Custom Farming Rates
University survey data blended from six land-grant extension services. Every rate shows source, year, and sample size so you can judge provenance yourself.
REGIONAL RATE TABLE
| Region | Combining ($/ac) | Spraying ($/ac) | Planting ($/ac) | Hay Baling ($/bale) | Tillage ($/ac) | Own a Combine ($/ac) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NW Oklahoma OK | $28-$38 OSU CR-205 '22 | $6-$10 OSU CR-205 '22 | $18-$24 OSU CR-205 '22 | $13-$18 ISU A3-10 '26 | $15-$22 OSU CR-205 '22 | $47.20/ac ASABE D497.7 |
NC Oklahoma OK | $30-$40 OSU CR-205 '22 | $7-$11 OSU CR-205 '22 | $20-$27 ISU A3-10 '26 | $14-$19 ISU A3-10 '26 | $16-$23 ISU A3-10 '26 | $49.00/ac ASABE D497.7 |
SE Oklahoma OK | $32-$42 OSU CR-205 '22 | $7-$12 OSU CR-205 '22 | $20-$26 ISU A3-10 '26 | $13-$17 ISU A3-10 '26 | $16-$24 ISU A3-10 '26 | $51.00/ac ASABE D497.7 |
SW Oklahoma OK | $26-$36 OSU CR-205 '22 | $6-$10 OSU CR-205 '22 | $18-$24 OSU CR-205 '22 | $14-$19 ISU A3-10 '26 | $14-$21 OSU CR-205 '22 | $46.00/ac ASABE D497.7 |
Kansas Flint Hills KS | $29-$36 KSU AgMgr '24 | $7-$11 KSU AgMgr '24 | $18-$25 KSU AgMgr '24 | $12-$17 KSU AgMgr '24 | $16-$23 KSU AgMgr '24 | $45.50/ac ASABE D497.7 |
South Kansas KS | $27-$35 KSU AgMgr '24 | $6-$10 KSU AgMgr '24 | $17-$24 KSU AgMgr '24 | $12-$16 KSU AgMgr '24 | $15-$22 KSU AgMgr '24 | $44.80/ac ASABE D497.7 |
Texas Panhandle TX | $30-$42 TAMU AgriLife '20 | $7-$13 TAMU AgriLife '20 | $20-$28 ISU A3-10 '26 | $14-$20 ISU A3-10 '26 | $16-$24 ISU A3-10 '26 | $50.00/ac ASABE D497.7 |
North Texas TX | $32-$44 TAMU AgriLife '20 | $8-$14 TAMU AgriLife '20 | $22-$30 ISU A3-10 '26 | $14-$20 ISU A3-10 '26 | $17-$25 ISU A3-10 '26 | $52.00/ac ASABE D497.7 |
NE Oklahoma / Osage OK | $32-$42 OSU CR-205 '22 | $7-$12 OSU CR-205 '22 | $20-$27 ISU A3-10 '26 | $13-$18 ISU A3-10 '26 | $17-$24 ISU A3-10 '26 | $50.50/ac ASABE D497.7 |
Nebraska South NE | $40-$52 UNL EC-823 '24 | $8-$14 UNL EC-823 '24 | $22-$30 UNL EC-823 '24 | $14-$19 UNL EC-823 '24 | $17-$25 UNL EC-823 '24 | $48.50/ac ASABE D497.7 |
COMBINE OVERAGE STRUCTURES
Wheat
Corn
Grain Sorghum
HARVEST TRAIL TIMELINE
Season opens near Wichita Falls. Early-maturing varieties. Crews stage equipment.
Memorial Day weekend start in SW OK, moves north through Garfield/Kay counties by late June.
Ground zero for custom harvest industry. S. Kansas early Jun, Flint Hills mid-Jun, NW Kansas early Jul.
Transition window. Tight scheduling - some crews split for early corn.
Season finale. Crews return south by October for fall harvest.
SEASONAL BOOKING CALENDAR
| Operation | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Book By |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wheat planting HRW Wheat - Oklahoma | August | ||||||||||||
Wheat planting HRW Wheat - Kansas | August | ||||||||||||
Spring spraying Wheat - OK/KS | January | ||||||||||||
Wheat harvest HRW Wheat - Oklahoma | March | ||||||||||||
Wheat harvest HRW Wheat - Kansas | March | ||||||||||||
Corn/milo planting Corn / Milo - OK/KS | February | ||||||||||||
Soybean planting Soybeans - OK/KS | March | ||||||||||||
First hay cutting Bermuda / Alfalfa - Oklahoma | March | ||||||||||||
Fall harvest Corn / Milo / Beans - OK/KS | July | ||||||||||||
Fall anhydrous Wheat pre-plant - OK/KS | July | ||||||||||||
Fall tillage Post-harvest - OK/KS | August |
SOURCE CITATIONS
129 operations, 205 respondents. Iowa baseline used nationally.
Wheat and sorghum specialist data. Kansas-focused rates.
Irrigated vs dryland splits. Nebraska corn/soy emphasis.
Spring wheat and pulse crops. Northern Plains focus.
180+ operations surveyed. Oklahoma-specific.
Cotton, irrigation, and South Plains rates.
HOW CUSTOM RATES WORK
DIRTI-5 Costs
The five components of equipment ownership cost that every operator must cover:
ASABE EP496.3 and D497.7 define the engineering standard for calculating these. Our calculator uses these formulas directly.
Overage Charges
Harvest rates use a base-plus-overage structure: a flat per-acre rate, then a per-bushel charge above a yield threshold.
This shares risk. In drought years, the operator earns less. In bumper years, extra yield means more grain through the machine - more fuel, more wear, more time - and the overage compensates.
Thresholds and rates vary by crop and region. See the overage table above.
Break-Even Acres
The single most important number in the own-vs-hire decision.
Almost always hire custom. Fixed costs per acre are too high.
Run the calculator. Outcome depends on equipment age, rates, and utilization.
Ownership may win - but only if you can maintain utilization and manage repairs.