Moving beyond Conventional Cash Cropping

This publication is written for those looking for a way out of the high risk, long hours, low pay, poor prices, and dim future associated with conventional cash crop production. There are viable alternatives to continuing in the cash crop business for those who can adjust their thinking. Finding alternatives to commodity crop production is the focus of this publication. Certain principles provide insights into ways to move forward. PRINCIPLES OF SUCCESS It’s safe to say that if you keep doing what you’ve been doing, you’re going to keep getting what you’ve been getting. If you are searching for an enterprise that is easy, profitable, and proven, you will find that many other people are already doing it. To build wealth, do what others cannot or will not do—produce a product that is different and difficult to produce (1). Using these two criteria keeps competition to a minimum. Taking small initial steps is one approach. Adding an alternative, more profitable crop to a cornsoybean rotation or a wheat-barley rotation is a step toward disconnecting from the cash-grain system, just as farm families who cooperatively market their products directly to consumers as foods, rather than as commodities, are disconnecting from the system. Farmers can also benefit by growing multi-purpose specialty crops that will give them lots of flexibility in both production and marketing, thereby reducing their risk. For example, you can use dry peas for feed grain, hay, green manure, or seed; lentils for food, forage, or green manure. If there’s a drought or the field is too weedy, graze it or turn the crop to green manure. If it’s a wet year and a clean field, harvest the grain crop. © w w w. ar tto da y. co m 2 00 2 Table of