Improving your bottom line

Production agriculture is rapidly changing and those who do not successfully meet the challenges that come with change won’t survive. Rising input costs, escalating land prices and volatile commodity prices are all reasons to hire agricultural experts called Certified Crop Advisors (CCA) to help stabilize yield and profitability. Most CCAs work for cooperatives and other agricultural supply businesses but a few, called independent crop consultants, contract directly with farmers.

Farmers who use independent crop consultants feel the return on their investment is well worth it. An Iowa State University survey reported that most farmers say they receive a $2 to $5 return for every dollar they invest in a crop consultant.

“The information and technology available today make it possible to achieve higher yields – or more important, higher profits – with higher levels of management,” says David Wright, Iowa Soybean Association director of production research. “You can make the commitment to refine those management concepts and skills yourself, or a qualified crop consultant can give you the advantage of another set of eyes, experience and knowledge.”

Larry Buck, president of the Iowa Independent Crop Consultants Association, explains that independent crop advisers provide a professional service on a fee basis. “Because we do not sell products or participate in the actual purchase of products, we draw from a base of all available products and management techniques to provide sound, unbiased recommendations, based on each farmer’s individual needs,” he says.

Karen Corrigan of McGillicuddy Corrigan Agronomics, Bloomington, Illinois, says growers’ interest in hiring independent crop consultants has grown in recent years as input prices increased dramatically. “Higher costs led farmers to seek information from an unbiased third party,” Corrigan says.

The service provided by a crop consultant may include fertility recommendations; soil sampling to determine nutrient availability; crop scouting to monitor crop growth and development, monitoring disease, insect, and weed populations; manure management; hybrid and variety selection; equipment recommendations and custom hire advice. Generally, the service runs year round.

Wayne Fredericks of Osage, Iowa, has used a crop consultant since the 1970s. He currently works with Bryce Nelson, of Advantage Crop Consulting, Inc., based in Rose Creek, Minnesota.

“We’re a long-term team,” Fredericks says. “He’s my answer guy, the first one I go to if I have questions.”

Nelson says, “A level of understanding develops between the farmer and me, of what I’m trying to do for them and their expectation of me. It makes an easy environment for an exchange of ideas.

“I try to help my clients farm for maximum economic return, not necessarily maximum yield. That involves considering what plant populations, for instance, make the most sense.”

Among other benefits, Fredericks credits Nelson with helping him identify fungus issues in a low-lying spot in one of his fields. “While we’re not aggressive with fungicides and don’t have consistent data on their value, we’re realizing it would probably pay to use a fungicide in that particular area,” Fredericks says. “We’ve picked up on the issue with a yield monitor and mapping, combined with good scouting.”

What it comes down to, according to Fredericks, is that the benefit of hiring a consultant is having help in narrowing down the issues to address first to improve yields.

Nelson says, “I try to instill in a farmer that the only advice I give is what I think will benefit him. The farmer’s best interests are my best interests.”

Jim Legvold from Vincent, Iowa, has worked with Dr. Michael McNeill of Ag Advisory, Ltd., in Algona, since 1993, when renting more ground provided a reason to seek advice.

Like Nelson, McNeill has little turnover in clientele. “It’s personalized service,” he says. “The longer you know an individual, and their production operation, the more you can help him.”

In working with a new client, McNeill first tries to understand their farming operation and the condition of the soils they’re farming. “Then we develop a plan. From where we are, we decide where we want to go and how to get there. It’s personalized to every grower’s needs. Our goal is to optimize their profitability.

“After we’ve looked at their operation, we make the biggest changes in the area that is the weakest,” McNeill says. “For some it’s tillage; for others, it’s nutrient management. After we’ve resolved that, we go to the next weakest link, whether it’s weed control, disease control, tillage or equipment.”

One of the things McNeill does for Legvold is take soil nitrate tests in late spring. When results are back, he makes nitrogen recommendations for greatest efficiency. In late fall, they test corn stalk tissues to see how the crop responded and what’s left as nitrogen residue. From the stalk test, they can evaluate their program. If they’ve overapplied, they were not cost efficient. If nitrogen is low, they probably underapplied and didn’t maximize yield.

“While we’ve worked on improving yield, we really want to get maximum yield for minimum cost, for as much profit as possible per acre,” Legvold says.

Rather than follow a set schedule for visiting fields, McNeill says, “My goal is to teach my growers everything I know, how to scout, how to understand soil tests, tillage concepts and so on. My newest clients get more attention to help them make better decisions.”

Since they’ve worked together, McNeill has helped Legvold make the transition from full tillage to no till and from dry fertilizer to new forms, including chicken litter and starter fertilizer applied during planting.

“One thing I like,” Legvold says, “is that my consultant is one of the first to have knowledge about new technology and products we may not yet be able to get, and see how they perform and whether they’re worth it.” McNeill, for example, began research with GPS in 1987 and with remote sensing in 1989.

“At the cost of no more than a bushel of corn an acre, it takes the guesswork out,” Fredericks says.  “I have a quick response team. If there’s hail, he’s right there to help make decisions. It’s worth it to have another set of eyes looking at my crops.”

Legvold agrees and says, “The data Dr. McNeill collects, when put together with the data I collect, paints a better portrait of what I’m doing on my farm and allows me to improve my management practices.

“Working with my crop consultant, everything I do is by prescription,” Legvold says. “Every field is different.  As a grower, you need to have confidence that the person advising you is working with you to minimize your cost and maximize your profit.”

How to hire a crop consultant

When you’re looking for a crop consultant, Karen Corrigan of McGillicuddy Corrigan Agronomics, Bloomington, Illinois, says you should find out their level of knowledge, know that you can put trust in their recommendations and, most importantly, confirm that they are truly independent.

Here are some tips, adapted from Ag Professional and Iowa State University Extension’s “Ag Decision Maker”:

• Find out their level of knowledge
  • What is their training? What are their credentials? Are they certified?
  • How much experience do they have? Does their area of expertise match what you want them to do for you?
  • Do they belong to and participate in professional organizations?

• Know you can put trust in their recommendations
  • What is their reputation? Ask for references.
  • Can you get a recommendation from someone whose operation is similar to yours?
  • Does the consultant show up regularly and on time?

• Confirm that they are truly independent
  • Where do they get their ongoing training?
  • What research do they use to support their recommendations?
  • Does the company receive compensation for recommending a product?

You can learn more about hiring an independent crop consultant by checking out: www.agprofessional.com/croptalk.php?id=16760 or www.extension.iastate.edu/agdm/wholefarm/html/c5-60.html

-Funded through the Soybean Checkoff