FY23 Corn silage harvesting covercrop harvesting and storage services.pdf

Performance Work Statement (PWS) Project: Corn Silage Chopping and storage services and Cover Crop Harvesting

Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity Contract (IDIQ)

GENERAL INFORMATION

1.0 Scope of Work:

The USDA-Dairy Forage Research Farm at Prairie du Sac, WI (PDS) requires corn silage chopping and storage services on between 160 acres and 400 acres (with around 200 acres being the normal). A 124’ x 32’ bunker will need to be packed with vendor’s packing tractor. Between 1000 and 3000 feet of bagging with a 12’ diameter self-propelled bagger. Cover crop harvesting will consist of between 0 and 200 acres.

2.0 Background:

Corn is grown at the farm for silage to feed dairy cattle. The cutting, chopping and storing of the corn silage is labor intensive, must be completed within short optimum harvest windows, and requires specific farm equipment. The vendor needs to have experience with previous corn silage harvesting to ensure appropriate kernel processing and that the fields and crops are not damaged. The farm has traditionally paid vendors for this service as we do not have the personnel or equipment to perform the work ourselves. The vendor will need to coordinate specific days for the work with Farm manager. They will assess the field conditions to determine the best days for harvesting.

CONTRACTOR REQUIREMENTS

3.0 Technical Requirements/Tasks:

The vendor must have prior experience chopping, hauling, packing, and bagging corn silage. Vendor equipment needed for corn silage harvest includes 3 forage trucks or forage wagons, packing tractor, 12 ft self-propelled bagger and a self-propelled chopper with kernel processor. For cover crop harvest, equipment includes a self-propelled forage harvester. The vendor must also apply supplied forage inoculant to each ton of forage at the chopper. The vendor must supply their own diesel fuel for their equipment.

4.0 Government Furnished:

The work will take place on USDA-ARS land in Prairie du Sac, WI (PDS). PDS will provide and install oxygen-limiting plastics used to line the concrete forage bunker prior to feed storage, provide and install bunker covers, provide all silage bags, and provide additional (3) forage trucks or forage wagons.

5.0 Deliverables / Schedule:

The specific schedule will be contingent on the weather and crop and field conditions. There may be 2 or more harvest timings. All loads of chopped corn silage must be weighed on the farm weigh scale to determine the total amount of forage harvested. Weight recording sheets will be provided. Automatic digital weigh wagons can be used by the vendor to record weights.

Key Deliverables/Schedule

Deliverable Corn silage harvest Description Chop corn silage off approximately 160 to 400 acres. Store in forage bunker

124’ by 32’ and up to six 12’ wide x 500’ long silage bags. Fill one 24 X 70 with PDS blower and silage table.

Approximate Time frame

August 25th – October 5 may include two or more different harvest timings

Equipment needed

Self-propelled chopper with kernel processor, packing tractor, bagger, 3 forage trucks or wagons for two days. PDS will provide and install oxygen-limiting plastics used to line the concrete forage bunker prior to feed storage, provide and install bunker covers, provide all silage bags, and provide an additional 3 forage trucks or wagons

Due By One week after Farm Manager indicates field conditions are ready.

Deliverable Cover crop harvest Description Chop cover crop silage off approximately 0 to 200 acres.

Approximate Time frame

May 5th - June 1st

Equipment needed

Self-propelled chopper. PDS will provide and install oxygen-limiting plastics used to line the concrete forage bunker prior to feed storage, provide and install bunker covers, provide all silage bags, and provide additional (3) forage trucks or wagons.

Due By One week after Farm Manager indicates field conditions are ready.

Please quote the base term and 4 optional years as follows:

Ordering Period 1 08/15/2023-8/14/2024 Ordering Period 2 08/15/2024-8/14/2025 Ordering Period 3 08/15/2025-8/14/2026 Ordering Period 4 08/15/2026-8/14/2027 Ordering Period 5 08/15/2027-8/14/2028

6.0 Travel:

The vendor will need to travel to the USDA Dairy Forage Research Farm for the days it will take to harvest the corn silage. The vendor must provide own diesel fuel to power their equipment.

7.0 Contractor’s Key Personnel:

The vendor’s personnel who perform the harvesting must have previous experience harvesting corn silage and must be trained and certified to use the farm equipment.

8.0 Security Requirements:

The vendor does not require a security clearance to complete the work. The vendor must check in and out each day with Farm Manager.