Economic performance of sustainable farming practices

One of the major goals of the Sustainable Agriculture Farming initiatives at UC Davis is to provide information about the feasibility of adopting conservation tillage and cover cropping at the farm level. The project includes two tillage schemes: standard tillage (ST) and conservation tillage (CT), and three farming methods: conventional, organic, and winter legume cover crop. All three production methods are used in combination with both tillage systems for a total of six alternative systems. Each of the six systems is used in the trials to grow both processing tomatoes and field corn. This article will examine the profitability of the alternative farming systems under investigation at SAFS based on the 2004 cropping season results. We calculated the costs and returns for each of the alternative farming systems and each of the crops based on the calendar of operations used in the trials and the yield results. The costs per acre are based on the equipment used and the time it would take in a farm setting rather than a field trial. We used the input rates for the trials along with input costs provided from local suppliers. The prices received are those typical for the area in 2004. We calculated the organic system revenue both with and without organic premium prices realized by local growers. The profitability of each system equals the revenue minus the costs. Economic performance of sustainable farming practices