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| Young guy looking for advice. I was approached with an opportunity to lease a small field. It’s grass and has been for a long time. Was baled regularly in the past, not so much as of late.
It’s rolling hills, sandy soil, and needs fertilizer according to a recent soil sample showing a ph of 6.1.
This will be one of my first leases and I am trying to figure out how to best use it without it being money lost and a tough lesson a year from now.
I don’t have equipment, YET, so anything will be hired custom this year. I am considering, keeping it hay (I have cattle to feed), fertilizing or not fertilizing, plowing down the grass and planting corn, or fencing it in and putting some of my cows on it, potentially fertilizing before grazing? I would prefer to graze just not sure how well it will support the cows.
I am by no means a soil/crop/grass expert so I’ve got my fair share of concerns, having no history on this field, it being sandy soil, potentially with weeds, and it needing significant improvement no matter what way I go.
If anyone has any insight to share it would be appreciated. A part of me is very hesitant to let the opportunity pass by, being so hard to find land, and another part of me is saying there is better ground out there, that won’t be the first to dry up every year.
Some pics of it today Mid April in Michigan are attached.
 (IMG_1155 (full).jpeg)
 (IMG_1153 (full).jpeg)
 (IMG_1152 (full).jpeg)
 (IMG_1151 (full).jpeg)
 (IMG_1150 (full).jpeg)
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 (IMG_1147 (full).jpeg)
 (IMG_1146 (full).jpeg)
Attachments
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 IMG_1155 (full).jpeg (306KB - 47 downloads)
IMG_1153 (full).jpeg (221KB - 51 downloads)
IMG_1152 (full).jpeg (305KB - 51 downloads)
IMG_1151 (full).jpeg (305KB - 49 downloads)
IMG_1150 (full).jpeg (307KB - 48 downloads)
IMG_1149 (full).jpeg (186KB - 43 downloads)
IMG_1147 (full).jpeg (319KB - 46 downloads)
IMG_1146 (full).jpeg (187KB - 41 downloads)
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Corn vs Hay vs Graze
