The Ohio Farm Custom Rates Survey data collection has launched once again. The online survey for 2024 is available at www.go.osu.edu/customratesurvey
Many Ohio farmers hire machinery operations and other farm-related work to be completed by others. This is often due to a lack of proper equipment, time, or expertise for a particular operation. Many farm business owners do not own equipment for every possible job they may encounter while operating a farm. Instead of purchasing the equipment needed, they may seek someone with the proper tools to complete the job. This farm work completed by others is often referred to as “custom farm work” or more simply “custom work”. A “custom rate” is the amount agreed upon by both parties to be paid by the custom work customer to the custom work provider.
Custom farming providers and customers often negotiate an agreeable custom farming machinery rate using Extension survey results as a starting point. Ohio State University Extension collects surveys and publishes survey results from the Ohio Farm Custom Survey every other year. This survey will result in a new Ohio Farm Custom Rate Survey Summary for 2024.
Custom work providers or customers are asked to respond even if they know only a few rates. Information is sought on actual rates, either what was paid to hire custom work or what was charged to perform custom work. Custom Rates should include all ownership costs of the implement & tractor (if needed), operator labor, fuel, and lube. If fuel is not included in the custom rate charge, there is a place on the survey to indicate this.
The online survey is available at: www.go.osu.edu/customratesurvey
If a document is preferred that can be printed out to complete by hand to return, please email Barry Ward at ward.8@osu.edu, Eric Richer at richer.5@osu.edu, John Barker at barker.41@osu.edu or Amanda Bennett at bennett.709@osu.edu
The deadline to complete the survey is March 31, 2024.