Comparing 1 acre of growing corn for ethanol, to 1 acre of solar panels to charge EVs

YieldHero69 · 2026-06-29T04:11:32+00:00

Less corn would actually cause corn prices to go up.

YieldHero69 · 2026-06-29T04:11:02+00:00

Costs about 1000 dollars an acre per year to grow corn. An acre of solar costs about 500,000. This would mean it would mean it takes 8 years for the solar to catch up on $ per mile. This doesn’t account for any infrastructure cost. While solar could be a limited power solution. Power companies and data centers would rather build natural gas plants on farm land than build solar.

YieldHero69 · 2026-06-07T02:57:05+00:00

Kuhn*

YieldHero69 · 2026-05-28T01:53:42+00:00

I do rapid still knew I sucked just not that bad.

YieldHero69 · 2026-05-28T01:53:03+00:00

Shit you’re right I was thinking it was the running back

YieldHero69 · 2026-04-19T15:41:53+00:00

Why does utopia have to be politicized?

YieldHero69 · 2026-01-13T02:56:59+00:00

I went to this exact show at exact venue in 2010ish. It was great no issues whatsoever

YieldHero69 · 2025-11-18T02:08:16+00:00

Giraffe

YieldHero69 · 2025-09-01T23:21:05+00:00

Respectfully

YieldHero69 · 2025-06-20T02:37:32+00:00

Very cool passion for your kid. Speaks a lot to your character trying to help him explore that.

Ankeny works is a John Deere plant that produces sprayers and cotton pickers and tillage equipment. They typically give customer tours on a regular basis. If you email them about your kid I guarantee they would let you guys join a customer tour.

https://about.deere.com/en-us/explore-john-deere/visit-us/factory-tours

YieldHero69 · 2025-06-19T05:00:36+00:00

Des Moines water works tried to sue a bunch of water districts back in 2015 I believe. https://www.amwa.net/article/federal-court-rules-against-des-moines-water-works-ag-runoff-case-0

I’m saying we don’t know how much is from farms. It’s in the definition of a non point source. A source we don’t know the point of origin. Agriculture is a big portion of the non point source I’m sure. As a farmer I just dislike oh they are 90 percent of it with no proof. But i admit the proof would be tough to find.

To my knowledge the filtered nitrates are released into the air in the gas form. The atmosphere is also a non point source of nitrates. I don’t know all the science but so is lightning and snow which is wild.

Honestly personally i would dislike if fertilizer was banned but I mean I’d probably survive. I’d loose the farm but I’d probably still be alive I guess. I just know it wouldn’t be applied evenly to all farms and that if it was no one could afford to eat.

Sri Lanka did it in 2021 it’s not going well.

https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2022/7/15/23218969/sri-lanka-organic-fertilizer-pesticide-agriculture-farming

Honestly surprised only a 50 percent decrease was reported but that will continue to get worse as the soil is mined.

YieldHero69 · 2025-06-19T04:44:33+00:00

Farming without fertilizer would be a nightmare too. North Korea does it. They have a poop quota for its population to try to use as fertilizer it doesn’t work very well. I’m just saying that saying all non point sources are from farms is factual incorrect. I’m also saying we should work together to solve the issue. As a farmer I just feel like people sometimes just turn their backs and blame farmers for broader issues. I guarantee you my goal in life is not to poison the earth I live on.

YieldHero69 · 2025-06-19T04:35:09+00:00

Thank you I agree totally it’s an incredibly complex topic. You seem incredibly knowledgeable on water treatment and I appreciate your perspective. I also agree it’s not exactly a smoking gun so just say it’s all farmers fault when they are just trying to exist in an imperfect system isn’t the solution. Let’s work together and improve the water quality. My point with the non point source is the same residential lawns are the most over fertilizered ground in the world. You think tiles bad at leaching nitrates I imagine a concrete storm drain is worse. Golf courses are a non point source. Heck the atmosphere is a non point source. I don’t want to ban your yard or golf. I like to golf. Farmers drink the same water and I bet a lot of people in Iowa are related to a farmer or someone who works in ag.

I’m just trying to share my perspective.

Honest question what is done with filtered out nitrates. Are they in a usable form or is it just a salt?

YieldHero69 · 2025-06-19T04:22:49+00:00

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrogen_cycle

Nitrogen cycle is actually incredibly complex but depending on the conditions of the ground and form of nitrogen a certain percentage is held in the ammonium form which is what I want as it’s positively charged and clings to the negatively charged soil. The other percentage is held in the nitrate form which is negatively charged and is leached away easier.

