Ag News and Views: May 2012

Hopefully, we won't have to live through another year like 1998 in the near future but it always pays to plan ahead. And because droughts are a normal occurrence in our business, we should always have a plan to offset their severity.

Leasing of pecan trees may be an option that would well serve both parties. Of course, this is not a new idea, but it is one that may be difficult to implement. There are so many variables that it is difficult to make a good, blanket recommendation. Nevertheless, I will attempt to set out some considerations for crafting an individualized lease.

An appropriate mental model for bobwhite habitat is often difficult to communicate to land managers. Discussion of percent cover types, interspersion, patchiness, edge, etc. often leave a blank look on the face of a manager. One concept I have found that seems to stick with managers is what I call the "50:50 model."

The real answer to this question depends on many factors such as your goals for the enterprise, soil type, fertility status of the soil, weather and so on. Another question could be how many cows or other livestock are needed for an economical enterprise? Perhaps you have the wrong enterprise if profit is the primary goal.