First days of #plant26

Posted on April 4, 2026 by casifarm

Saturday, April 4, 2026

It is a rainy day today.  That’s not all bad, it has been quite dry for quite some time now.  The fields that have had the NH3 applied will benefit from this rain.

Early this morning, it sure looked like rain coming from the west… no doubt… it got here by 10 am.

We were able last week to finish off the sprayer application for the wheat crop.  That pass contained a herbicide, an insecticide, a fungicide, a growth regulator, and micro amounts of copper, boron, and magnesium…a complex tank mix.  That task was interrupted for a few days by high winds, but it was completed last Friday, March 28.

The application of NH3 for this year’s corn crop was also finished off this week on Tuesday the 31st.   It is a factor that the weather has been unusually dry for several weeks making it possible to complete the N application to every corn field in March.  That will be a benefit all year long, for now we can turn our attention to burndown spraying and planting.  We love early planting, just not in the month of March.  But this year in particular, many neighbors have had their planters running like crazy this past week!

John has applied burndown herbicides to three farm locations, Dunn, Lett, and Watjen… preparing over 300 acres for the soybean drill.  He has not been able to apply any burndown to corn acres.  The windy weather has severely limited the sprayer use, only giving small windows of opportunity when the wind is low enough to make spraying possible.

John is filling his JD R4044 sprayer here at the main farm. John designed and built the sprayer blending system on the Demco sprayer support tanker trailer. Works pretty slick!

On Wednesday, I went up to the Dunn farm, following John’s burndown application, and started the soybean drill.  Yes, I know it is early in the calendar, but the conditions were good, the planter was all hooked up, and the seed cart was filled with seed.  So, I thought, “Why not?  It will a ‘test run’ and let me know if there is anything I yet need to fix on the planter”.    It went well for a couple hours until a small rain came.  I stopped immediately.  The rain was light enough <2.” (5mm), so I returned to the Dunn farm yesterday, and finished planting that 168 acres.   No, it wasn’t as good as Wednesday, but really… not bad.

Filling the seed cart on the soybean drill on Tuesday afternoon.

Pat took this photo as she departed the Dunn field after bringing my lunch.

This is what soybean planting looks like from the driver’s seat.

Next week, the calendar will be favorable for us to roll both corn and soybean planters.  If there is not a huge rain today, we will get them early started next week.  We are praying for favorable wind conditions also, so that the sprayer can put down the burndown ahead of the planters.

I had very much hoped to be in Indianapolis today with my family to watch our Boilermakers play in the Final Four.   Alas, their run ended at the Elite Eight, one game shy of the dream.  I guess I just need to think about how much money the team saved me… tickets would have been outrageously expensive.   Still, I sure wish we could have been there cheering them on today and Monday.

As we consider the special holiday coming tomorrow, it is a highlight of the year for believers in Jesus.  May you and yours have a blessed Resurrection Sunday.  John’s family is coming for supper tomorrow and we are really looking forward to some time with them!

Happy Easter!

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Gassin’

Posted on March 30, 2026 by casifarm

Monday, March 30, 2026

Brandon and John are gassin’ today.  That is, they are applying anhydrous ammonia (NH3) gas to the last two corn fields for 2026.  If nothing goes wrong, they should wrap up this important application tomorrow.  Brandon D is busy keeping them supplied with full tanks and returning the empties to Nutrien.

Brandon K applies NH3 at the Huey farm on this very nice, but very windy Monday.

John uses the JD 9520R tractor to operate this 23-row Unverferth 3500 Renegade applicator.  The N is sealing into the soil quite well today!

Brandon K goes along very well with the old blue DMI 18-shank bar behind the JD 8R340 tractor.  

It is very, very windy today… so much so that I cannot use the sprayer to put on some burndown herbicide for soybean fields.  It is sad that I cannot use this very nice and warm (76F, 23C) day to do so.   But there will be a day coming that it is good to go.

