I would absolutely welcome making this part of the discussion.
I own some farm land in IL. We have been told the last couple of years in seminars that the "average" farmer is within a few $$ of breaking at current crop prices, and maybe even losing money. It sure seems like "planting" birds has a potential to yield a positive cash flow if done correctly, but I'm not sure how you sell that to farmers. It costs a couple hundred per person per day minimum to use an outfitter, or you have the choice to take a chance on WIHA until you hit good areas. I would certainly be willing to spend $100/day for access to good habitat that holds some birds. My trip costs would be 1/2 what they are through an outfitter...... If the state, county or FSA could cost share the habitat improvement costs then something like $50/acre profit might sound tempting.
Seems like a no brainer for the legislature to exempt such a program from any liability for injuries, which takes that concern mostly out of the equation.
But unfortunately my knowledge of farm economics is too shallow to know how the numbers would actually play out.
I'd really like to zero in on the business side of things -
Things I'm curious about --- say you have an overgrown shelterbelt/hedgerow (or bodarks for our OK bretheren)
** What is the rough cost to tear the shelterbelt out per foot
** Could a better solution be signing up for a habitat program for this marginal edge ground and possibly having the govt cost share or maybe paying entirely to have the shelterbelt side cut (I've seen the machines) nearly to the ground creating shrubby cover again and providing a windbreak/snow break/blowing break, but allowing more sunlight to your field edges?
** What will be the payback once you gain this extra tillable ground and how many years would it take to get this payback - does it really make financial sense to do this?
** Are you accounting for the fact that more than likely yields on this extra ground you gained will be lower for a # of years (a hypothesis of mine)
** If you signed up for the CP33 (I think that's what it's called) program -- edge/habitat strips would you be money ahead earning income off of land that was marginal to begin with
** What is your time and cost of capital worth (refer back to 1st question on how much would it cost to tear the shelterbelt out) --- also what is your time worth
Spraying and GMO Seeds
** What does it cost to use GMO seeds vs varieties that are not GMO
** How many extra inputs and what is the extra cost to use GMO -- spraying primarily and upfront cost for the seeds
** If you did not use GMO - maybe your yields would be slightly lower but if your inputs are likely less could your profit be nearly the same?
** Again factoring in time and money - if you are practicing super clean farming your inputs of both time and money have to be higher - are you really getting a much higher profit percentage farming this way vs some of the more traditional ways? Again what is your time worth and what is your cost of capital worth?
Crop Insurance
*** I need a better understanding of how this works - and I'd have a # of questions on how this can factor into the above.
Community
** If your community had more ecotourism would it be worth it to you?
** Do you ever think a by-product of not having game around is having a negative impact on your community?
Ranching
*** a Couple of simple questions here -
** Sarcastic question ---> Dont you realize that letting your cattle or someone elses cattle graze the grass down to the dirt every year is stressing the natural balance of things and you'll continue to get crappier and crappier grass output as time goes on - It's not rocket science
**Serious questions again -->> Does burning every single year truly make sense from a time/money perspective -- what true gains are you getting by doing this?
** Trees - why have you not controlled them? Dont you realize you will have marginal grass production when you let your land turn into a cedar or locust forest? I believe there are numerous cost share programs out there to help get rid of them
** Learn about rotational burning and spraying aren't bad tools if used correctly -
** I'd like to think ranching has much simpler solutions
Just pounding this out I'm probably using some of the wrong terms but hopefully someone gets what I'm trying to drill down on.
I'd think a byproduct of shifting some of the farming practices to ways that would benefit wildlife would be more money in the farmers pocket - more of their time back, lower capital outlays, a better sense of community among other things - I could be hypothesizing all wrong - I'm not sure - but I've yet to see any real dollars and cents comparisons. It just seems that most have taken the mentality that if Joe Smith up the road is doing it that way because X Seed company says it will be better for him and he'll make money they just end up doing it without completing any real analysis and factoring in things such as cost of capital or one of the things you can never get back -- your time.