Warm and windy

Posted on December 8, 2023 by casifarm

Friday, December 8, 2023

It is a bit cloudy out there today, but it is warming up and it is very windy.  We should reach 60ºF (16C) this afternoon.   Up and down temps… life in southern Indiana.

Brandon and Bill are out in the Tony and Volvo trucks, delivering soybeans to ADM at Newburgh.  Each trip takes about 3 hours, and they get in 2/day.  John remains here, making sure the load-out bin is ready to refill the trucks.  He is also working on installing M-modems in the Gator and the trucks that are not currently busy.  He is also working on the upgrades to our GPS systems, making sure we are ready for spring work.

The changes we are making to the GPS systems are from John Deere.  When this is fully implemented, we will be able to apply our NH3 (which we do pre-plant) and then when the corn planter comes along the corn rows will be planted between the rows of NH3 application.  That will be agronomically better for the emerging corn.    Also, the accuracy of the planting pass will enable what JD calls “Autopath”, which will guide the combines at harvest time to know the correct row to begin through the field.  This should eliminate what farmers call “the row of shame”… which is when you have to pass through the field on less than a full 12-rows of corn in your header.  Whether you count the rows to begin a new pass through the corn, or you try to visually find the correct one, you don’t always get on the right row, and thereby you often leave a row (or two or so) of shame for the final pass.

John is also removing from our grain storage bins a system that monitors the condition of the grain called “Telesense”.  He signed installed this a couple years ago, and has not had a good experience.  The sensors have been “glitchy” (is that a word?), and the information they generate is not consistent or reliable.  The main problem has been support from the company.  They are based in California, and the local support is rare and infrequent.     We will look for another type of monitoring system for our biggest bins, hopefully with good support.

We attended granddaughter Molly’s 3rd grade school Christmas program last night.  So cute.  It wasn’t a long show, but very well done.   Granddaughter Kate had her pre-K program last week, it was on the same night as granddaughter Ella’s cheerleading at at 5th grade basketball game.  So, grandma went to the program, and grandpa went to the ballgame.  It’s a fun time of year, and it is so great to see these girls in their activities.

Pat discovered yesterday that she is going to need a knee replacement.  She has been pretty limited in her walking movement for a couple months now.   It’s several weeks away, for the local doctor is in high demand.  He did mine 1 year ago, and the results were excellent.  So, we wait for her turn next spring.   They fitted her with a special knee brace, and that seems to be helping.  We are confident that she will do well.  It just seems like a long time to wait.  Patience, huh?

We learned this week that our sons and their families will be home for Christmas on the 26th.   We don’t demand that they arrive here on any certain day, it’s just nice that we can find a day that fits for everyone to be here… it doesn’t have to be on Christmas day, but whenever it works out for them.  We are really looking forward to that day together!  I have a gift for each of our 3 granddaughters that I cannot wait to give them!   I think I finally understand how its more blessed to give than receive.

As this week wraps up, we are looking forward to a wedding tomorrow, and to church on Sunday.  The kids’ Christmas program will take place Sunday morning, and it is always a highlight of the season.  Our Children’s Director Jennifer and her volunteers do an amazing job all through the year, but especially for this program.

I’m hoping for some snow at Christmas.  How about you?

Have a great weekend.

 

 

 

 

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Gray day

Posted on December 6, 2023 by casifarm

Wednesday, December 6, 2023

I’m in the office today, writing up the minutes from last night’s elder’s meeting at church.  Also on my to-do list is some bookkeeping, and dealing with yesterday’s incoming mail.    I’ll have a couple paid bills to put in the mailbox.  It’s a routine winter morning, really.

As I look out the office window, it’s a gray, damp, and chilly day out there. 38 degrees.

Bill and Brandon are on the road today, taking soybeans to ADM at Newburgh.  They are delivering the beans sold on December contracts.  John is busy with finding the right parts for some repairs happening on our Pete semi.

Last Saturday night, Brandon and Emily and Hudson took the Tony truck to participate in the Monroe City Parade of Lights.  He really enjoyed getting it ready, and it was a popular parade entry.

Departing the farm on the way to Monroe City

 

Getting into position at the start of the parade…

 

 

Here is Brandon on his return back home…

 

I checked on the JD combine on Monday morning.  Justin, the mechanic at Alliance Tractor who is working on it, said he was just about ready to pull it out and test run it. He was experiencing a few bugs in some of the electrical connections, but he was fairly certain he would be able to track those all down.  When the fire melted a big wiring harness on the left side, that made for some tricky electrical problems.  It’s like an octopus with 50 arms, and each one has to be made clear and flawless again.  I’m certain that Justin will have it “like new” soon.

