Filed under: Corn, Farm, fertilizer, Minnesota, nitrogen, rain, Soybeans, weather | Tags: Corn, farm, fertilizer, nitrogen, rain, Soybeans
The effects of last weeks storms still linger. Low areas of fields have standing water in them days after the last storm, in some cases a lot of water. Rivers and creeks are over their banks and are reluctant to go down. Soybean and corn plants can take only so much water and then they need to get their feet dry. We’ll see how much damage this creates.
We were caught with our last application of nitrogen still on the truck. Nitrogen is required for a good harvest and the corn crop has grown too tall for normal application methods. We have talked to the co-op and they will apply the nitrogen with a high-wheeled sprayer with drop nozzles. The drops will get the nitrogen to the ground where the rain can wash it into the root zone. It’s not the preferred method, but it works.
Why wait so long to put on the last of the fertilizer? Because a late application of nitrogen gets the fertilizer to the plant when it needs it with less chance for nitrogen loss. A late application also means we can use less fertilizer, thus saving money. This is the first time I’ve been caught by rain so I could not apply the nitrogen myself.
Farming is a gamble. You weigh the options, make a choice, and then you live with it. Sometimes you get lucky, some times you don’t.
Michael
Filed under: Farm, home addition, house, Minnesota, rain, Trees, weather | Tags: rain, screen porch, trees, weather
Again it rains. Last night we got another 1.54 inches of rain with some in the area getting much more. This is getting a bit old. I have not been out to look, but I’m sure the puddles are now small lakes. Our basement sump pump, which was holding off the water, is still pumping as water sneaks past it’s defenses.
Happily the wet weather pattern seems to have broken for now. There is no rain forecast for the next week. We may need that week to dry things out.
I had gotten most of the broken trees cleaned up from the last storms, now I’ll have to check to see if there is any more damage. My big chainsaw is still in the shop so I have been making do with my limber. It will handle the small stuff well, but I have one large tree I need to cut that is waiting for the bigger saw.
We put the walls up on the screen porch yesterday. With the rain, the porch had the prospect of becoming a pool, but a porch must have drainage scuppers, and the scuppers did their job.
Off to church this morning. A chance to catch up on the area rain fall reports and storm damage. Then, since I have my son here, a bit more work on the porch.
Michael
Filed under: Farm, home addition, house, Minnesota, rain, Trees, weather | Tags: farm, rain, trees, weather
We had some wild weather again last night. As the evening sun was nearing the horizon a storm blew in and dropped its load. Luckily for us it was only rain, some to our north had tornados. The rain gauge tally was 1.44 inches here, but reports of over 3 inches are starting to come in. We are officially well above average rainfall for June.
Puddles are again back in fields where they had started to dry up, and bigger in fields where they had not yet gone away. I had been hoping to get back to field work monday, but now there is no way that will happen.
I had seen a few tractors and sprayers on the road yesterday. Whether they were actually getting into the field I’m not sure. I know that from my morning walk in the fields I was not going to get any field work done, and now will not for a few days.
My son is coming down to help me for a bit this weekend. I hope to do a bit more tree cutting at my dad’s place to remove down trees. There is also the screen porch to work on. We’ll find something to do.
Michael
Filed under: Ag education, Ag promotion, Animal care, Corn, Farm, farm animals, Farm Bureau, Minnesota, P & E, Soybeans | Tags: Corn, farm, Farm Bureau, Food, Soybeans
Details are starting to come together for the Cottonwood County Breakfast on the Farm. So many details are now coming together, but so much is left to do. There are so many players who have a part of the event that it is at times hard to hold an overall grasp of what each person is doing and what may have been left out.
Our county Farm Bureau got involved as we realized that more and more people, even here in farm country, do not know where their food comes from. For several years now we have worked with the Windom Chamber of Commerce to run the Farm City Tour and Farm and Home show. With those two players as the lead we have brought in the Cottonwood & Jackson County Corn and Soybean Growers, The Cottonwood County Beef Producers, The Cottonwood County 4-H, The Windom FFA, The Cottonwood County Lamb and Wool Growers, Cottonwood County Dairy Association and the Cottonwood County Natural Resources Conservation Service. These groups along with hosts Roy and Amy Minion will be getting together to tell the story of Cottonwood County Agriculture on the morning of July 10.
As the overall chair of the event I find much of my spare time taken up with planning. When we get a rainy period, and in the waiting for things to dry up afterwards, more time can be devoted to plans and preparations. It’s now too late to back out. People all over are asking questions about the event. Plans have progressed and advertising is appearing. We have to do this. My stomach is in knots. What did I forget? What is left to do? It’s going to be a great day, I hope.
