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Home My WebLink AboutFarming '89, 1989-03-22, Page 35B12. FARMING ‘89, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 1989. Analysis of past and present con help shape farm's future BY LARRY MATHESON AGRICULTURAL REPRESENTATIVE OMAF, PICTON The present is the time when we use the past to help us chart the future. This saying has a lot of meaning when we apply it to farm records and more specifically to the Ontario Farm Management Analy sis Project (OFMAP). Information in the records that have been sent in for analysis is published in a very useable form for decision-making. By looking at what has occurred on an individual farm and comparing it to the average in the report and your own past performance, one can point areas of concern in operation. Many figures and ratios published in this annual report and it is easy to obtain. This article focuses on figures not covered in this report. Machinery repairs can be a real problem. How many dollars are spent on repairs and how many dollars should be spent? Take a look at what you spent for repairs and compare it to your investment in machinery and equipment. If we look at the 1987 OFMAP report, we find that this figure for the S3 cash crop farms who participated in this study was: pin- the are 8,307 x 100 = 8.1 per cent 102,170 This tells us that 8.1 per cent of the value of this machinery went to repair costs for the year. If your figure is above that, you may look at ways of reducing it by acquiring newer equipment that shouldn’t require as many repairs. On the other hand, if you are below this figure, it will indicate that this is one of the strengths of the business and will tell you that what has been done in the past is likely a good course to chart for the future. For dairy farmers, milk quota is a very essential asset. The quota is made up of industrial and fluid quota on most farms. Returns are greater on fluid. There is a cost involved in selling the milk including transportation, board fees and levies. By compar ing the cost of marketing this milk to the gross milk returns (including subsidy) farmers can easily make decisions for the future regarding their milk quota. In looking at the 1987 OFMAP dairy analysis, we find marketing and trucking over the gross milk sales to be: 15,472 x 100 = 11 per cent 140,659 If a producer was under this amount, it showed good quota utilization. If the figure exceeded 11 per cent it could indicate a number of things, such as a lot more industrial than fluid quota and/or over quota shipments. Looking at your past performance, indicates that changes could be made in the future to bring this figure more in line. While this report will bring these points to your attention, it isn’t always easy to solve the problem. An outlay of cash is often required to help solve the problem and this will then tie in to the farm’s profitability and cash flow. Analysis of records is an impor tant farm management tool for many Ontario farmers. As records are historical data they can be used at the present to help you plan for a more profitable future. TOPNOTCH FEEDS LTD Brussels, Ont. Branch Dealers for Quality Supersweet brand feed in the North Huron County area HAVE YOU TRIED? • DynAmino Swine Feeds • Market Hog Swine Feeds • Goal Maker Dairy Formulas • Pacesetter Beef Formulas CALL FOR YOUR ORDER TODAY!! AGRI, PRODUCTS DIV. OF ROBIN HOOD MULTIFOODS INC. PLANNING FOR Don Johnson Branch Manager 519-887-6011 Art Alblas Supersweet Territory Manager 1-800-265-8533 Success is sweet... it’s Supersweet” Pasture can be labour, time saver One of the most valuable, but most taken for granted assets for a livestock farmer is his pasture and with the high cost of feed it’s getting new respect. Pasture allows farmers to reduce labour and time input because the animals can be taken to the feed, instead of the feed taken to the animals. New temporary moveable powerful fencing allows grazing to be controlled to the maximum benefit of the animals. The ideal time to graze animals is when the pasture is thick and green, and about six to eight inches in height. Ninety percent of pasture growth comes from heat and light, but the remaining 10 per cent is critical because it hinges on root and mineral reserves “and without that you don't have good growth and you’re not going to get a good stand of pasture.’’ Pastures naturally germinate in the spring, then grow, go to seed, and go dormant. However, wnue you want your pasture to go dormant in the fall, you don’t want it to go to seed in mid-summer, because once it goes to seed it’s dead for the rest of the year and you lose that growth. And with loss of growth, live stock often spend more time walk ing, looking for suitable vegetation, rather than grazing. There are many important prin ciples involved in improving pas ture, but most importantly, farmers should graze their animals at the correct stage of vegetative growth, Jeffrey urged. For cattle this should be no higher than eight to ten inches and for sheep the maximum should be six to eight inches. This growth can then be grazed down to two to three inches. Animals should also graze more heavily in the spring, and then as the heat of season increases, pasture growth should be no short er than three inches. Some clovers can be lower, but with a lot of grasses, the lower they get the less growth you get. Grazing intervals should also be varied to suit the time of year, climatic conditions, pasture species and clover balance. Good pasture utilization is also important and there should be no ungrazed clumps left in the pasture. Grazing should be done quickly, to a maximum of no more than five or seven days, because the faster animals are moved around, the better the growth. Farmers should avoid letting their animals graze the regrowth, however, until it has had adequate time to come back. Farmers must also recognize surpluses early and conserve them into silage or hay. Harvesting should be done before fiber content is too high and before plant reserves are put into seed and production. Let us assist you with your plans for farm buildings and for grain and livestock handling and confinement systems. At BURKE ELECTRIC We . . . INSTALL . . . SERVICE . . . STOCK . . : GUARANTEE . . . 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