Wednesday, October 14, 2015
On this clear-blue-sky day in SWIN, many post-harvest things are happening. Ross has sold some of the soybeans in our inventory, and Brandon and Bill are delivering them to ADM in Newburgh, IN. John is thoroughly cleaning and washing the grain dryer. I have used the backhoe to do some repairs to the entrance at Steen and Dunlap. Afterward, I cranked on some fescue seed that will grow and protect the fresh earth work.
Soil testing has been going on throughout the harvest season, and the results will be back in a few days. Those reports will guide our fall applications of lime and fertilizers. The samples are taken in designated fields in a grid pattern, one for every 5 acres (2ha). These tests are taken about once every 3 years.
The fall construction/repair/conservation work is nearly all complete, with Mr. Olan Worland building new WASCoBs in two locations, repairing one WASCOB, and installing a replacement culvert in a crossing between two fields. We are awaiting the Indiana DNR’s permit to repair a levee at the Nellie farm, on White River. Larry has completed the planting of strips of wheat in the valleys of all our rolling hill fields. Most of that has emerged. A light rain would be welcome to spur that wheat’s growth.
It is time to begin assembling two concurrent strategies. One, we must manage our expense stream for the FYE November 3o. Second, it is imperative to begin the fine-tuning of the crop budgets for 2016–which will refine our cost/bushel information. These cost figures will impact our allocation of acres to corn or soybeans for 2016. And these numbers will help improve the accuracy of the 2016 cash flow report. There is a lot of computer/office time for me over the next few weeks!
Big-ticket items that will come before Thanksgiving are the purchase of 2016 seed corn and soybeans, and the fall application of lime and granular fertilizers.
Although the crush of field work has been surmounted, there still remains a tall order of work to accomplish in the next 4-5 weeks! This is a hectic, but fun and interesting period of the farm, for it will determine the course of Carnahan & Sons for the following year. So, in a way, 2016 is already here!
Hope your day is as beautiful as it is here today…
