Custom Work Rates are Available for 2018

Jul 17, 2018

By Robert Battel

The 2018 Custom Machine and Work Rate Estimates fact sheet from Michigan State University Extension is now available. It contains averages of several different university survey results on rates paid for farm custom machinery work. This information is intended to give farmers looking to hire a custom operator or custom operators a starting point in negotiating a price for various services.

The fact sheet includes custom rates averaged from all the surveys and maximum and minimum rates reported. The University of Minnesota provides total machine cost per acre, machine rates per hour and estimates of acres per hour fuel usage for many of the machines. The report also lists hourly rates for tractor rentals as well as farm labor costs.

In addition to the University of Minnesota, other university resources included to compile these results include Iowa State University, Kansas State University, University of Kentucky, University of Illinois, University of Wisconsin and Oklahoma State University.

This fact sheet is intended to be a guide and therefore all producers are encouraged to develop their own custom rates based on tradition or usual rates set in the community. A worksheet on the final page of the fact sheet is provided for their own machinery costs to calculate cost of ownership and custom rates for various pieces of machinery.

Download the 2018 Custom Machine and Work Rate Estimates.

Source: msu.edu

Video: A chain harrow is a game changer

Utilizing a rotational grazing method on our farmstead with our sheep helps to let the pasture/paddocks rest. We also just invested in a chain harrow to allow us to drag the paddocks our sheep just left to break up and spread their manure around, dethatch thicker grass areas, and to rough up bare dirt areas to all for a better seed to soil contact if we overseed that paddock. This was our first time really using the chain harrow besides initially testing it out. We are very impressed with the work it did and how and area that was majority dirt, could be roughed up before reseeding.

Did you know we also operate a small business on the homestead. We make homemade, handcrafted soaps, shampoo bars, hair and beard products in addition to offering our pasture raised pork, lamb, and 100% raw honey. You can find out more about our products and ingredients by visiting our website at www.mimiandpoppysplace.com. There you can shop our products and sign up for our monthly newsletter that highlights a soap or ingredient, gives monthly updates about the homestead, and also lists the markets, festivals, and events we’ll be attending that month.