Wednesday, October 9,2024

Larry wrapped up the planting of the 2025 wheat crop yesterday afternoon.  After the finish, he moved the tractor and vertical tillage tool home, and then joined us in the corn field…driving one of the trucks.

Larry does an excellent job planting our wheat crop. After all, he has been working here for 57 years… and he took over the wheat planting job in 1976. He has a wealth of experience. 

We have been harvesting corn this week, and it is quite a pleasure to harvest dry (14% moisture) corn.  I can’t recall a time when we had corn that dry in the field this early in the fall.   I guess that is one benefit of the drought we had during August.  Yields have been fairly good, maybe not a record but pretty good.  By tomorrow, we may get through with all the May-planted corn with only the June-replanted corn left.  It’s for sure that won’t be dry just yet!

I think on Thursday, we will move back to harvesting soybeans.  All the 5 fields (700+ acres) of soybeans left to cut were ones that were planted in June.  But they are a 3.5 maturity, and I think we will be able to start back on those beans tomorrow.  The last field of soybeans had a lot of replant in it in late June, so that will probably not come off until we cut double-crop soybeans (DCB).

The DCB are now really turning color.  They are mostly yellow, with some brown patches showing.  I think those will be ready to cut in two weeks or so.  Surely by the end of the month, we will be able to get to those.  However, the warm days that we have been enjoying are predicted to cool down into the 60s and even the 50s for daytime highs.  That will slow down the maturation process for the DCB.   And, I will have to put away the shorts and wear regular jeans to work!

The people of Florida are in for a rough time very soon.  We will be praying for their safety and for their clean-up after the Hurricane Milton.