# Another New Farmer



## JimStC (May 25, 2014)

New member and new farmer.

I live on 15 acres in Central Indiana. Pasture (8 acres) and woods. About half of the pasture is creek bottom and floods once or twice a year.

I have been buying hay, mostly alfalfa for 17 years and this year I have decided to try to learn to grow alfalfa. I have been doing research and reading books.

I am buying the Massey Ferguson 4608 which is a big upgrade from my 1982 Kubota L355SS. Beyond that I haven't made any other equipment decisions and will greatly appreciate recommendations. The 4608 is 63.5 PTO hp and 75 net engine hp..

I am committed to this project and hope to avoid mistakes. I may start with 4 acres as that will exceed my needs.

Any recommendations as to essential equipment and non essential equipment (if there is such a thing) will help me greatly.

Also, non equipment advice regarding how to move up the learning curve, ground preparation, chemical application and anything you want to share will be appreciated.

Thanks,

Jim


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## Nitram (Apr 2, 2011)

Welcome to Hay talk. Upper right corner is a search engine many similar subjects have been covered. Min is tractor cutter baler. But other needed equipment varies. Have someone else plant it for small acreag .


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## JimStC (May 25, 2014)

Thanks Nitram. I am pretty much convinced to contract the planting for the first year. I appreciate the confirmation.

Relative to planting I have been reading about a dual compactor that is metered for seed planting. Is that a good option for when I do plant? My plans are to lease some additional acreage if I get this figured out in a few years.

Jim


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## Nitram (Apr 2, 2011)

There are more ppl on here to answer that. I bale grass/Brome as a youngun I planted dad's alfalfa we disc harrow and planted two directions with rented seeder or our grain drill when had to. Got good stands both ways depends on the right rain at right times


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## JimStC (May 25, 2014)

Thanks again. For leveling the ground and aerating am I correct that you used a disc plow and wire harrow. Sounds simple and easy. Very familiar with both implements. Never thought of that. Sitting here in the middle of corn, soy beans and wheat country I see much more complex set ups. Of course these farmers are running bigger tractors and large acreage.

Jim


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## Nitram (Apr 2, 2011)

Back in 1960's 70's. Disc with a logchain to a tooth type harrow John deer D pulling then one more time with 4 section toothed harrow Ford 8n. Yeah we were BTO lol. Ps this was following wheat crops


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## JimStC (May 25, 2014)

Thanks a bunch!

Jim


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

You can learn a lot and gain some experience and confidence with 8 acres. Be careful with the hay bug. Once it bites you are hooked for life.

We have several good members here from your area with a lot of experience with alfalfa. Someone will hopefully chime in and offer some more pointers.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

You will need to get a alfalfa variety that will tolerate some water since your fields flood annually....do they dry fairly quickly? Most alfalfa does not tolerate wet feet. With your amount of acreage, see if you can work the ground this first time fairly deep and then go over it with a culti-mulcher(borrow/rent) a couple of times with the shanks down...then go over it a couple of times with the shanks barely(3") into the ground and it should give you a good leveling pretty quick. Then you will be ready for seeding.

Regards, Mike


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## JimStC (May 25, 2014)

Mike,

The drying time depends on the weather after the flooding. The creek mostly floods in January and May-June. The May-June water dries quicker than January's. About half of my acreage is flood plain.

I think your advice to aggressively work the ground is the key to speed up the drying time. The ground was used for row crops 30 years back and hasn't been worked since. It is good ground but hard since all I have done is cut it for the last 17 years. There are low spots that hold water. I know that I need to fix them.

I am a mile south of Beck's Hybrids headquarters. I will talk to them about a water resistant seed variety.

Thanks for the advice.

Jim


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## JimStC (May 25, 2014)

The cultimulcher looks to be just what I need to get the ground right. Did some reading and some searches and there are a lot of used ones for sale. I'd say a 10'-12' model should suit my needs. Looks like Brillion is the standard. Price ranges from $2,000 to $30,000. Now that is a price range! Might try to rent one as Mike advised. The ones my friends have are too big for my 4608.

Thanks again for the advice.

Jim


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## Supa Dexta (May 28, 2014)

You've just been cutting and leaving it lay? If so, most of those wet spots will dry out once the land is worked. There's likely such a sod base there now it just holds the water. Atleast that's been my conclusion on land here that's been bush hogged for a number of years and I'm bringing back into production.

Others have passed it over as too wet looking, as it acts like a big sponge. But a couple years of being ploughed for grain land and then put back as hay land has brought it right back into shape.

As for your alfalfa plans, any where it may lay in water for more than a few days at a time and especially if it freezes at the time, it will kill out the alfalfa..


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## JimStC (May 25, 2014)

Yes sir, I have been cutting it and leaving it lay. I haven't even been using a bush hog to cut it. Been using a Massey Ferguson ZT 33 mower to cut it. Heck it looks like yard.

Are there other varieties of hay grasses that are more water resistant? Same question for alfalfa.

Thank you

Jim


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

Yes. Reed canary grass is one. It gets a bad rap by many. But thrives in areas where others drown. Many have high praises for it as well.

I believe one reason many are against it is that a lot of it is in low wet areas and does not get cut until ground is dry enough and hay is over ripe. But I believe put up right and timely makes some good hay.


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