The weeds are taking over my food plots

So I’ve been working with a local COOP near my hunting land and for the most part, they’ve done a good job fertilizing and spraying my food plots in a timely manner. Two weeks ago, I put a call into them requesting that they spray roundup on my food plots (13 acres). They told me that they would get to it by the end of the week. Well it’s been 2 weeks now and they still haven’t sprayed it. When I called and asked about it, they told me they got really far behind due to all the rain that we got a week ago and that “bigger jobs take priority”. I can certainly understand that and my little 13 acres doesn’t compare to a farmer’s livelihood. However, I guess what makes me upset is that they never contacted me and provided me an update. I live over 100 miles away so I had no idea that they weren’t sprayed. Had I known, I probably would have made other arrangements.

Do I have a reason to be upset?

I think you have every right to be mad about it I know I would be. I get they may have gotten behind but bottom line is your a paying customer to. It wouldn’t take that long to spray a 13 acre plot. I worked for a coop for five years, and have done allot of chemical work with the sprayer guys have even ran a sprayer a few times. It wouldn’t of taken that long to knock yours out of the way fast and move on, or a phone call wouldn’t hurt either.

One thing I’m learning from my current boss, he never trusts people at their word when it comes to business. I guess he’s been burned a few to many times. I’m the guy who trusts a bit too much in other’s at times and I’ve gotten taken in the past. Now I’m trying to find that happy medium.

I can understand being upset. When do they plan to spray?

I don’t understand why ppl can’t call when plans change. Bad business. Can’t be too far behind for a couple minute phone call.

It sounds like you need to start bribing them a little. Find out who’s in charge of scheduling the spraying and leave them a hat or bring them donuts. Those simple little gestures tend to bump you up on the priority list.

If they don’t show this week let me know, I’ll be there this weekend

“Hey Brad, sorry to tell you, but we are swamped with all the rain. It gonna be a few weeks in case you need to make other arrangements.”

3 minutes on the clock to assure a returning customer. Simple Answer, a good business owner wouldnt allow it. Maybe rather then a bribe, it should be a what are you willing to do to retain a customer??

What ended up happening with the coop? I am toying with the idea of pricing it out for next year but some things are more of a headache than they are work hope it all worked out.

Brad:

Working with my dad and brother on getting our crops sprayed by our local COOP, along with foodplots, I feel your pain. That said, any of these local COOPs literally have a handful of top tier farmers that own them, and 2nd tier guys that they move for as well. They buy seed, fertilizer, anhydrous, soil-tests, and push through 10s or 100s of $k’s there a year overall. Not that it’s an excuse for them not getting it done or calling you, it’s just a business model for them. At $8/acre (our local cost) to spray roundup one-time, with maybe a $50 or $100 minimum site fee, they’re just not setup to do small acreages. It would be like going to walmart to get professional advice, service, and quality painting equipment. They’ve got paint there, tons of it, but to get what you’d be looking for you’d need a specialist. Most of these places lose money or break even on spraying, but do so to earn your other business. If one of those top tier farmers has their ear, they’ll push everything aside and damned the consequences. Sucks I know!

Just like working with a contractor, stay on them. Be persistent without being a pest. Stop in personally when you’re up there, get to know some of the guys. Bribe ’em like ragerunner mentioned. Even just the spray guys…..13 acres they can spray with tank leftovers from another field and they’ll do it without mentioning anything to their bosses.

I know it shouldn’t have to be like that, but unfortunately from our experience it is. That said, if there’s a competing coop within 20 miles, try them, mention that you were dissatisfied with service from COOP X, and you’re looking to work with them moving forward. That’s worked for us in the past with small acreages.

Good luck!

Joel

Well they finally sprayed it (2.5 weeks went by) and the weeds are dying off. Too early to tell if everything is going to make it. Time will tell…