The cropping rotation on our farm, which includes around 11 different crops every year, is planned about 5 years out. We plan that far out because there are a lot of things to consider. Examples such as, which crops can follow others, keeping the mix of crops at the right acreage amounts, assessing our risk with each crop, what we can get contracts for, overall economics, level of labor intensity, etc.
But also the weather…oh that darn weather. When we get a year like this past one, it doesn’t just mean that we wear our muck boots and rain gear more, it means that we have cropping decisions that are made for us by Mother Nature.
This field of green beans is the perfect example.
- Plan A: Plant to Tall Fescue.
Didn’t get the ground worked in time due to many circumstances. On to plan B… - Plan B: Plant Perennial Ryegrass.
It started to rain in early October….it never really stopped until that planting window was well closed. So plan C it is… - Plan C: Plant peas.
This would have worked, but then we got a contract for another crop that could potentially be better economically. And finally Plan D… - Plan D: Green beans were planted….phew!
This is a bit oversimplified in many respects, but I thought it was a good way to show how much we are the mercy of the weather. Other factors absolutely come into play, but the weather is one that we just can’t control and is tough to protect yourself against because it can be so unpredictable. So the weather, economics, cropping decisions…they all play a part in the answer to what seems like the very simple question, “How do you decide what to plant in what field?”
So now this field when I drive by, just sort of exhausts me…it’s been a long road, and one that I will see happy to be harvested. Of course it’s so we can go ahead and try again next year, Mother Nature willing of course!
NuttyGrass 
With planting the green beans this year, can the field be used for green beans next? Or is it a must to plant a different plant?
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Yes we can plant green beans year after year if we want. But we try to keep our ground rotating, so we usually move crops around.
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