There is probably a good reason, but I don't know what it is.

[jackb]

I try to walk a few miles every day to keep in shape and I have been walking the same route for a number of years. There is a large farm near by; their barn burned down decades ago and they lost their dairy herd. The family no longer has dairy cattle but they do run a creamery. For a few decades I have seen fields of corn planted on their land, but rarely if ever harvested. It is plowed over in the spring, the land tilled and the corn planted again. Recently I asked the man who owns the land what was going on with the corn. He said his property taxes on the land run $33,000 a year and he rents the land to another local farmer, also a local political leader, who grows the corn. I said I thought it was a waste, that food crops planted on that land would feed a lot of people, he just shrugged his shoulders. The photo only shows a small section of the land I am referring to. Anyone familiar with farming have any ideas?
JackB

 

[canesisters]

I'm ashamed to admit that simply because of the phrase "rents the land to another local farmer, also a local political leader" I immediately assumed it was something dishonest. :/
I honestly have no idea what is going on - but since I see farmers around here bale up hundreds of bales of hay and pile it up to rot, I'll be watching to see if anyone has a good answer.

 

[lesa]

I am under the impression "farm land" is taxed much lower than regular land. I imagine he gets a tax break because the ground is being used for growing...We have someone nearby who plants giant fields of cabbage, and lets them rot. This year he planted the fields with pumpkins. I bet he leaves them right there, to rot. Sure does seem like a huge waste.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Dishonest? Maybe, maybe not. Unethical ? Maybe, maybe not. My first thought knowing none of the details is that he is probably legal but not necessarily what I consider ethical.

Its been going on for decades. Occasionally, but not often, the corn is harvested. I just wonder if he has found a way to work the Federal crop subsidy program?

 

[jackb]

I am under the impression "farm land" is taxed much lower than regular land. I imagine he gets a tax break because the ground is being used for growing...We have someone nearby who plants giant fields of cabbage, and lets them rot. This year he planted the fields with pumpkins. I bet he leaves them right there, to rot. Sure does seem like a huge waste.

OK, the land owner gets a tax break. How doe the farmer who plants the corn benefit? The gas to plow and till and the cost of the seed have to be substantial. What is he getting from this? Like I wrote, there is probably a good reason.

JackB

 

[jackb]

Dishonest? Maybe, maybe not. Unethical ? Maybe, maybe not. My first thought knowing none of the details is that he is probably legal but not necessarily what I consider ethical.

Its been going on for decades. Occasionally, but not often, the corn is harvested. I just wonder if he has found a way to work the Federal crop subsidy program?

I was also thinking perhaps that could be what was going on. Also, could it be an "insurance crop" in the event his own crop was not sufficient due to bad weather? On the plus side, huge flocks of Canada geese benefit in the fall. They block traffic on the road as they waddle from field to field. So, the guy renting the land has the cost of rental, labor, fuel and seed. It seems he could buy silage and break even. I doubt he is doing it to feed the geese though. I think I'll take a few aspirin and lay down awhile as this is too hard to ponder today.
JackB

 

[seedcorn]

Don't know. Wild guesses......

Last year could have been poor ears due to heat/lack of rain so crop insurance wrote it off. Crop not worth money it would take to harvest it. Crop can look decent but no grains on cob.

Could be (doubtful) has wildlife grant to let it go through winter for feed.

Could be re-leasing it to hunt club-again doubtful.

From pix, looks like a good crop. What do inside ears look like?

As far as vegetables/fruit, they are controlled by buyer. If great crop, they will not harvest. See that in popcorn all the time. They won't let the farmer harvest until certain percent goes down so they pay the farmer what they want.

 

[jackb]

Don't know. Wild guesses......

Last year could have been poor ears due to heat/lack of rain so crop insurance wrote it off. Crop not worth money it would take to harvest it. Crop can look decent but no grains on cob.

Could be (doubtful) has wildlife grant to let it go through winter for feed.

Could be re-leasing it to hunt club-again doubtful.

From pix, looks like a good crop. What do inside ears look like?

As far as vegetables/fruit, they are controlled by buyer. If great crop, they will not harvest. See that in popcorn all the time. They won't let the farmer harvest until certain percent goes down so they pay the farmer what they want.

1.This has been going on for several years. Some years the corn is seven feet high but still remains unharvested.
2. I don't think the state has any program for grants for wildlife feed.
3. The farm is in the middle of a residential area, no hunting for miles.
4. I am not experienced but the ears look fine, the crop is beginning to dry and the kernels are golden yellow.

Looks like the geese will be in good shape for their flight south in December.

JackB

 

[seedcorn]

Jack NO idea. Must be wealthy and doesn't need the $600-$1,000 per acre. So, he never harvests the crop? & it's always corn? Curious. I'd ask him just for giggles.

 

[jackb]

Jack NO idea. Must be wealthy and doesn't need the $600-$1,000 per acre. So, he never harvests the crop? & it's always corn? Curious. I'd ask him just for giggles.

Yes, it is always corn. I don't know the person planting the corn, I only know the land owner. He was not at all forthcoming on the subject. I am wondering if it is legal to rent land, plant a crop, not harvest it, and collect from some subsidy program. Ah, my friends at the USDA, nothing would surprise me.

JackB