On occassion, a field is seeded and a crop is grown, but by the time
harvest season comes around, the price of the harvested crop is LESS
than the cost of harvesting, so the field remains unharvested, even
though the crop is perfectly good.  There is a specific name for this.
 Does anyone know what it is?  It isn't fallow, and it isn't contango.

Thanks!

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Request for Question Clarification by czh-ga on 20 Jan 2005 11:35 PST

Hello tpmii-ga,

Could it be ?unharvested crops?? This term seems to be used in some
legal, tax and insurance documentation relating to such crops. Thanks.

~ czh ~

http://www.extension.umn.edu/extensionnews/2004/insadjuster.html
http://gift-estate.com/article/rawhide.htm
http://www.ghbcpa.com/misc/news_24.html
http://www.agmanager.info/crops/insurance/risk_mgt/rm_html04/ABnohvt.asp

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Clarification of Question by tpmii-ga on 20 Jan 2005 12:05 PST

Dear czh,

"Unharvested Crops" is not the answer I'm looking for.

Tpmii --

My uncle, an Ohio dairy farmer, would have called it "pasturage." 
Though he was never outside the country, the Kiwis would seem to
support his use of the word:

New Zealand Food Safety Authority
?AgVetLink?
http://www.nzfsa.govt.nz/acvm/publications/agvetlink/issue-28/p05.htm

?Pasture is interpreted to mean unharvested plants intended for
feeding to animals in a grazing or browsing context.?


There are other uses of terms for unharvested crops that (like
"pasturage") have something to do with uses of the crop.  For example,
duck hunters call grains left standing "lure crops" because of their
attraction to migrating birds.

Best regards,

Omnivorous-GA

Dear Omnivor,

Thank you for the informative comment.  But that's not quite what I'm
looking for.  In the case I'm trying to descibe, the planter had every
intention of harvesting the crop at the time it was planted.  But due
to economic changes during the growing season, the value of his crops
decreased to such an extent that the cost of harvesting and bringing
to market exceeds the market price.  I hope this clarifies!

This might be of some interest:

"Gleaning is utilizing volunteers to gather large amounts of edible
produce remaining in fields, orchards, backyards and packing sheds
which otherwise would be left to rot. On occasion the market price may
fall so low on a certain product that it is not economically
profitable to harvest. The Gleaning Team harvests this food and makes
it available to those in need."

http://www.2ndharvest.net/a_help/vol_01b.html

Are you referring to "stover"?

"Unharvested Crops" is not the answer I'm looking for.

Tpmii --

I hope that you're satisfied just knowing that this question will
bother many of the GA researchers each night as they try to fall
asleep!

I tried a search today on "abandoned crops" and didn't find anything
but learned a new word from a USDA study:
"Penhookers" are individuals who purchase the right to harvest
tomatoes remaining in thefield after commercial harvest has been
completed.

We'll now return you to your intended question . . .

Best regards,

Omnivorous-GA

How about silage?