A young friend from church is here today to do some repairs for the shingles that were blown off my roof at home in one of the recent very windy days.  So thankful for his help.  I’m trying to squeeze a year or two more out of this old roof.

Brandon V (orange shirt) and his assistant are working hard up there on this roof on a very windy day.

Rain is predicted for Tuesday night, and for Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.  My best guess it that we won’t get rain on every one of those days.  But if we do, it will be okay.  Easter is coming on April 5 and after that, I’ll be ready to run the planters on any day the soil is appropriate.

Wishing you a happy and blessed Resurrection Sunday.  Hope you can celebrate with those you love!

 

 

 

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A good first week of progress

Posted on March 28, 2026 by casifarm

Saturday, March 28, 2026

We made good progress on the first week of field work for 2026.  The tractors and sprayer began on Tuesday, and it all worked without too many issues.  On Thursday about noon, the wind got so strong that I had to stop working with the sprayer.  I was disappointed, because I could have finished off spraying the wheat on that day.  But the wind did not die down that day or Friday.  I plan to return there today, and check that off the ‘to do’ lost.

Since the fields are nearby, and the blend is complex, I fill at Nutrien for this application for the wheat crop. It contains a tiny bit of N, a herbicide, insecticide, growth regulator, boron, and magnesium. We tissue-test each field and apply just what is needed in each one.

Brandon and John made great strides applying NH3 for the 2026 corn crop.  In fact, when they quit on Thursday night, only two more fields remain to be applied.  The rain Thursday night and yesterday stopped their work, and they plan to return there on Monday.   Their goal is to complete the NH3 work on Monday and Tuesday, because several days of rain are predicted beginning Wednesday.

Once I get the remaining wheat spray applied (today, hopefully, with the low winds), John will clean it out and prepare it for spraying soybean fields with burndown herbicides.   Weather permitting (winds), I will start that on Monday, too.

Any field work we can do in March is like a little bonus.

I saw some soybean planters running in the neighborhood on Thursday.  That’s very early, but it is becoming more commonplace in recent years.  In my younger farmer years, most of us planted our corn, then switched over to soybeans.  Nowadays, many farmers plant soybeans first, then their corn.  For several years now, we start the corn and soybean planters almost simultaneously.   I’m just not quite ready to plant soybeans in March… but anytime the soil is ready after April 5, I’m all for it.

Today, is the championship day for IHSAA Boys’ Basketball.  Four new state champions will be crowned today.  1A and 2A will take place starting at 10 am at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indy.  3A and 4A will happen this evening.   It is a wonderful event for any Indiana community.   Basketball is king here in Indiana, and HS basketball is viewed as so important.  This day reminds me of March 1, 2025, when our South Knox Lady Spartans won the state title in 2A.   It is an achievement that will be remembered here always.

Also, my Purdue Boilermakers have moved into the Elite Eight of the NCAA March Madness.   One win this evening will place them again into the Final Four to be played in Indianapolis April 4 & 6.  We are considered the underdog to the Arizona team tonight, but we are hopeful.  Go, Boilermakers!   Boiler Up… Hammer Down!!

Moving on the the West Regional Championship tonight.

Have a beautiful Palm Sunday weekend.

 

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Spring field work starts

Posted on March 25, 2026 by casifarm

Wednesday, March 25, 2026

The work in the fields began yesterday.  Bradon and John were applying NH3 to corn fields here at home.  Brandon D was their tank delivery support.  I was spraying wheat with a mixture of herbicide, insecticide, growth regulator, and biologic enhancers.

Brandon had to go slower in the morning because it was chilly.

The NH3 went into the soil very nicely and efficiently.

John got the big rig rolling in the afternoon, and it was going pretty well.

There were a few ‘first day’ bugs, which with the NH3 application, is usually bits of rust from the tanks getting into some orifices in the NH3 metering system.

