Where should you invest? Of all the places you can invest your earnings to grow your business, pivots and land are probably quite comparable…

America has been moving backwards for several decades now as the leader of the industrial world.  Values such as hard work, honesty, integrity, quality, and loyalty have taken a back seat to the “me” generation’s values.  They want the newest gadgets that provide endless comfort and entertainment.  Long term commitments mean nothing.  Lasting relationships are nearly non-existent.  This includes family, careers, local businesses, educational institutions, even sports teams.  They want everything now with minimal effort.  Many service businesses today are doing everything they can to eliminate personal contact with their customers.  Let’s automate and eliminate payroll.  No thanks! Call me old school, I’ll take that as a compliment.  Values matter to me, and I think they should matter to you…

Most any business that has customers also is a customer.  Very few can provide a product or service without needing some type of input or service to keep their customers happy. 

Let’s talk about Michigan Valley Irrigation and make a couple of assumptions first…

As the planting season rolls on, do you feel confident you are in the best position to maximize your investment in crop inputs.  There is no doubt that many farmers are struggling to stretch their input dollars and maximize yields. Fertilizer and other inputs  such as seed, chemicals, fuel and equipment are clearly outpacing the market value of many crops in 2024.  Are you utilizing tools like grid sampling and tissue sampling to maximize results and control costs by field or even multiple locations per field?

First noticed in the 1600’s with warming surface waters in the Pacific Ocean, El Nino is predicted for this winter and probably next.  This phenomenon was recorded as recently as 1997 / 1998 and 2005/ 2006.  Along with the impact on the ocean, we should expect unseasonably warmer and drier weather patterns.

Muck soils which are very high in organic matter have been attractive to specialty crop growers for many years. The high organic matter content creates a loose medium allowing root penetration to progress much more quickly than in mineral soils. This loose particle structure is also superior in water holding capacity to mineral soils. When drained and preserved properly it is an excellent growing medium for specialty crops such as carrots, lettuces, mint, onions, potatoes, radishes, and sod. One of the limitations is that the organic matter oxidizes when open and exposed to the elements. Of all the crops attracted to muck soils, onions may be the greatest beneficiary. The high sulfur content improves flavor cooking quality and storability.

All the sod growers I know have invested in some form of irrigation.  I have seen solid set, soft hose travelers, hard hose travelers and pivots.  As the cost of labor continues to grow, operational efficiency has become increasingly important.  Like most farm operations in America, sod farms have continued to grow as well.  The fields have become larger and the total acres per farm have also increased.  The rising cost of inputs adds risk to unirrigated acres that depend on rain to meet plant demands. Michigan’s ability to access water for irrigation is a bright spot compared to many states in this country.  Michigan’s irrigated acres have continued to grow and since 2017 have been ranked in the top 20 states for irrigated land.

Where do I start? Are Pivots My Best Option? With most any new enterprise or project, the first few steps are the hardest.  Doing some research is critical.  Let’s walk through some basic need to knows that will help get started.