How much on average do farmers sell grain for in bulk?

[mississippifarmboy]

I was reading another thread about feed prices and was thinking about large farmers who raise grains like Katy and Lazy J and others who raise large acreages, not people like myself with just a few acres. Just on average, how much do you get for a ton of corn, wheat, milo, etc..? Both fresh from the feild and dried? I realize it changes year to year and can even vary from mill to mill and day to day. But what is average for you?
I was raised on a farm, but we only raised maybe 20 acres of corn even back in the 70's and now only an acre or so that we pull by hand. I know all about the prices listed in the AG programs and I also know those prices are futures, not what America's hardworking farmers acually get to put in thier pocket.
I'm wondering if it would be feasable to buy grain by the ton (Or everal tons) from a farmer, giving the farmer a bit better profit and still save money.
Just sorta banging an idea around in my head...

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

The feedstore prices are MUCH cheaper by the ton. If you can find the farmer source, I bet you can save a BUNDLE! Oh yeah, Good Mornin".

 

[Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay]

Quote:
The current market price for corn in my area is $6.35/bushel which is $226.79 per ton. Typically the prices received by farmers is lower around harvest. Last summer the price was in the $3.50/ bushel range, $125/ton.

One can not ignore the input costs associated with corn production which range from $350 to $550/ acre.

 

[Katy]

Right now at our local Coop they are paying us:

Corn 5.96 per bushel
Soybeans 13.30/bu
milo 5.83/bu
wheat 8.10/bu

So if you can find a farmer who stores his grain on farm and is willing to go thru the hassle of unloading small amounts and you offer him enough over his local cash prices I'm sure you could get your grains cheaper than what you pay at the feed store.

 

[mississippifarmboy]

Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay :

Quote:
The current market price for corn in my area is $6.35/bushel which is $226.79 per ton. Typically the prices received by farmers is lower around harvest. Last summer the price was in the $3.50/ bushel range, $125/ton.

One can not ignore the input costs associated with corn production which range from $350 to $550/ acre.

oh, I do understand the cost. When we farmed grain, some years we were lucky to cover our seed, fertilizer and fuel cost. I do remember that it was a nerve racking thing every fall until we got everything delevered to the elelevator wheter we would be ahead or in the hole.
In our area almost all the old family farms are gone, just couldn't make a living with a single tractor, an old picker, small dryer silos, etc.. The ones that are left have bought out lots of the failed farms, added thousands of acres and went high tech just to be able to stay afloat. I, unlike some do understand that a small farmer just can't compete anymore. I'm the cheering squad for American farmers and my hat's off to each and every one of ya'll who keep us eating.
I was just thinking of the difference in what the farmer is paid and in what the small person like me pays to buy the product. $226.79 per ton comes out to about $5.67 per 50 pounds. I for one only buy a little corn straight from the feild and then only when it's a dry year because I don't have a dryer and I forget the mosture content, but I know it's got to be pretty low for the corn to keep. We did have a farmer down the road from us that stored his grain on his farm in grain silos that would sell us corn by the truck load (Four ton at a time) but he passed away and the heirs sold the farm to a timber company.)
Currently here, a 50 pound bag of corn is running around $9.00, just jumped up this week. I was thinking that if a person had the storage space and could give the farmer say $7.00 per 50 pound, on four tons the little guy saves $80.00 and the farmer makes about $53.20 more profit on that same four tons.
I don't know, it might not even be worth it to the farmer.

Katy; What amount would you consider to be worth enough hassel to be feasable? One ton... 10 ton? I'm really out of the loop here, because like I said, we haven't raised grain to sell since the late 70's.​

 

[Katy]

Honestly I wouldn't want to mess with it and most people aren't set up to store or even haul grain in ton increments....and this would be in bulk so no sacks.

 

[mississippifarmboy]

Quote:
Thanks Katy,
Like I said, I'm just sorta thinking. We didn't bag ours either, was just using the bag thing for price comparison. We bought ours from the farmer and he just dumped it in our old grain truck. We had a building we filled from our grain truck here on the farm to store it in.
Thanks again.

 

[Katy]

Quote:
Thanks Katy,
Like I said, I'm just sorta thinking. We didn't bag ours either, was just using the bag thing for price comparison. We bought ours from the farmer and he just dumped it in our old grain truck. We had a building we filled from our grain truck here on the farm to store it in.
Thanks again.

You're probably in more of a position to take advantage of getting some bulk grain than the majority of the people on BYC.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Grain prices are available daily on the web, farm report, commodity listings, etc, just like the barrel oil price.

A bushel of typical grain 70-80 lbs. approximately, based on type. Figuring in the calcium, minerals, vitamins, and other essentials added to a bag of layer feed, you can save very little by trying to blend your own. No doubt, a big operation feeding 1000's of birds, it is very worthwhile to have their mill and feed their field grown grains, adding in their own supplements.

Bulk grains- I can get a quality, 4 grain scratch for $8 a 50 lbs. That price reflects a buck for the mill and a buck for the store retailing it over the bulk grain spot price. So, I'd have to have my own mill, (expensive) to save a few bucks. I've thought about it, but the numbers just don't crunch.

 

[Katy]

Fred's Hens :

Grain prices are available daily on the web, farm report, commodity listings, etc, just like the barrel oil price.

A bushel of typical grain 70-80 lbs. approximately, based on type. Figuring in the calcium, minerals, vitamins, and other essentials added to a bag of layer feed, you can save very little by trying to blend your own. No doubt, a big operation feeding 1000's of birds, it is very worthwhile to have their mill and feed their field grown grains, adding in their own supplements.

Bulk grains- I can get a quality, 4 grain scratch for $8 a 50 lbs. That price reflects a buck for the mill and a buck for the store retailing it over the bulk grain spot price. So, I'd have to have my own mill, (expensive) to save a few bucks. I've thought about it, but the numbers just don't crunch.

That's pretty heavy for any grains....wish there was a grain that weighed 70 or 80 pounds per bushel. Prices vary where you are in the country too.

Wheat 60 lbs. per bushel
Soybeans 60
Corn 56
Milo 56
oats 32
Black oil sunflower seed 24-32​