These tasks will continue today and tomorrow, but strong winds are predicted for Thursday, and that would stop the sprayer.  It is my goal to get all the wheat crop covered with this pass this week.  Got about 1/4 of the crop applied yesterday.

 

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Another step forward

Posted on March 19, 2026 by casifarm

Thursday, March 19, 2026

Today, we are doing more preparation work for spring 2026.  The guys are working on the old blue DMI NH3 toolbar, preparing it to use (hopefully) next week.  Checking the bearings, knives, and greasing the cutters are the important things.  The hoses and NH3 liquid system are inspected.  We put new cutter blades on it last spring, so it should be ready soon.

Both Brandons are giving the old blue toolbar a good inspection and then lubrication

The big boy Unverferth Renegade 3500, 23-shank applicator bar gets its attention on this nice 66ºF (19C) afternoon.

Wow!  Mowing season is rapidly approaching.  So, it’s time to get the mowers serviced.  Our yard is starting to look a bit ragged.

Before mowing, the fallen branches must be picked up. This is the 2nd load to haul away.

We buy what is called a “service kit” for each mower.  In those kits are replacements for the air and oil filters, spark plugs, fuel filters and motor oil.  It costs a bit less to buy the kit rather than each individual item.   We adjusted the oil level in the two hydrostatic motors that drive the rear wheels.  The blades are in very good condition, so this mower is fully ready now for #mow26.   Maybe I’ll use it tomorrow or Saturday.

Servicing the Z545R mower I use at home.

The big farm mower, a JD Z970R takes its turn in the shop this afternoon

Pat and I meet 2x/month with a small group at church for a Bible study and prayer.  It’s called the “Grace and Peace” group.  We are currently studying 1Peter.  As we sat together last night, it was a very special and warm time, sharing our burdens and joys, and gleaning some new insights into Chapter 1 of 1Peter.  We laughed together and cried a bit together too.  Blessed.

Have a great week.  The weather looks to be consistently warmer for the next week or so. 60s today, 70s tomorrow!   Wonderful!

If you’re following the NCAA men’s tournament, you ought to be able to get your fill of basketball.  If you can’t you’re not trying!  No doubt I’m cheering for my Purdue Boilermakers!

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The jury’s out…

Posted on March 18, 2026 by casifarm

Wednesday, March 18, 2026

Monday night was 17ºF (-8C).  Tuesday night was 23ºF (-5c).  This morning you can see the top growth of our wheat turning dark, and the undergrowth yellowing a bit.  It is too soon to know the full effect of the freezing weather on it.  We are hopeful that it was still early enough growth stage to have the ‘growing point’ below ground, and that the wheat will come out of this okay.  But it is yet to be definitively determined.  The kicker is that we need to begin on Monday to apply some herbicide and growth regulator and an insecticide on this crop.   Today, we’re reluctant to go whole hog spending more on this crop until we are certain it weathered the cold adequately.   Brandon is more confident… he is saying today, “It’s okay, it’ll be all right.”  I pray he’s right!

Today, it’s warming up and should make it into the mid 50s.  By Friday, we are predicted to top out at about 73ºF!   From freezing to nice and warm.   That’s southern Indiana for you.

If the weather remains warm and dry, we expect to begin field operations on Monday.  Brandon brought home the old blue NH3 toolbar today from its storage spot at the quonset building at the Huey farm.  It was refurbished last spring, so it is ready to go.  Of course, he will have to monitor the screens in the liquid system.  The loose rust in Nutrien’s NH3 tanks we pull tend to cause some plugging for a few days as we get started.  Our other NH3 applicator, an Unverferth Renegade 3500 is also ready to go.  John puts a satellite receiver on that tool to create “AutoPath” tracks which will guide the corn planter in the spring, the sprayer in the summer, and the combines at harvest.  We are BIG fans of “AutoPath”.

Our Peterbilt truck needs to go into Klepac Diesel LLC for Jake to repair a leak in the turbo.  Once he gets to it, he should have no problem fixing it.

