Purdue publishes Indiana Custom Rates for farmers

Monday, September 10, 2012

Purdue has a brand new Custom Rates Publication for 2012.

A questionnaire was given out across the state by extension educators and 272 survey responses were received. Chances are you may have been asked to fill out one of these surveys if you attended a private applicator training last fall or this spring.

The rates include payments made for fuel, operator labor, and machinery ownership costs. Some responses varied widely. When there were fewer than eight responses to a question, the responses were left out of the publication. Where there are a small number of responses be extra cautious when using the results.

Custom rates can differ significantly from one area of the state to another. Therefore, the state average may vary from the actual cost.

In Indiana, much of the custom rate farm work is done after another farmer has completed his or her own work. This affects the amount they may charge and the price may be well below the actual cost of the operation.

When an operator is doing large amounts of custom rates' work they should take into consideration the full cost of owning the machinery and the cost of labor.

This is the first report like this from Purdue in a long while. The areas this report covers are land preparation operations, farm fertilizer and chemical applications operations, planting operations, corn, soybean and small grain harvesting operations, hiring machinery and operators for all growing and harvesting operations, on-farm corn drying, hay/straw or corn storage and harvesting operations, miscellaneous custom work and farm machine rental ( excluding fuel and labor costs).

Use this as a guide for making decisions, but make sure you take regional differences into consideration as well. This report is called 2012 Indiana Farm Custom Rates EC-130-w.

It is available online at www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/ec/ec-130-w.pdf or call Ann Delchambre 653-8411 or email adelchambre@purdue.edu

Indiana Prairie Farmers Master Farmer Award

Each year the Indiana Prairie Farmers sponsor a Master Farmer Award that is given to an outstanding farmer in the state of Indiana. This year, in an unprecedented nomination, three brothers of the 4K farms received the Master Farmer Award.

Kerry, Kim, and Kent Ames all farm together with their father Kenny (the 4th K in the name). Each brother received the award for outstanding farming practices. Kenny received the Master Farmer Award in 2002.

Please join me in congratulating the Ames family on receiving this prestigious award. For more information about his award and the Ames family is available at farmprogress.com/story-three-farming-brothers-named-master-farmers-individually-0-60640.

Upcoming events

Sept. 10 -- Extension Homemakers Leader Lesson "Helping Your Brain Work for YOU" 7 p.m. Extension Office

Sept. 11 -- Putnam County Health Coalition 10 a.m. at Extension Office

Sept. 13 -- Extension Homemakers County Council Meeting 7 p.m. at Extension Office

Sept. 9-30 -- TSC Paper Clover Campaign

Sept. 27 -- Extension Homemakers Achievement Night 6:30 p.m. at the Fairgrounds

Oct. 1 -- Extension Homemakers Leader Lesson "Good Grief" 7 p.m. at the Extension Office

Oct. 2 -- Master Gardener association meeting 7 p.m/ Julian building at Depauw room 157

Oct. 3-4 -- Bridges Out of Poverty Program, Prindle Institute (DePauw) pre-register by Sept. 26

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