Seth Watkins - Integrated farming systems

Integrated Crop & Livestock Systems on Pinhook Farm

3 Topics

1.) Experiences & financial consequences of diversifying a farm.

2.) Key economic & social barriers facing farmers in moving fromspecialization to integrated crop & livestock systems.

3.) Farm as a holistic system & long term approach. What are the benefits of investing in the future?

About Pinhook FarmRevenue Sources:

Cattle

Outfitting

Land mitigation for LEEDSSc 5 credits

USDA subsidy payments My wife’s great job as a special education teacher

Pinhook Farm

Experiences and financial consequences in developing a diversified farm.

Why am I working against Mother Natureinstead of with her?

Experiences and financial consequences in developing a diversified farm.

“Good things as well as bad, you know arecaught by a kind of infection”.

C.S. Lewis

No till, crop rotation, cover crops, & STRIPsWhen combined reduce costs from tillage & fertilizer,

increase production by restoring soil health, protect water, feed the cows, & increase revenue by not farming some land.

Results

Greater revenue per calfCows

Cost Pinhook Farm TraditionalChemicals & Fertilizer 1 Acres @ $59.39 $0$59.50Nitrogen 2 acres @ $42.20 $0 $84.40Winter feed @ $1.50 per cow per day $67.50 (45 days)$180.00 (120 days)Cover crop grazing (grazing pays for cc) $37.50 (45 days)

$0Sub total: $105.00 $323.90Pinhook Farm net savings per cow: $218.90ProductionSteer weight @ 205 days 560#560#% calves weaned per cow exposed 93% 85%Pounds weaned per cow exposed 539.4# @ $1.90476# @ $1.90Revenue per calf @ $1.90 $1,024.86 $904.40Cost minus production ($105.00) ($323.90)

Pinhook Farm Production advantage: $957.36$580.50

Difference of $376.86 per calf

Lower input costs & greater resilience for my crops.

Corn(These reflect costs & production for comparable land in my

region.) Cost Pinhook Farm TraditionalTillage @ $40 per acre $0 $40.00Nitrogen $49.60 (80# @ .62) $93.00 (150# @ .62)Sub total: $49.60 $133.00Pinhook Farm net savings per acre: $83.40

STRIPs:Ag Solver data has documented revenue gains of up to $800 per acre by identifying land not suitable for crop production & enrolling it in CRP.

Current data shows production as neutral, with the exception of drought years. During drought years there is a documented yield increase from using cover crops.

More flowers & pollinators

(More birds)

More wildlife

We don’t have a shortage of corn & soy.

We do have a shortage of clean water, healthy soiland wild things.

More revenue through outfitting & land mitigation

Key Economic & Social Barriers Facing farmers in moving from specialized to integrated systems.

• Population distribution

• Federal Crop Insurance

• RFS• 1031 Tax Free

Exchange• Cheap Oil• Desire / Apathy • Poverty• Linear Thinking

50% of the US population is concentrated in 146 counties.

The Future

Change the way we farm to follow the principles of ConservationAgriculture

Focus on creating responsible land owners

Enforce compliance on Federal Crop Insurance

Make decisions based on calories & dollars

Return to teaching Agriculture as an Art & a Science