Today, we are pleased that our fertilizers are applied and that our nitrogen for wheat and corn is prepaid.  The recent war has dramatically increased the price of fertilizers, especially nitrogen.  About 6 weeks ago, John locked in a firm price on the diesel fuel we expect to use this year.  Today, that is a really good thing, for fuel prices are noticeably higher too.  Another good thing:  grain prices spiked up for a few days, allowing Brandon a small window of opportunity to sell some more new crop corn, soybeans, and wheat.

There is so much uncertainty in the world right now, and it highlights our dependence on our Maker.  I often use the passage from the book of Philippians… Chapter 4, verses 4 through 7.   This gives us reassurance in uncertain times.

Have a great rest of your week.

 

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Checkin’ on the wheat

Posted on March 17, 2026 by casifarm

Tuesday, March 17,2026

Yesterday morning, Brandon, John, and I went out to check on the progress and growth stage of the wheat.  Accompanying us were Greg Anthis, our local crop consultant, and James Gillum, DynaGro wheat specialist.   We had special concern for the wheat crop this time, because of the very low temperature predicted for last night.  It got down to 17ºF (-8C).   There was a dusting of snow covering the ground this morning, and we are hoping that will help protect the wheat plants from the freezing temps.

It was quite cold and very windy as we went out to inspect wheat fields on Monday morning.  You can even see some snow flurries streaking across the video.

Brandon, Greg, James, and John discuss what they are finding.

Greg has developed a strong expertise for wheat production. He diligently works at it.

We visited 5 of the fields and Greg pulled some samples to check on the growth stage and plant health.  The overall stand is a bit thinner than we wanted, due to an extended period of very dry conditions after planting.  But the plants tillered well as we discovered individual plants with 7 to 19 tillers.  The growing point Greg found was at or just below the soil surface, with a good amount of above-ground growth.  Because of this, Greg and James are hopeful that the wheat will survive okay through the very cold night last night.  We won’t know for sure until the middle of next week, when we inspect the fields again and check for freeze damage.  But today, we are hopeful.

James cut into this plant and found the tiny head deep inside the plant. He thinks it is below ground just enough to make it through the freezing night.

Greg brought one plant back to the warmth of the shop, and he counted 19 tillers on this wheat plant. That seems like a big number to me.  Each one of those tillers has the potential to make a stalk of wheat and put on a head of grain.

Back in the shop, the Brandons are working on the CH model Mack truck, polishing the aluminum wheels and replacing some rusty hub caps and missing nut covers.  It certainly looks better after their work.

Brandon and Brandon do some repairs and some polishing on the old Mack truck. It’s a 94 model.

We are celebrating our Purdue Boilermakers!  They won 4 games in 4 days during the B1G tournament in Chicago and are the Tournament Champions!   This week, we saw a pretty good return of the Boilermaker team we saw in November and December.   Their placement in the NCAA bracket is a bit favorable for them.  If they play like the can, they should go deep into the tourney… even a Final Four can be possible.  (Clark Kellogg on CBS has picked them to be the National Champion, I hope he’s right!).  If they play like they did in February, they’ll likely get knocked out after a couple games.  Here’s hoping they do well!

The old gold and black confetti streams down as the Boilers embrace the 2026 B1G tourney trophy.

The Indiana High School boys’ tournament has two weekends left… the Semi-State this weekend and the State Finals on March 28.  Each of the 4 classes have 8 teams still contending.  The Semi-States (one north and one south in each of the 4 classes) this Saturday will have two games to narrow the field down to two teams that will compete in Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on March 28 to determine the 2026 IHSAA State Champion.  Class 1A game will begin at 10 am with the 2A game to follow.  That evening the 3A and 4A games will round out the Championship Day.   It is always a big event in Indiana!  We are still walking on air from the 2025 Girls State Championship by our local South Knox Lady Spartans!

