planting
and more disease
throughout the
season. Low summer
temperatures also
“Because of the wet condi
tions, I started to plant this
year on April 29. Usually I
start around April 20,” said
More.
The wet weather also
caused an increase in some
plant diseases such as rust,
blight, and gray leaf, but
proved beneficial in the long
run.
“I don’t remember ever
seeing a crop year when my
corn didn’t suffer some stress
from lack of moisture,” he
said.
More also struggles to keep
predators out of his crops.
Deer damage in his soybeans
is high and he has experi
enced a lot of corn crop
damage from wild geese.
“The worst thing with the
geese is that they’re regulated
by the federal government.
Normally if you have a prob
lem with a state animal, it’s
no problem. The game com
mission works with you to
remedy the problem. This is
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an altogether different situa
tion. You have to go through
a lot of different regulations
to try to get a permit to take
out so many birds. Just be
cause you apply for a permit
and spend $25 for a permit
doesn’t mean they’re going to
give you a permit,” he said.
In spite of weather condi
tions, disease and animal
damage, corn yields this year
are expected to be high
throughout the state and
nation.
“The county as a whole
will be above average, the
state will be above average
and the nation, as far as the
USDA is projecting so far, is
going to be one of the largest
crops that was ever pro
duced. When that happens,
our prices in this area are dic
tated by what happens in the
corn growing belt out w,est.
As it stands now, prices have
been very soft in the past few
months. We’re at some 10-
year lows on some prices,”
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explained More.
Like other commodities,
bountiful crops mean that it
will be harder to make a
profit farming. Add to that
the higher fuel prices and
times get tougher.
More calculated that diesel
fuel in March of 1999 was
$.56 per gallon. Today it’s
$1.29 per gallon or 135 per
cent higher. LP gas is 50 per
cent higher than last season.
“Because of the low prices
from the last two seasons and
most likely this season, a
farmer must have top man
agement skills to keep the
books in the black,” said
More.
More credits the govern
ment for helping farmers sur
vive the rough times.
“If the government wasn’t
involved, I don’t think you
can keep the books in the
black,” he said, alluding to
the many programs that are
available for today’s farmers.
As far he can see, it will be
unlikely that another genera
tion of Mores will crop farm
and continue the family trad
ition.
“The farmer wants to
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farm, but also he wants to
receive a return on his invest
ment. He’s not received that
for a number of years. When
I look forward, I don’t see
anything different happen
ing. I have a daughter and a
son, and I don’t see them
being involved in this busi
ness,” said More.
More also operates a home
heating business in which he
spends a great deal of time,
balancing two self-employed
operations.
Also, to help protect his
farming investment, More be
longs to a local grain market
ing group, The Central
Susquehanna Grain Market
ing Club, which meets and
trades options. They also
share information about the
price of inputs and other
things to improve production
efficiencies.
“We’re comprised of about
five counties,” noted More.
He also is a member of the
Farm Bureau, the NCGA,
and different associations
that are trying to develop
other uses for grain.
If things are to become
(Turn to Pag* 9)
See Your
AGCO White
Dealer Listed
Below.
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Miller Equipment
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Wertz Farm & Power Equip
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Meyers Implements
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