This is the bearing on the right side of the combine separator. This carries the rear discharge beater. All new again!  Justin is doing a good job with this repair.

I’m trying to get past my “man-cold” from the weekend.  It had me down on Saturday and Sunday… so much so, I missed church. I’m slowly getting my legs back under me, but still I run out of energy pretty quick.  Even so, it’s better today than yesterday, I’m breathing clearer and the runny nose isn’t so runny.  Progress.  I seem to be very susceptible to this malady.. see the post for December 29, 2018.

It was good to see the Purdue basketball team recover well from their Friday defeat at Northwestern. We lost our #1 ranking, now down to #4.  But when they took on Iowa on Monday night, they played very well.  It sure would have been fun to be in Mackey Arena at that game… I hope to get up there at least once this winter to cheer for my Boilermakers in person.

Have a good Wednesday.

 

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Welcome, December

Posted on December 1, 2023 by casifarm

Friday, December 1, 2023

The new month began this morning with gray skies and some rain.  So far, we’ve received .37″ (9mm).  We were hoping for a bit more rain, but of course, we’ll take what we get.  Just last night on the local weather channel, (WTHI, Channel 10 in Terre Haute), it was reported that we are now 10 inches below average rainfall for 2023… that means we’ve only received about 75% of a typical year’s precipitation.  That makes our fall harvest even more extraordinary.  To have our crops produce as well as they did on much-reduced rainfall is an unexpected and special blessing.

Today, the guys are working in the shop on the Tony truck.  The main driveshaft needed rebuilt, with new universal joints.  They are working very feverishly to get this truck fixed.  Brandon has it all decorated for tomorrow night’s Christmas Parade of Lights at Monroe City.  I’m sure they’ll have it ready to go.

The fiscal year closed yesterday, and it is a relief to have that mountain of paperwork and calculations behind us.  We are pleased and grateful for the results.  Now, we move ahead with planning for #plant24.  There are some changes coming to our planting systems and the GPS systems that drive those operations.  We have almost all the components on-site now, and we are eager to see these new things implemented.

The vegetation in the new waterway at the Waldo farm is taking hold.  The rye is showing through very well now, and the underlying fescue seed is just now beginning to show up.  This will be a great improvement, and protect the field from water erosion.  It is interesting and satisfying to see it take shape.

This new waterway is about 3000 feet long.

I’m headed off to our family doctor. I’m coming down with the dreaded man-cold.  Gotta head that off before the weekend.

Have a great weekend.  We are looking forward to Saturday night’s parade and to church on Sunday.

 

 

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The year-end looms ahead

Posted on November 28, 2023 by casifarm

Tuesday, November 28, 2023

The end of the fiscal year for Carnahan & Sons is rapidly approaching.  All the November projections and planning are finally coming together.  We met with our accountants yesterday in a long session to figure out the tax strategy and firm up the methodology to finish out the fiscal year.  Now we move ahead, implementing each of the steps.  There are normal expenditures, a few small capital improvements, and compensation for each of the operating partners and employees.   It is complicated, and required much preparation for yesterday’s meeting, but the plan is now set and it brings our confidence level up as we move ahead.

All the grain deliveries for November have been made, and the final November settlement payment should arrive at the bank tomorrow.  December will be a busy month for the trucks, with dozens of loads to go to GPC at Washington and ADM at Newburgh.

Nutrien has completed all the needed fertility and lime testing and applications for the 2024 crops.  We have developed a plan for what corn hybrids and soybean varieties to plant where, and those have been secured.  John prepared his plan for crop protection chemicals, and those have been  purchased.  The required nitrogen for wheat and corn has also been calculated and purchased.   Having these details nailed down bring a great sense of confidence for the 2024 cropping season.  And, in a rare occurrence, the costs have come down a bit compared to 2023.  That’s a good thing, for commodity prices are lower, too.

After weeks of research and study, we made a change today to our GPS equipment.  We upgraded our GPS receivers to JD Starfire 7000 with SF-RTK signal.  They will be even more accurate, and boot up faster than the previous SF 6000 receivers.  These improvements will allow us to implement the use of JD’s Autopath system.   In addition to the receiver on the tractor, there will be an additional receiver on the NH3 applicator and the corn planter.  This will provide even more accurate and repeatable operation in the fields.  When the sprayer is running during the summer, Autopath will guide the machine into the correct corn row.  When we harvest corn next fall, the Autopath system will guide the combine to enter the correct row.  At corn harvest it is often difficult to find the correct row, so that when you are finishing a segment of a field, you might have not a full 12-rows of corn to harvest.  The ‘row of shame’ should be a thing of the past!

