Very Sad

[mcbosco]

http://www.cnbc.com/id/44353850

I hear a lot of farmers left hanging.

[Munster]

Yes it it. That is 15 minutes from my home. It has been big big news around here. I just pray for those affected.

[Ghosted3]

Tons of farmers are in the crap this years. I hear some of the southern Illinois farmers (from what I hear) are mowing down their corn because they know its not going to make it.

Corry

[gmanksu]

don't know that they are mowing it as waste, they are mowing it and baling it for feed because all the pastures are burned up.

[Ghosted3]

don't know that they are mowing it as waste, they are mowing it and baling it for feed because all the pastures are burned up.

From what I was told they are mowing it down so the nutrients can go back into the soil for next years crops, but I could have been told incorrectly also.
Either way it sucks pretty bad.

Corry

[SpinoneIllinois]

This could be wrong, but I heard if the corn doesn't reach a certain maturity, it can't even be cut down and used for silage because there is too much anhydrous ammonia in it, which can make the cows sick?

[tommyboy72]

This could be wrong, but I heard if the corn doesn't reach a certain maturity, it can't even be cut down and used for silage because there is too much anhydrous ammonia in it, which can make the cows sick?

I worked in ammonia refrigeration for large processing plants for many years before returning to college to get my degree. All ammonia is is a mix of nitrogen and hydrogen that boils off at -28 degrees f and disperses nutrients i.e. nitrogen into the soil and atmosphere. It is caustic if you get it on your skin but that is due to the process of boiling off. Once the NH3 boils off in a closed system such as a processing plant the only thing left behind is oil that is in the system which is necessary for the separate components in the system itself not a by product of NH3 so I would have to say that what you heard is false. One of the reasons NH3 is used as a fertilizer is because of the fact that once it boils off in the soil when it leaves the tank is that doesn't leave anything behind except green plants no dangerous by products.

[ezzy333]

Anhydrous ammonia is just pure ammonia without water which is what anhydrous means. It burns if you get it on you because it pulls the moisture out of anything it gets on plus the ammonia will burn your lungs if you breath it. When it is knifed into the soil the nitrogen will attach to the clay particles and stay there till the bacteria break it down so the plants can use the nitrogen. The main reason the farmers use it is it is cheaper than other forms mainly because it is 85% nitrogen compared to the other carriers that run from about 20 to 40%, thus a lot less shipping cost and less storage problems.

There are some plants that are poisonous till they reach certain maturity like sudan grass but corn is not a problem. There just isn't a lot of feeding nutrition in the plant as it is high moisture and quite low in nutrients. But if you needed roughage for the beef cows it would be better than nothing. Or it could be plowed into the soil and help the humus content of the soil.

Either way is amounts to a disaster for the farmer when you figure he has spent a couple of hundred dollars per acre just to get the crop planted and started this far.

[mcbosco]

I was referrring to the hedging margin that was left with this broker, on top of the poor prospects for the crop in many areas.

[SpinoneIllinois]

We went a little astray there, didn't we, Sal?

[mcbosco]

We went a little astray there, didn't we, Sal?

It is very bad because futures accounts are not insured and the recent court decisions place customers with ordinary creditors. Very little hope of recovery.