Each Year is Different

Each year spring rolls around and we reminisce about 'the year before.'

April 8, 2018:  Snow on the way home from church.

April 9, 2017:  It was warm enough to kill some cover crop!

April 1, 2016:  The yard was green, and this cow was thinking the grass was greener on the other side of the fence!

April 9, 2015:  Our fields of cover crop were green.

April 11, 2014:  Our 'new' planter was being delivered.

May 2, 2013:  Of course, this snow thing isn't new.

April 8, 2012:  We were outside on Easter at my Mom and Dad's.  

April 6, 2011:  (Poor photo, sorry!)  Anhydrous was being put on.

Planting Progress 2017

#Plant2017 is officially here! 

I’m struggling to keep up on posting anything on social media because I’ve needed both of my hands for most of my tasks this spring!  We got into the field on Saturday night (4/22).  AJ put the planter in the ground at around 8 pm.  I don’t think I would start as it is getting dark, but I’m not a gung-ho farmer like my husband.  I was also attempting to get the kids fed and in bed around that time (part of my spring role on the farm!).

Part of planting is the prepping the ground for the planter, so we’ve been ‘in the field’ since around the second week of April.  We’ve been spraying our cover crops, spraying some areas where we have extra weed pressure, strip-tilling, and field cultivating. 

So far we’ve gotten about half of our corn in the ground!  Last year we got started about a week earlier (4/14/16) and were done with corn by April 26th of last year.  So comparing this year to last, we are behind, but we still have time!  Ideally (in Iowa) our window to plant corn is from April 20 – May 5. 

We also don’t calve earlier in the year like a lot of cattle farmers, so as the planter has hit the ground, the baby calves are starting to come, too!

It’s been busy so far, but the ‘end’ of spring is still far off!  I’ll try to keep you updated as we continue #plant2017!

#EarthDay

Happy #EarthDay!  According to Wyatt, they were going to learn about the earth, sun, moon, Mars, and lots more today at school!  I’m not actually sure what the curriculum for today looks like in TK, but I’m sure he’ll learn a lot :)

I would love to celebrate #EarthDay by planting the trees we just purchased from the Webster County Soil and Water Conservation District, but we have a freeze warning tonight.  I’m afraid that the poor things won’t make it if I plant them now! 


Norway Spruce in the background; Sugar Maple, Norway Maple, Red Oak and Lilac in the bucket.

Our flowering pear tree and tulips are JUST starting to look nice, but again, I’m afraid this frost tonight may make them ‘wilty’ (don’t worry about these super technical terms I use…;)). 




No judging on the weeds in my tulips!

 God has some beautiful scenery this time of year! 

2014 Corn Crop is In!

We finished up corn yesterday afternoon!  It's a really good feeling to know that A.J. got it in.  He had spent the last three days getting very little sleep, and now it's on to beans!  I'm somewhat happy that he got rained out yesterday evening with his first field of beans, because that meant that he was able to come in at a decent time, see the kids, and get to bed early.  This also meant that I got to go to bed early too! :-)

One crop is done and one to go.  There is still a lot to do this spring.  Day by day we will get it done!  

Saturday Morning Chores

Saturday morning cartoons were postponed due to chores!  It is a windy morning, but the calves were happy to see us.  AJ is in the field and needed us to help out.  I'm lucky I have two happy helpers.  :)

Big Toys

Planting 2014 has officially begun!  If you follow me on Twitter (see right), you saw that we got out into the field yesterday afternoon.  Of course, we all got a ride! 

Do you remember when you were little and you got a new toy? You couldn't stop smiling or thinking about it? Well, AJ got a new planter, and he can't stop smiling (believe me, it isn't for me, it's for the planter!).

We aren't a family that favors one 'color' of equipment over another. The brand of this planter is White, but it is custom made.  This means that it is the only one in the world like it!  We bought it from someone that put it together using different components from different planter companies (think of it like putting a car together using a Ford , Toyota, Chevy parts).  Some of its highlights are:
 

• It is mounted on the tractor (3 point) rather than towed behind the tractor
• There are no wheels at all on the planter which is desirable because it is hard to get to the row units to work on.
• It folds forward rather than backward when moving from field to field (easier/safer to maneuver)
• It has 24 rows (60 ft. wide)
• We load the seed in the middle of the planter and the planter distributes the seed to each row from air pushing the seed out (blowing).
• More adjustments can be made from the seat of the tractor to help with more precise placement of our seed.
• Variable rate drives: this allows us to put different seeding rates/population on without stopping.

We are excited for spring! 

 

Soccer Mom: Coach Update

I was going to write about spring progress on the farm. Then it snowed (I hope you feel the disappointment that I’m trying to convey…). 

I decided to update you on my Coach Status for soccer. First off: my team is great! They are an excited bunch of 3 and 4 year olds, and their excitement is contagious!

Our first practice was great. We only got through 2 or 3 things on my list from Soccer Mom. Apparently, a half hour goes fast when you are having fun!  Instead of kicking a certain number of goals, we used it to warm up to each other (and to the soccer ball).

Last Saturday was our first two games…and pictures. It was a long day for preschoolers!  Also, out of our 6 on the team, only 4 were there.  So, not only was it a long day, but they had to play most of the time (especially when Charlotte didn’t really want to at all the second game!). 