Michael
Filed under: Corn, Farm, garden, Minnesota, rain, Trees, weather, wind | Tags: Corn, farm, garden, hot, rain, weather, wind
The rain blew in about midnight last night with 40 plus mph winds and lots of rain. I dumped 1.7 inches from the gauge this morning. Only a few small branches down here.
I went to my dad’s place to feed mom’s cats since they are gone, and found a bit more to do. We have an old barn we have been slowly taking apart as time permits. The wind got under the roof and finished taking that off for us. With lumber, steel and insulation spread about I had a bit of cleaning to do there. Not a big job, but an unplanned mess anyway.
They also have a few trees down as well as a branch that broke on the apple tree. I need to get a new blade for my chain saw and then I can cut that up. More wood for the pile.
I noticed that the wind knocked down my garden sweet corn, I hope there is not too much of that in the fields. With the rain to soften the ground and the wind, we can have quite a mess in the corn field. Luckily the corn is not very tall and will recover quickly from this blow.
With the high humidity and hot temps, working out side is not at all pleasant, but we must do what we must do.
Michael
Filed under: Farm, fertilizer, home addition, house, Minnesota, nitrogen, rain | Tags: farm, rain, screen porch, weather, Weed control
I finished spraying the beans. I was supposed to get the nitrogen applicator to side dress the corn fields today but the applicator is still in use at another farm. While I waited I worked on the screen porch. The floor is now on the porch and I need to make another lumber run.
We have a severe storm warning for tonight along with a forecast for a 90% chance of rain. If we do not get too much rain I can get at the nitrogen application soon. We could just be sitting here waiting for things to dry up again. All the time the corn is growing and soon it could be too tall to get into the field. Oh well, we’ll do what we can.
Michael
Filed under: Farm, Minnesota, rain, tillage, weather | Tags: farm, rain, weather
Sunday morning sunrise found a quick rain storm in our area. For us that storm dropped about a tenth of an inch of water. Areas only a few miles south got over an inch. The rain came down fast and then was gone. After the severe storms that spawned tornados across Minnesota earlier this week, this was really not much of a storm.
Our area has been lucky to get enough rain this year. The hope is that these rain showers will continue. Other areas of farm country seem to be getting much more rain than needed. Although we have been able to get field work done, some times a bit late, it is getting done. As storm after storm goes to our south, those area farm folks are increasingly frustrated in getting their work done.
We have a small amount of rain forecast for each day this week. How much we will get is yet to be seen. Either way we will continue to roll with what ever the storm clouds bring.
Michael
Filed under: church, food, house, hunger, Music, Politicians, Politics | Tags: greed, hunger, imagine, music, peace, war
John Lennon’s “Imagine” has been in my mind lately
Imagine there’s no heaven
It’s easy if you try
No hell below us
above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today
Imagine there’s no countries
It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace
You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will be as one
Imagine no possession
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world
You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will live as one
The thought of a world with out war interests me. The things that people kill and die for are beyond me. I was raised in a world of love and acceptance, so to hate enough to kill a person is tough to think of. Yes, I believe I could kill to defend myself or another, but not for a belief.
Yet John was a dreamer, our world will never be with out passions of some kind. The struggle for food, home and to pass on our genetics is ingrained into creatures of all types. A world with out struggle will not work, but it would be nice.
Michael
Filed under: Farm, Minnesota, rain, weather, weather wisdom | Tags: farm, rain, weather, Weed control, wind
After nearly half a century of farming you would think I had done everything possible on this place, but not so. Yesterday I did something new, I got stuck in the mud while spraying, twice.
Getting stuck is not something you want to do. It’s hard on equipment and it’s hard on the crop. Usually I’m quite cautious, waiting until conditions are “right” until I venture into the field. With all of the rain and wind we have had this month, I took the first chance and went out to spray, it was not pretty. I did manage to get most of the fields that “Have to be sprayed yesterday” done, but there is more that should be done soon.
Todays forecast is windy with a chance of rain. If we can avoid any large showers the fields should actually dry out. Tomorrow may actually work out if things go right. So, I’ll wait. I will get the job done, years of experience tell me that is so.
Michael
Filed under: Farm, Minnesota, rain, time, weather | Tags: farm, rain, screen porch, spring, weather, Weed control
Despite all the rain, the block work is now done for the screen porch. I have the lumber to build the floor so I can begin any time. The plan is to put the plate, a 2X8, on top of the block wall and backfill the trench, then I can begin building.
Now the sun has decided to shine and I need to get some spraying done if the fields are dry enough. I may have to put off the next step, and then I may not. Rain is forecast for Thursday, so I may only get one day to spray, or I may not.
Michael