I washed the pickup this morning. Even though rain is predicted for Thursday night and all day Friday, I prefer to have the pickup look clean.  And, of course, I used #Andyclean soap!

Nothing like having your pickup shine like new

The repair of the fire-damaged JD S780 combine is going well  in the shop at Alliance Tractor at Vincennes.  We stopped in to view the progress yesterday, and we found that they are now putting parts back into the machine.  The rear discharge beater bearing that caused the whole mess is all new and looking good.   They will also conduct a very thorough inspection to ensure that the S780 is completely field-ready.    I am confident that this repair will be well done.   Once that thing gets home, the guys will wash it up nicely and put it into storage.

Here are the parts from the fire-damaged rear discharge beater.

If you maneuver up into the back end of the combine, this is what you will see today.  Even though here it’s spinning  backwards, the new rear discharge beater spins freely, ready for next summer’s wheat harvest.

The Christmas decorations at home are complete.  It took me a bit longer this year to put up 2 trees and add the lights and ornaments.  I guess it was just a little bit harder for this old guy to haul all that stuff up out of the basement!  Our decorating is not as elaborate as we did in our younger days, but still we get some joy seeing all the festive stuff on display.

A snowman greets everyone near our front door.

This nativity welcomes you in our entryway foyer.

The main tree in the living room took quite a while for me to set up!

This tree in the bedroom is decorated with ornaments we have collected from our travels over the last 45 years.

Tomorrow night, we’ll attend a 5th grade basketball game at South Knox… where our granddaughter Ella is a cheerleader.   She is growing up so fast…

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with Ben and Kierstin.  Ben smoked the turkey, and they both worked so very hard to prepare for a lovely meal.  We were joined by Kierstin’s parents and cousin.  So, even if there were only 7 of us, we celebrated in a happy way.  Thanksgiving is just about my favorite holiday… and it’s not because of the delicious traditional foods… it’s about the attitude it fosters in us.  We are often encouraged by the Scriptures to be thankful.   I am happy that this holiday encourages us to show gratitude.  There is an old hymn we sang when I was a kid….”Count Your Blessings”.   A good thing to do any old day, not just on Thanksgiving.

It is a beautiful but chilly day here in SWIN.  The temperature topped out at 32ºF 0ºC).  But there is not a cloud in the brilliant blue sky, and very little wind.  Not a bad day at all!

A chilly day… but still beautiful

I must mention today that our beloved Purdue Boilermaker basketball team is now ranked Number ONE!    We will enjoy that while it lasts, and revel in every minute!  They play again at home tonight.  The B1G conference has messed with the way the games are televised.  There are some that will only be streamed out on some thing called “Peacock”.  I’m going to have to figure that out if I want to catch @BoilerBall the way I’d like to!  It is my firm hope that I’ll be able to attend one game this winter, and cheer for them in-person!  There’s nothing like being there in Mackey Arena!

Enjoy your day.  December will be here soon!

 

 

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Back in the groove again.

Posted on November 21, 2023 by casifarm

Tuesday, November 21, 2023

Pat and I returned late Friday night from a few days down at Disney World.  We had a great time, even if she was challenged with some pains in her right leg.  The days were beautiful, (mostly), and we enjoyed many of our favorite restaurants.  We even took in a few rides.  We both enjoyed TRON, and it was even more spectacular after dark.  I also took a ride on Guardians of the Galaxy, and found it even better than the first time I went on it. Other favorites we enjoyed are the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Slinky Dog, Peter Pan’s Flight, Ratatouille, Frozen, and Spaceship Earth.

We attended two “after hours” events.   First was the “Jollywood Nights” at Hollywood Studios.   This event is new this year, and we were there on 11/11, the very first night.  There was a special stage show, and several locations with bands.  Our favorite was the one at Tower of Terror, with ‘big band’ style music of the 1940s.  Another night was spent at “Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party”.  That is a favorite.  There were two stage shows, special fireworks, a parade, and festive snacks.   The marching toy soldiers in the parade are the best!

Jollywood Nights was fun!

Even the Dinosaur Gertie cookies were decorated for Christmas

At the MVMCP, the crowds were big, but not like a regular day at the park. Snow on Main Street.

