Moscow, Idaho, USA
September 24, 2010
When it comes to Kentucky bluegrass, like the song goes, farmers have to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em. University of Idaho agricultural economist Kate Painter has an instrument to help farmers decide when to toss in the cards.
Painter produced an enterprise budget worksheet in Microsoft Excel that summarizes net returns for different residue treatment strategies and calculates net present value for long-lived bluegrass stands.
Painter, a farm and ranch management specialist in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, will present a seminar about her bluegrass analysis Friday, Oct. 1, at 3 p.m. in the Agricultural Sciences Building, Room 62, 606 Rayburn St. in Moscow.
"The biggest question for me was: When do you quit?" Painter said. With the right conditions and the right management tools, growers can keep the same bluegrass planting for seven years or more.
With limited management tools, a bluegrass planting might yield acceptable cash returns for only a year or two – or never.
Kentucky bluegrass can provide growers with a profitable crop that also presents extensive environmental benefits, primarily by minimizing erosion. Field burning, which studies show lengthens the economic life of plantings, raises controversy because critics say it poses unacceptable health risks.
Using the Excel tool, bluegrass growers can enter sales prices for the Kentucky bluegrass seed, their anticipated yields, bluegrass straw prices if they bale it and other variables.
This program offers a look at the complex world of bluegrass production strategies. Painter developed the program with bluegrass growers in mind who farm along the border of Idaho and Washington, who must consider bluegrass contract terms, different regulations in each state and tribal regulations on two Indian reservations.
In her role as farm and ranch management specialist, Painter prepares enterprise budgets that can help growers track the costs and potential profits of their crops. These budgets are available at www.cals.uidaho.edu/aers/r_crops.htm
Topics
Species