I’m finding office work to do today.  The wind is biting and cuts right through your coat.  But, typical for southern Indiana… this spell of freezing is predicted to be gone tomorrow, and by the weekend, highs will be back in the upper 70s!

If that holds true, it may be warm enough and dry enough late this week to begin applying some NH3 to the 2026 corn fields!  It would be nice to get all or almost all of that applied here in late March.  We might get a bit of the first pass of corn and soybean field herbicide applied late this month, too.  That would be helpful and could lead to the planters running earlier in April.

#plant26 is not far off… it just doesn’t feel like it this morning!

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Cold is coming

Posted on March 13, 2026 by casifarm

Friday, March 13, 2026

Friday the 13th?  It’s the second one this year!

The weather forecast for early next week shows low temps as low at 18ºF (-8C).   That concerns me about the health of the wheat crop.  In a conversation with our consultant Greg Anthis this morning, he gave a bit of reassurance that the crop development was not quite ‘jointed’ yet, and he said it should survive the cold.  He will examine it more closely today and determine if the earliest-planted wheat has ‘jointed’.  If the wheat plants have joints, the freezing will be bad, but if not, it should be okay… it may look a little burnt but will come out okay.   There is always potential for good and bad with these wide-swinging southern Indiana temperatures.

The guys are working on some stabilizer bars on the rear end of the old Mack truck we call “Vanna”.  It’s a 1994 CH model, but it still looks good and works well.  As dad used to say, “It’s not the age, it’s the mileage.”   I find myself recalling many of his ‘old sayings’.

Spent a big part of yesterday watching the B1G basketball tournament.  The highlight for me was (of course) Purdue’s win over Northwestern.  The Boilermakers best efforts showed up, especially in the first half.  They were leading by 24 at halftime.  The Wildcats made a little run, but the deficit was too great to overcome.  The Boilers won by 13.  They will have a significantly tougher time today vs. Nebraska.  The Cornhuskers have had a terrific season; I think their coach Hoiberg is a very good coach, and he’s put together a strong contender.  But if the Purdue team that played vs the Hoosiers at Purdue is the one that shows up today, the Boilermakers will prevail!   That’s my hope, anyway.

If you like basketball, this should be a very happy few weeks for you.  If you can’t get your fill of basketball during this month, you’re not trying!

Have a good weekend.

 

 

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Sun returns

Posted on March 12, 2026 by casifarm

Thursday, March 12, 2026

The sun is back this morning.  Since last Friday, we’ve had several days of cloudy and gray and rainy skies.  But today we have sunshine.  And it feels good, even though it is pretty chilly.  We started the day at 34ºF (1C).  Predicted high is 51… not great but the sunshine makes it better.

John is out today.  As a member of the local Farm Bureau Board, he is working the local Ag Day 2026 celebration.  It is held on campus at Vincennes University.  They invite all the 5th graders from across Knox County to come in during the day to hear speakers about future opportunities in agriculture professions.  They will also have all kinds of farm animals there with which to interact.  Goats, chickens, turkey poults, calves, little pigs and others will be available and accessible to the kids.  This evening, the event will turn to the Ag Day supper, with pork sandwich and all the trimmings for $1. (something like the farmer’s share of the cost of the meal).  The turnout for that is always big.

I have run the over-the-air updates to the GS4 screen in the 9R540 tractor and the GS5 screen in the newer S780 combine.  It’s not hard to do, just takes a while… at about 40 minutes for each one, this was a little faster than the typical update… I’ve had them take 90 minutes before, so this update (v. 25-4) seemed quick.  With the drill rebuild completed by the guys on Tuesday, we are pretty much ready to go to the fields as soon as soil conditions permit.  First up?  Apply NH3 to the 2026 corn fields.  Next will come herbicide applications, and then the planters.  Among all that activity, will also be nitrogen application and herbicide application to the wheat crop (which at the current date looks great).  At this moment, we are excited and eager to get going.  Some farmers in the area will begin planting in March.  I don’t have much enthusiasm for planting corn or soybeans that early, but once April 5 rolls around, I’m mentally ready to get the planters going.  It will be a great pleasure for me to once again step into that 9R540 and place some soybean seed in the soil!   As much as I enjoy the 9R540, Brandon also likes the 8R340 just as much when he’s planting corn.

