Cheaper gasoline for gardeners who sell their produce??

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Wonder if I cold get a little help on a gasoline question. I live on 10 acres here in southcentral Kansas. I have a moderate garden of the usual variety and almost two acres of melons which we plan to sell. Can anyone tell me if I would qualify for a program I have heard only a little about which would allow me to purchase gasoline cheaper than the regular price at the pump? If so, who would I talk to and get more information from in Sumner county, KS? Also welcome any advice about the whole idea of obtaining anything at a better price because of the fact I intend to sell produce. Thanks much. Brian

-- Brian McCabe (scout@kanokla.net), July 09, 2000

Answers

Here in Mo all off road users can purchase fuel without highway tax. Sometimes you must apply to state for the refund, with proper forms of course. I get mine from the state revenue office. My federal tax is credited to my income tax bill once a year. Here state tax is 18 cents a gallon and federal is near that. Lately I have gotten the state tax off at the pump by filling out a form from my supplier. You willnot be able to do this at the regular quick stop as they don't have a clue what your talking about. You have to buy from a supplier for farmers or construction or something. Here I use MFA Oil, a Coop. Goverments not going to make it easy as forms have to be notorized.

-- Don (dairyagri@yahoo.com), July 09, 2000.

Brian, talk to people locally, you have state and federal laws, possibly local laws plus any of the above may or may not be enforced vigorously where you are. Try a neighboring farmer, the farm supply, the grain depot, the county extension office, any place where the people are dealing with this stuff themselves or dealing with people who are dealing with it. If you have someone locally who prepares your taxes or does your books, she or he would be helpful.

I do know if you get caught on the roads with off-road fuel, you'll be one very sorry puppy when they get done with you. I know the neighboring state is really tough on trucks-they check for off-road fuel and also for the quantity of fuel. If you have too much in your tank, you'd better have a state fuel permit which gives you the right to pay taxes on the same fuel twice, your state and the neighboring state. They aren't joking, if you're caught, you'll be lucky to have a pot to you-know-what-in, but you might not have a window to throw it out of any more. If you're thinking about just having off the road fuel to run equipment in your fields, you'll probably want to have a bulk tank set up. The supplier would be a good help in getting the paperwork in order and explaining what you can and cannot do.

As for other things more cheaply, what do you need? Seeds-a lot of seed catalogs have bulk pricing, not always in the usual catalog, but somewhere it will state that they have quantitiy price lists. With just 2 acres of a crop, you aren't going to be able to get the breaks on prices and taxes that someone farming a half section or more will get. Probably be worth finding someone like a CPA to help you navigate the tax minefield. If you need a tractor and equipment, watch the classified ads, and start going to auctions. Auctions are usually the best places to get stuff cheaply, but if you aren't mechanically gifted, buying from an implement dealer who offers some sort of warranty would be a better idea. If you need fertilizer, look around. There may be some confinement operations that would just love to empty their lagoons on your place. Cities frequently give their sewer lagoon cleanings away too, if you want to get near it. Mulch is a little tougher. It used to be pretty easy to find bad hay cheap or free, but now people buy it and process it into animal feed. Still you might be able to find some. Look around for a sawmill that has sawdust and chips for sale or free. Probably avoid cabinet-type shops, anymore they use so much plywood and particle board that you probably don't want it on your soil. Sometimes you can get plastic for free from a company that recieves shipments festooned with it. Odd sized pieces, however, that might be too much work to lay down. If you're near a city, there might be horse boarding operations that need to get rid of their manure and bedding. Some municipalities shred garden/tree waste and sell it cheaply or give it away. Some of them even build real compost piles out of it before letting it go.

What exactly were you looking for? Gerbil

-- Gerbil (ima_gerbil@hotmail.com), July 09, 2000.


Just an addition to the above. Off-road fuels are dyed a certain color for roadside checking. I thinks it's red, but am not sure. If you gassed up your car from a bulk tank chances of getting caught are about nil. In any event, keep the receipts for any gas you use in an agricultural application as it is an expense against any income. I get my truck and tractor gas from the local farmers' co-op. Their monthly statement is a nice receipt. One place to look for plastic mulch material is lumber yards since checks (bundles) of lumber come wrapped in it. Likely they will let you haul it off for free.

-- Ken Scharabok (scharabo@aol.com), July 09, 2000.

A lot of folks who ran stills years ago converted them to fuel producers, using the manure from their farm critters. I understand it's a simple recipe, but I sure wish I knew what it was!

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), July 09, 2000.

Yep, I guess it IS methane when fuel is made from critter manure. The folks making their own haven't been to a gas station in years! Tons of manure being put to good use!

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), July 10, 2000.


OK, I will probably hear a lotta do-do about this but I know someone who buys the "off road" fuels all the time (gosh I hope Big Brother isn't listening!). There is a country co-op/gas station out near his hunting area and he stops by at night to fill up when nobody is around. All of his pals do this and none has never been questioned. This has been going on several years now. Of course, I don't recommed people do this.

-- Elle (hotging@aol.com), July 14, 2000.

Brian, So you dont mind him cheating you out of your tax dollars? He gets the no tax gas and you end up paying more for the road upkeep ?

-- Gary (gws@redbird.net), July 16, 2000.

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