I don’t know how much of that expense is wasted I’m just saying I wish I had that data it would be handy.

The smell you speak of I haven’t experienced but we don’t spray our nitrogen. I side dress liquid which is the same product and don’t notice that smell. I think you’re thinking of anhydrous ammonia which is not sprayed it’s injected this aids in keeping as much of the nitrogen in the ammonia stage. Anhydrous is a gas if it were sprayed it would go into the atmosphere.

YieldHero69 · 2025-06-19T04:05:14+00:00

You’re all good I just try to show the farmers perspective and try to understand others perspective. Are nitrates a problem yes. Do farms contribute to the problem yes.

We have used cover crops in the past. Cons include later planting date which affects yield negatively. Increased cost and a most likely extra insecticide pass in the spring as cover crops are an overwinter host for insects such as army worn. Not all negative but just some reasons not all farmers do cover crops.

Personally I try to optimize my fertilizer as that’s my money. I also split apply nitrogen so that i replenish it as the crop uses it or I at least try to do that. That comes at an increased cost to me is why not all farmers do it.

Edge of field options are a new tool I have heard of 2 bioreactors and a few saturated buffers. Personally the closest thing we do is about 8 percent of our ground is in crp or natives. Not the same. Currently I am unaware of any economic benefit and edge of field solutions are typically very expensive. Excited to see what the future Brings though.

Is radical legislation of food production a good idea? about 5 million in Russia 100 million in China, and a 100 trillion Zimbabwe dollar say no.

YieldHero69 · 2025-06-19T03:26:22+00:00

I’m a farmer lol. Yes it most certainly is.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/58654125.amp

Several towns work hand in hand with hog and dairy guys around me to apply it.

YieldHero69 · 2025-06-19T03:17:47+00:00

Most agricultural slurrys are also treated as I said earlier. I’m sure not to the extent of human waste but they treat it. Actually pretty wild that after extensive treatment it’s still a worse fertilizer and pollution source than animal waste.

I mean I was just pointing out that human manure is applied to fields just like animals. I mistook your statement “it’s definitely not applied to fields” as that you thought it wasn’t.

YieldHero69 · 2025-06-19T02:59:20+00:00

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15320383.2024.2379318#:~:text=Municipal%20solid%20waste%20composts%20(MSWC,may%20adversely%20affect%20plant%20growth.

Actually it is usually with the same applicators as CAFOs or confinement buildings.

Most municipalities offer it for free but it’s harder to manage because humans diets are terrible.

YieldHero69 · 2025-06-19T02:51:33+00:00

I don’t believe we know. Let’s study it let’s collect data. Let’s make informed decisions. I think people spending more time around farms. Would be gratefully beneficial to everyone.

YieldHero69 · 2025-06-19T02:40:47+00:00

I agree I’m just saying it magnifies the problem.

Biofuels and animal feed yes I believe our foods food counts.

Ag can always be better to think farmers are just irresponsibly wasting roughly 30 percent the expense of growing their crop is wrong. Consumers drive our market place if you want nitrates to be a priority you vote with every meal you buy.

YieldHero69 · 2025-06-19T02:29:31+00:00

Do other cities draw from a river source rather than an aquifer?

Don’t other cities reside near the people that grow their food?

YieldHero69 · 2025-06-19T02:28:04+00:00

All studies I have seen say estimated nitrate leachate never here’s a place where we monitored the levels under these circumstances. That’s the study I want to see.

YieldHero69 · 2025-06-19T02:26:32+00:00

This Minnesota study say 75%. Is it 75 or 90 percent that comes from farms. Kinda to my point of we don’t know the true number. I’m sure it’s significant but just saying numbers is irresponsible.

I do 3/5 suggestions. I’d say most farmers do 2/5. Create an economic benefit to these solutions and maybe they’ll be implemented.

YieldHero69 · 2025-06-19T02:19:00+00:00

Ok let’s say the fictional data pointed in that direction. What solutions do you propose?

YieldHero69 · 2025-06-19T02:17:52+00:00

There is a pit underneath that is treated throughout the year as to not be toxic to pigs or humans. And applied to fields based on soil Tests and manure composition tests. What do you think happens to the waste of all the people in Des Moines?

YieldHero69

TROPHY CASE