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Dry beans weren’t the money maker

Some Michigan farmers made acreage shifts to combat lower commodity prices during 2015.

Fifth-generation farmer Dave Williams tells Brownfield this year he added black beans and non-GMO food grade beans into his rotations. But, he says he wasn’t alone.

“Unfortunately, I think there are a number of other producers in the state that decided they were going to raise dry beans also, so there seems to be an oversupply of dry beans and that’s driven the price down on them also—so, that wasn’t necessarily the best idea in the world.”

For 2016, Williams says he doesn’t plan to plant as many corn acres and he expects a lot of farmers to tighten their belts.  “I’m sure they’re not buying any equipment.  Probably some guys aren’t putting on fertilizer, maybe aren’t putting on as much as they would normally.  I’m not sure about seed, I don’t know if they’re buying cheaper varieties or not.”

Despite marketing challenges, he says 2015’s nearly perfect conditions made it a fun year to farm.

AUDIO: Interview with Dave Williams