Monday, June 11, 2012

Today is spray and wash day.  John is out on the 4730 near Wheatland, spraying Roundup to stop the next flush of johnsongrass.  It has been a little over a month since the last treatment, so there is again some of that noxious weed sticking out above the soybeans.  He will apply at the normal 22 oz per acre rate, and we can fully expect to stop any johnsongrass.

Also, Brandon and Nick are washing down the dust-caked interior walls of the grain elevator.  It has been quite a few years since that task was done, and the ‘after’ picture is so much better than the ‘before’.

Here’s an interior view of the building over the unloading pits. This was taken after Nick and Brandon washed down the walls, removing the caked-on dust. Now, this area is ready for fall harvest.

The 9330 and 9360R tractors still need a wash from the spring/summer work.  Ben has been out spraying johnsongrass on some ditch banks.

I spent the morning compiling the wheat harvest information into the computer.  On a special Excel sheet, the yields are listed by crop insurance ‘unit‘, and on another sheet, the yields are grouped by Farm Service Agency (FSA) ‘tract’.  It took the morning to get this prepared, but it will speed the reporting to our crop insurance agent and to FSA.

The radar shows some rain creeping this way across Illinois, and we sure pray for its arrival this afternoon.  Even though that would stop John from spraying, the rain is so sorely needed, that it would be quite welcome.  If it misses us again today, the Weather Channel tells us it will be another week until the next chance of rain.

C’mon, rain!