Friday, May 19, 2023
It was a very nice weather week. The days have been hovering around 80ºF (27C) and the nights in the 50s. We are not seeing the haze or smoke that has been affecting the great plains and western corn belt. The days are partly cloudy and/or sunny. Nice. We are using this week to do typical summer jobs.
John has been working to prepare the water supply truck/trailer for a big week of spraying herbicide on soybeans next week.
Brandon is out in the Gator applying a herbicide to fencerows and around the buildings and bins. I have been doing a little bit of bush-hog mowing, and afterwards washing up the tractor. These jobs are part of what my dad used to call “beautifyin’ the homestead”. Brandon spends several hours each week just mowing the yard at Ross’ house and the farm lots and our half-mile-long lane—around 7-8 acres. That keeps the new JD Z970R mower (and Brandon) busy! And it looks nice and ‘cared for’ afterwards.
Brandon sprays the weeds around the grain bins and buildings. It cleans up the appearance.
After a session of mowing, I like to use a leaf blower to clean off the debris from the top of the bush hog, then I often wash off the tractor. This 6145R is really a great tractor for this job.
Also on the ‘beautifyin’ theme, Brandon and I smoothed down and leveled up and seeded the two farm-yard areas that were disturbed when the new water lines were dug in. Our sophisticated tools included a long-handled shovel, a garden rake, and a hand-cranked seed spreader. Now, the mower won’t have to go around the lumps and craters. And tonight’s predicted rain should help the fescue seed get started.
It’s probably not the most favorable time to sow grass seed, but we gotta try. I’ve heard it’s best to plant grass in any month that has an “R” in its name. We can sprinkle more out there in September if it’s needed.
On the other side of the driveway, the area was a bit more extensive and even more rough. This is where the boring machine sat to bore under the driveway.
Wednesday, I was out to inspect all the wheat fields with the assistance of Landon Taylor, our wheat consultant from Nutrien in Owensboro, Kentucky. The wheat condition has improved since winter, but we are not as optimistic about yields as the past two years.
Here, Landon inspects the health of the root system and evaluates the tillers.
I have been in the office preparing the reports and paperwork for the annual renewal of our line of credit. I even got the pickup washed today. It is a busy time, but not so busy that we get home after dark.
I like it when the pickup is clean
As this 3rd week of May wraps up, we are very grateful for the condition of the growing crops– corn, soybeans, and wheat. Crop development is relatively advanced for this date; it is a little bit ahead of average. There may be a few acres (<10) of soybeans to replant, but that’s too muddy right now to think about. There have been summers when I replanted over 800 acres of soybeans! So, this spring has been very kind to us.
In early June, we will pull out the combines and make the internal adjustments to their threshing systems to be ready for the wheat crop. Towards the middle- to end-of-June, the wheat crop will be harvested, and ASAP after that, the double-crop soybeans (DCB) will be no-till planted in the wheat stubble. The days keep marching on, and soon it will be June! Boy, oh boy… does it go by fast!
Have a wonderful weekend.