Although a JD 4020 is the most classic tractor, this 9R540 is the nicest tractor I’ve ever had the pleasure to operate.

Brandon and Brandon have been working on his quite old bobcat skid steer loader.  They put in a new motor, and I think they now have it functioning well.  Seems like there is nothing the two of them cannot do.

I’m still recuperating from the dash of pneumonia, and that is almost behind me.  It took longer than I expected.  It feels much better to have some energy and vigor again!

With the rainy weather, our lane is quite messy again.  It was getting in pretty good shape with all the dry weather we’ve had, but it will take some stone and some grading to get it back there again.

I’m gonna enjoy this sunny day.

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The refresh of the drill starts…

Posted on March 9, 2026 by casifarm

Monday, March 9, 2026

The weather is pretty nice today.  After starting the day at about 50F, it is predicted to rise to 72ºF (22C) this afternoon.  Blue skies…nice!  Because it’s nice, we can begin the refurbish of the N550 no-till soybean drill.  There is not room in our shop to unfold this machine, so these repairs must be done outdoors.

This drill, new in spring of 2023, has had 3 full planting seasons under its belt, or about 8000 acres.   It is due for some deliberate attention.  Last December, we had Logan from Sloan Implement come and perform an inspection on this drill.  He identified specific items on each row unit.  Some were mere seed tabs, others were gauge wheel tires, and some were complete gauge wheels or their mounting arms.  There are some bearings that need replaced, too.  The opener blades still have life left in them, as do the seed ‘boots’.  From Logan’s list, a pallet-load of parts were ordered and are here in our shop.  Today, we begin to replace parts and perform the adjustments as required.

The drill is in the shop momentarily to check the tires.

Unfolding…

The N550 is 50 feet wide when unfolded… 60 10-inch rows. Each row needs something, and then the frame must have big, long bolts to be tightened down again.

John works to reassemble a gauge wheel. Not easy or convenient.

When done, more than 20 new tires will be on the gauge wheels. These are the wheels that determine how deep the seed is placed into the soil.

We’ve had between 4 and 5 inches of rain over this past week.  We were running a rain deficit of over 3″ for the YTD, but we’ve caught up and now are running a surplus.  White River is above flood stage, and you can see adjoining fields covered in water.

White River at Edwardsport flood report. Our fields near US 50 are about 1 day’s flow behind the reading at Edwardsport.

The Indiana high school boys’ basketball tournament has completed the ‘sectional’ or first round.  Next weekend will be the ‘regional’ with the ‘semi-state’ on March 21.  The state finals will be in Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indy on March 28.  Four new champions will be crowned that day.  Our local school did not make it out of the sectional, so we will watch the rest of state tourney from the outside.  This brings back the wonderful memory of our local South Knox Spartans girls’ team that became the 2A State Champion last year.  March 1, 2025 is a day that will be celebrated here for decades to come!

The wheat crop is looking very good today.  The first pass of nitrogen was applied just before this rainy week, and the color of the wheat is significantly a richer and healthier green!

Roberson field

Cox Hill field

Frenchie Hill field

Waldo Big field

These warmer days are also affecting the yard, which will probably require the first mowing of 2026 before the end of March… it’s typical to mow at least once in March.   I noticed this morning some blooming daffodils outside our big living room window.  So pretty.  Spring is on the way!

Blooming daffodils near our house

The sunshine streaming through the windows this morning does a lot to lift a guy’s spirits.  I am making progress with my flu and pneumonia… not through the woods just yet, but stronger each day.  Grateful for that.  I was able to be back in church yesterday, and that was a great blessing.

Have a great week!

 

 

 

 

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