Wednesday, October 24, 2012

John is out with the 4730 sprayer, applying a fall treatment of the herbicides Roundup and Rifle (a type of 2,4-D).  This application, when fall weather makes it possible, keeps the field clear of winter annual weeds, and allow the soil to warm and dry earlier in the spring.  It gets us out to apply the nitrogen sooner, and that allows for earlier planting of corn and soybeans.

In our experience, earlier planting makes for higher yields.  That was not necessarily true in 2012, but there was not much about 2012 that was typical.  We consider it to be an outlier, and in our plans for 2013, we will use an ‘average’ year as our model.

In checking on the new wheat crop, all of it has now emerged, and the fields are getting greener by the day.  It’s such a treat to see this new crop get going.  These new plants will tiller during the winter and the crop mat will thicken and begin to look like carpeting.

Here you see the baby wheat plants emerging from the soil. It may seem a bit thin now, but as it grows and “tillers” over the fall and winter, it will be a lush green carpet by spring.

In this wider shot, you can see this 2012 corn field turning green with a 2013 wheat crop.

Pat and I have received another request from a french ag college student, who desires to come here during June of ’13.  He is enrolled in a 2-year program at ESA in Angers.  We have not yet decided if that is a ‘fit’ for us, but our past experiences have been terrific.  Out of the 30-or-so young french farmers that we have come to know, there was only one who did not fit in well.  He was so homesick, he just never made an attempt to ‘connect’ with us.  We just have to figure out if we are still up to having an 18-year-old houseguest for a month.

The day is quite spectacular today– 80F+ is predicted, the sun is brilliant, and there are only a few little puffy white clouds.  The forecast is good through tomorrow, but the weekend is predicted to be wet and chilly with high temperatures in the 50s.  We will enjoy this window of pleasant weather while it lasts!

We are going to Purdue on Saturday to see Ben and to take in a live performance of the broadcast of the Prairie Home Companion radio show.   Should be something special.