The stage show had many of Mickey’s friends appearing. The music and dancers were really good!

The Toy Soldiers were a highlight for me!

All in all, we had a wonderful 8 days there.

Now, back on the farm, this is a busy week.  Corn and soybeans are being delivered on the November contracts.  The office work is extensive as we prepare for the fiscal year-end on 11-30.  The equipment is all cleaned up, except for the JD S780 combine.  It is in the shop at Alliance Tractor in Vincennes, getting repaired from the fire.  They are making progress on it; it appears that they are ready to start putting parts back on it.  I checked yesterday on the conservation work that was completed this fall.  The rye is growing well, and the new waterways are beginning to ‘turn green’.

I helped load a truck yesterday… the corn looks beautiful.  And the test weight is very good, too!

There are lots of new parts to put into the back end of our combine. We are grateful that it can be repaired, instead of having to be replaced!

The discharge beater will be all new, as well at the wiring harness here on the left side.

Even the Gator got a fresh wash job!

We received about .6″ (16mm) of much-appreciated rain overnight.  Today is overcast and damp-feeling.  Gray skies, too.  But we are grateful for the rain.  That will help establish the new fescue in the two new waterways, and boost the wheat crop.  By the way, the wheat crop is off to a good start, and looks nice and healthy.

A view of the wheat from this morning…

We will be traveling to Moline, Illinois in mid-December for a Gold Key visit at the Harvester Works.  We have a new S780 on order, and we will see it get built on that visit.  It is always an exciting thing to watch your machine come together, and the hospitality that you receive is pretty special.   We are very much looking forward to that trip!

We are in the season leading up to my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving.  Of course, I love the traditional foods associated with Thanksgiving, but it is the spirit it encourages that I appreciate most.  We often need a reminder to count our blessings, and this holiday does just that.  We here at Carnahan & Sons hope that your Thanksgiving is filled with joy!

 

 

 

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Clean-up continues

Posted on November 8, 2023 by casifarm

Wednesday, November 8, 2023

The clean-up of the equipment continues today.  We hope to get a big bunch of it done today, for the weather today is 80ºF (27C), and tomorrow will be in the low 60s!  So, there is some incentive to use this warm day for the necessary washing.

The 9520R tractor gets the finishing touches on its turn on the wash pad.

The MacDon header also gets washed on this warm day.

The RD40F is next to be washed.

All the fall fertility applications of granular fertilizers have been accomplished.  The bulk of the “food” for the 2024 crops is now in place.  The only remaining fertility to do is the nitrogen for corn.  That will be applied in the form of anhydrous ammonia next spring–ahead of planting.

 

This is Nick, the operator of the precision fertilizer applicator this fall.

Here is Nick’s machine, an AirMax Precision2. It is very precise to apply according to the prescription map of each field. The prescription maps are created from a record of the grid-sampled soil testing, as well as the maps of previous crops harvested.

We have begun to deliver corn to GPC and soybeans to ADM to fill our November contracts.  It’s nice to see the trucks go down the road, all clean and shiny.  The grain looks beautiful as it falls into the trailer.

Office work abounds today.  I’m crunching numbers to finish off the farm’s fiscal year at the end of November. It’s a good thing I enjoy this kind of office work.  I guess I must admit that if I am filling out forms for some bureaucrat, that’s work… but working with these numbers to help manage the business… that’s interesting!

What a beautiful, warm and sunny November day.  Let’s enjoy it and appreciate it!

 

 

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#harvest23 is complete!

Posted on November 6, 2023 by casifarm

Monday, November 6, 2023

We were able to wrap up the fall harvest last Saturday afternoon, November 4.  We finished at the Leser farm, our newest location.  It is certainly a good feeling to have the crop all done… a relief of sorts.  Now, our attention turns to the clean-up of the machinery and placing them into storage for the winter.  There will be many loads of corn, soybeans, and wheat to deliver over the next few months.

Before moving the machines home, we took a couple minutes to visit and celebrate the end of harvest

As we look back at our crop year for 2023, we have abundant gratitude.  Our corn and soybeans were the best average yield in the farm’s long history.  The double-crop soybeans (DCB) were quite good, just not close to a record yield.  We have much for which to be thankful, including that we made it through the hectic and busy fall season without injury, and not an overwhelming number of mechanical issues.

