Grease the Quail Wheel

[Quillback]

Yes that is it, Talbot.

[Mac's Orphan]

If you all are willing to help them pay their bills I am sure they would be willing to leave a little more idle ground. Otherwise idle ground doesn't pay no mortgages.

Illinois farmers receive $210.00 for every acre they enroll in the CCRP program.

Several farms around me have over a 1,000 acres in CCRP. Some are thinking of adding more since it's a reliable income and not dependent upon the weather. That's a given check for $210,000.00 with no expense to the farmer involved - i.e. fuel, equipment wear and tear, herbicide, seed, etc.

Small time operations may not fair that well, but a number of the small time farms here are consolidating into partnerships.

If it were not profitable, no one would participate in the program.

However, no one can convince me that leaving 10 or 15 feet of unplanted ground or a ditch / fence row next to a field is going to cause a farm to go under.

That said, set aside ground offers a lot of valuable conservation practices for a number of species of wildlife.

I too am hearing wild coveys around my house and have been for the last 3 years. I take the dog out and work her on those birds, but do not hunt them. There are other areas to go to for that.

[MOPanfisher]

There are times and places where farming the "system" is much more profitable than farming thr ground for sure.