Talked to an old farmer who told me he spent $800 on a soil test that said exactly what he already knew

He said the lab just confirmed his dirt was sandy and low on nitrogen, stuff he could have guessed for free. Has anyone else paid for advice that felt like a waste?

3 comments

3 Comments

charlescraig1mo ago

Nah, did he really think $800 would tell him something magic? lol. Soil tests are useful if you're trying to get a loan or prove something to the government, but for a guy who's been farming 40 years? That's just paying for a fancy receipt. I'd be pissed if I paid that much to hear what my grandpa already told me for free.

sandra_bennett591mo ago

Bought my first soil test back in '05 because the county extension agent talked me into it. Cost me $350 back then and you know what it told me? That my ground was low in potassium and needed lime. Same thing my daddy told me when I took over the place in '87. I don't blame the guy for being mad about dropping $800. Some things you just know from working the land year after year. I still get a basic test done every few years mostly for the paperwork when I'm applying for cost share programs. But I stopped paying for those fancy detailed reports a long time ago. My wallet thanks me and my crops do just fine.

betty_wells1mo agoMost Upvoted

Well slap me with a soil probe and call me a fool, I did the exact same thing back in '08. Paid $400 for a test that basically told me my dirt needed more cow manure and a little more water, which I could've figured out by just looking at my corn stalks. I guess I'm a sucker for paying to hear what my dad's been hollering at me for 30 years, but hey, at least now I've got it in writing.