This final week of harvest was quite eventful.  Last Wednesday evening, as we were cutting DCB at the Huey farm, I had a fire begin in the JD S780 combine.  First symptom was that the Autotrac shut down, and then a few seconds later, many warnings flashed up on the screen.  (24, of them in all, caused by the fire melting a wiring harness).  The one I saw most was a warning that the tailings elevator was not up-to-speed. So, I stopped the combine, and got out to investigate. As I was walking around the back end of the machine, I began to smell and see smoke.   John was nearby, and arrived at the machine.  He asked me to dial up 9-1-1, and in a few minutes the Wheatland Volunteer FD arrived at the field.  I am so very grateful for those volunteers; they worked tirelessly for 3+hours dousing the flames, embers, and other hot spots on the combine.  The fire was eventually subdued.  The incredible thing is that the damage is something that can be repaired.  It won’t be a cheap repair, but it is inexpensive compared to losing the entire machine!   Even with the damaged wiring, the combine was drive-able, and we set in on Thursday to secure the repairs at our local Alliance Tractor location. Our insurance also provided a rental to use while our 780 is out of service.  We made those arrangements too, and the rental was at work on Friday.  Having two machines operating allowed us to get finished with #harvest23 by Saturday afternoon.  The fire-damaged machine will be “like new” when it returns to the farm.

John was a busy fellow assisting the firefighters

I must thank our wonderful neighbor-farmers who called to offer their help.  It’s pretty touching, really.  Another blessing, for sure.

Last Friday, my sister and BIL came all the way across southern Indiana for a day-trip visit here.  I was so happy they could join me in the combine.

The conservation construction work at the Waldo farm is complete.  There are 5 new WASCoBs, and several runs of new tile, as well as a beautiful new grass waterway.

Here, we plant rye on a new WASCoB, to protect it during this winter.

The rye is taking hold in the new waterway.

Clean-up continues today, and it is a pleasant 76ºF (24C).  That makes for the washing to be a little more comfortable to accomplish.   First, the guys will use compressed air to clean the combines and headers, and then a thorough wash will occur.  They are also working on the grain cart and the JD 9520R that pulls it.  The trucks got a wash last week while we were waiting for the DCB to dry down.   Those won’t need as extensive a cleaning because they’ve already been detailed.

The grain cart is cleaned and put away!

Again, we express our thankfulness for a wonderful crop year.  Good yields, helpful harvest conditions, and no injuries are reasons for our lifted spirits.  We thank the Good Lord most of all, for His blessing to provide all these good things.  We also thank our employees– Bill, Larry, Bob, and Ryan– whose dedication and ‘extra-mile’ help smoothed the operation this fall.  Our wives and families supported whatever was needed.  And the businesses that support our work were noticeably helpful, too.  Alliance Tractor, Hutson, Inc, Montgomery Welding, and the local Nutrien plant were the best at being responsive to our needs of the moment.  Yes, it takes a ‘team effort’ to do what we do, and we acknowledge that we have been surrounded by the best.

I’m back in the office this afternoon, crunching the numbers for our tax year-end on 11/30.  The pace will not be as demanding now, and supper at home can become a normal part of life again!

Happy and grateful farmers…. that’s us at Carnahan & Sons.

 

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An interesting quirk about soybeans

Posted on October 27, 2023 by casifarm

Friday, October 27. 2023

Driving by the Curt’s Hill field this morning, looking to see if the soybeans were ready for harvest, I noticed a special thing happening there.  The neighbor across the county road has a light mounted on the pole near our field.  It’s kind of like a street light in town.  But this light does a strange thing to the soybeans planted there.

In a semicircle of about 25 feet in radius around the pole, the soybeans are not getting ripe at all.  The light at night has tricked them.  Soybeans are highly sensitive to a factor called “photoperiodism“.   Because they do not recognize that the days are getting shorter, they do not initiate becoming mature; they just continue to stay green and grow as if it is summertime.  They will remain so until a frost kills the plants (coming soon, they say).  One particular thing about this spot also illustrates the effect of photoperiodism on soybeans.  In the shadow that the pole makes from the light, the soybeans have matured.  It is very interesting to see this take place.

See the tiny wedge-shaped section of soybeans among the semicircle of green ones? That shows how an artificial light affects the soybeans to remain green, and in the shadow of the pole, normal response occurs!

 

We were able to cut a small field of double-crop soybeans (DCB) yesterday afternoon.  We went up to the Ross farm.  The 15-or-so acres remaining there were dry enough to bring in.  While I was cutting those acres, Brandon made another trip to other fields, and found that no other location was ready yet.  So, the wait continues into next week.   It has been quite a number of years since our harvest work extended into November.   We hope it does not go very far into next month because November weather can be beautifully warm and sunny, but it can also be miserably cold and wet. The weather and the soybeans’ maturity will tell us when we will go back to harvesting.  Hopefully, by this time next week, #harvest23 will be all done!

