President’s Report November 2024

Earlier in the spring, I unknowingly predicted it would be wise to be
patient for optimal planting conditions because we will need to “out yield”
the storm we are experiencing in the markets. I’ve never been much of
prophet, but boy did we need to outyield the market and I think we all have.
Waiting to plant in good conditions once again proved to be the right thing
to do. With the exception of one really wet farm with heavy water damage,
all my yields have been amongst the best ever. I hope yours have been too.
By the time you read this, I imagine most of the countryside will be bare
and harvest pressure will be behind us.
The season that is upon most of us now is fall tillage and fall ammonia
season. The last few years, economics have made me shift from a “sidedress ammonia sort of guy” to a “fall ammonia kind of guy”. I don’t care
what kind of guy anyone is; just make sure you don’t do it too early in the
fall. To me, Veterans Day has always been my day to wait to begin any fall
nitrogen, and I’d encourage everyone to think about that as we are facing
a lot of pressure from some outside groups that may not be as friendly to
ag as we like. We may face a lot more pressure depending on who the next
President is. I’ve had the opportunity to speak recently with some self
proclaimed “ignorant” members of the media who are legitimately trying
to learn about such topics as nutrient runoff, cover crops, and why farmers
do what they do…. among other things. Most usually end up asking me the
question: “why don’t all you farmers just plant cover crops and apply your
fertilizer when the crop is growing?” I explain the reality and logistics most
of us face, most claim they understand, but some still think we aren’t very
responsible. That we should do better. Maybe we can, or maybe we can at
least take a step back and ask ourselves that question.
So, in closing this month’s message, I’d encourage everyone to be patient
with your fall nitrogen needs. Just as being patient for optimal planting conditions proved to be a good thing to do this year, waiting for optimal conditions
for applying fall nitrogen will probably be the right thing as well. Everyone
has unique situations, but think about the time of year it is, the temperature,
soil temperature, and what the forecast looks like before doing so.
Doug Downs
CCFB President