During September we posed the question – What’s your plan for a profitable farming future? Over the last few weeks we have discussed strategies to lower your fertiliser and herbicide uses, as well as reducing (if not eliminating) your ‘cides such as pesticides, insecticides and fungicides.
In the final blog in the series, we will explore the last but not least input you can make significant savings on – do you have a plan to lower your fuel costs?
This expense reduction is the simplest because if you have a plan for the others this one just slides into place. Having healthy soil with good IMO’S (Indigenous Micro Organisms), and well-balanced chemistry is a recipe for good soil structure, and this is the key to lowering your fuel bill.
I have spoken to farmers and contractors who have seen significant drops in fuel consumption just through having healthy well-aggregated soil. One contractor told me he was able to pass on a 25 litre per hour saving in fuel in well-aggregated soil (which is easier to pull equipment through, e.g. seeder), compared to soils with poor structure or have issues such as compaction. That saving was passed directly onto the customer and with today’s fuel prices this is a considerable cost saving.
If you take into account removing a fungicide pass, which is an additional fuel saving, now imagine the cost savings if several passes are eliminated due to a healthy well-balanced biologically active soil profile.
Who knew having a healthy workforce of IMO’S doing the heavy lifting for you could save so much money, time and eliminate the need for so many damaging additives from your farming system? Hopefully, now you are all armed with enough knowledge to start putting together a plan to save money, reduce stress and increase profitability. Remember not to get overwhelmed, keep it simple – ask What? Why ? and then you can work out the How.
If you need help, then that is what Re-Gen Farming is here for, and there are many other people out there who can help put a plan together with you. Just remember whomever you get to help make sure they are as committed as you are, and they put together a plan with you and not for you.
If you would like to discuss your plan and how to start it, how to do a visual soil assessment, how to take a soil test or how to order soil amendments and biological activators then please call Luke on 0427 138 100 or Zoe in Western Vic on 0427 008 017.