Cutting DCB Thursday afternoon. Another baby step on the way to finishing #harvest23.

Thinking about next week’s weather predictions, nights in the mid 20s are going to be a bit of a shock to the system… we have had temps in the 80s most of the week, and that transition to freezing temps is always a difficult adjustment.  But adjust we will.  It is pretty much assured that I won’t be wearing shorts to work next week!

Have a lovely last weekend of October.

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#harvest23 on pause

Posted on October 25, 2023 by casifarm

Wednesday, October 25, 2023

We have stopped our harvesting.  We tried double-crop soybeans (DCB) again yesterday, and they are just not quite ripe and dry enough for us to set in and march through.  It is hard to see warm days go by and not be out there cutting DCB.  But, we must wait for them to fully mature and dry down to 13% moisture or less.  Next week, we are predicted to have temps as low as 26ºF at night, and mid 40s in the daytime… what a change!  Maybe those beans will freeze-dry!  We are still hoping to complete the DCB in October, but it is likely that some of the last ones will come off in November.  They will tell  us when they’re ready, not the other way around.

In the meantime, we remain occupied with other tasks.  I have been out in the 6145R tractor with the 1560 no-till drill, planting strips and areas of rye to protect the soil during the winter.  We have done this for several years now, planting a cover-crop in valleys and on areas where the soil is ‘thin’.  This has really helped reduce the water erosion.

Here’s the rig we use to put down some cover crop strips this time of year. The JD 6145R tractor is just about ideal for this task.

The conservation construction work continues at the Waldo farm.   Just yesterday, Dustin put into place the netting with straw mulch in the new waterway.  It really looks good, and we are hopeful it will establish the sod.

Dustin and his associates roll out the netting and stake it into place. There is over 3000 feet put down for this project!  Installing that was hard work.

So, we wait for drier soybeans.   We will keep busy with other stuff, but when those DCBs are ready to go, we will be too!

The trees are finally getting their best colors! This one is in our yard.

 

 

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It’s a start…

Posted on October 23, 2023 by casifarm

Monday afternoon, October 23, 2023

Brandon is up at the Ross farm, cutting some double-crop soybeans (DCB).  He must ‘patch around’ to find the ones that are dry enough to harvest.  I went out in the pickup this afternoon, and I think I found 2 more fields that we can work on tomorrow.  It’s a little frustrating to have a super-nice day like today and not be able to be fully engaged in cutting DCB.  But the yield is a tiny bit better than we expected with the really dry August weather.  They are by no means a record-breaker, but okay.

John used his day to wash down the grain dryer.  It is a massive post-harvest task to clean it all, and he is meticulous about making sure it is cleaned correctly.  Doing this wash down is important to extending the service life of that expensive machine.

I took the JD combine this afternoon and cut a small patch of soybeans left at the Cox farm.  There was about 11 acres that needed to be replanted there after some spring/summer flooding.  Those came off today, and now the regular-planted soybeans are officially “done”.

Tomorrow could be another step on the way to concluding #harvest23.  We sure hope so.  After tomorrow’s 2 fields, it may be next week until we can find another field (or major portion of a field) that is dry enough to cut.

Our earth-moving construction contractor Dustin Hatton is making progress on the conservation work at the Waldo farm.   He has the waterway shaped and will soon put down a netting mat in it to hold the seed in place until the rye and fescue can get established.  He is building 5 new WASCoBs to improve control of water erosion.  It’s looking better each day he in in operation there.

We got the report today that our entries into the National Wheat Yield Contest conducted by the National Association of Wheat Growers ((NAWG) earned 1st and 2nd for Indiana.  Although the overall yield for our 2023 wheat crop was down from 2022, that one field at Leser was exceptional.  We are grateful to our crop advisor Greg Anthis of Nutrien and our DynaGro wheat consultant Landon Taylor for their assistance on this yield test.  It is important to note that we don’t choose one spot and ‘doctor it up special’ for the contest, but all our fields get the same management program.  It’s just that the Leser farm had the best conditions for 2023.  Of course, we give most of the credit to the Lord for providing the growing conditions that made for this successful wheat field.  Without His blessing, our efforts are just not enough.

We are taking what seem like baby steps now to inch our way toward a completion of the fall harvest.  And little by little, we will get there.

 

 

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