I laughed pretty hard when they kicked the ball off in our first game, and then, NO ONE MOVED.  They looked around at everyone yelling like, “I kicked it, now what?”  Also, high-fives were something that they didn’t understand either.  So, last night at practice we worked on high-fives and scrimmaged! 

We don’t keep score for this age of soccer, which I think is a good idea.  The main thing is to (as my Grandpa George would say) get your nose hard, and HAVE FUN!  Like I said, my team is great :)   

Now, if we could keep this Iowa weather constant...

Soccer Mom

Spring is here, and I am officially a soccer mom.  Not only that, I am a soccer COACH.  I didn't really sign up to be a coach.  However, when you have 2 kids on the team, you are somewhat obligated.  :)
 
I am the pee-wee coach for 3 and 4 year olds.  2 out of the six kids are my own.  This should be interesting!  I don't really have much experience with coaching, or soccer for that matter, but I do have a 'game plan.' 

I'm planning to start off by giving the parents information and introducing myself.  Hopefully, that will make them more comfortable being there as well.  I'm thankful for Pinterest because I've already pinned some ideas.  I was also able to talk with some other pee-wee coaches at the kick off meeting to get some other tips.  Here is my first practice plan: 

• To make sure both the parents and the kids are comfortable with me. 
• Tell them the rules (main ones being:  no hands, when they hear the whistle - they need to stop playing, treat one another nicely, and HAVE FUN). 
• Stretch & Warm-up (jumping jacks, running the length of the field)
• Ice Breaker drill:  stand in a circle and kick the ball to one another.  When the ball comes to you - say your name.
• Goal kicking:  line up and kick the ball in 15 times (count together)
• Red Light - Green Light (with a ball):  I will let each one of the kids lead
• Scrimmage:  we will only have 1 practice before our first game, so hopefully this will help them get the idea of what they need to do. 

If anyone reading has any experience with 'herding' preschool children, coaching, or any other sort of advice, please give it! 

I tried to get my kids to play soccer with me the other day.  Charlotte was happy to take pictures, but was not happy to kick the ball.  Wyatt kicked the ball for 5 minutes, sat down and said "that's enough."  I think my own children will be my biggest battle!

 

 UPDATE:  Read through my coach update after our first practice and game here! 

Conservation in Action Tour

First, here is an update on what has been happening on the farm: 

1. Planting:  We finished up planting soybeans on Saturday, June 22nd. Thank goodness! It's in God's hands now!
2. We loaded pigs out of our barn yesterday.  340 (not so little) piggies went to the market! :) 
3. We’ve been keeping up on the spraying in between rains.
4. We are finishing up side-dressing anhydrous to our corn.

Yesterday, I got to attend a "Conservation in Action" tour in Kossuth County. The tour was just that: tours of real farmers that implement real conservation practices on their farms. We saw:

• Wetlands
• The wetlands we looked at were in different conservation programs, but the basic concept is that they help create a reservoir to hold water and filter out excess nutrients (so they don’t flow downstream). 

• Hog Facilities
  • The farmers use all of the manure generated from the pigs as their main nutrient source for crop growth on their farms. Along with those nutrients, they also have a plan that shows an estimate of how much soil is eroded off of each field (called the RUSLE2) and the risk of phosphorus loss on each field (called the P-Index). They are required to meet certain levels to apply manure.
• High Tunnel Greenhouse
• This greenhouse was funded through EQIP (Environmental Quality Incentives Program) through NRCS (Natural Resource Conservation Service). Vegetables are grown in it and sold locally. I wish I could grow and maintain a garden like her!

• Windbreaks
  • The windbreaks we saw were mostly used around their livestock facilities. Windbreaks help protect the livestock from wind/snow, create a filter for odor/dust (so it doesn't blow off-site), and (in my opinion) make the farms look pretty!
• Strip Tillage
  • Strip Tillage is a reduced tillage program. It is a combination of conventional tillage (leaving little residue on the top of the soil) and no-till (leaving all the residue on the soil). It literally leaves a strip of soil to plant in, while the inner rows have trash/residue to prevent soil loss.

There were more conservation practices talked about, but these were some of the highlights. On our own farm we have a wetland; we use the same principles and practices as the hog facilities mentioned above; we have implemented windbreaks; and we utilize strip tillage.

Conservation is not a "one size fits all" package. Iowa is diverse in landscape which also means that while some practices work here, they may not work for someone else. We work with others and learn from one another (the good and the bad) because we have love and passion for our land.

This is the Spring that Never Ends….(Name that tune!)

Okay, okay.  It will end.  I have no doubt about that.  However, it seems that planting is taking quite a while this year! 

We started planting corn on May 14th (Three Cheers for Planting).  We finished corn on May 24th and started planting soybeans that same day.  We still have quite a few soybeans left to plant. 

AJ was out today getting random acres planted to soybeans.  There are still a lot of wet areas in our fields, so we are trying to get the dry areas planted at the very least.  This mostly means more driving and turning around than actual planting! 

On the acres that are dry and planted, we are side-dressing anhydrous and spraying both corn and beans (for weeds). 

Of course we are getting in the tractor as much as we possibly can.  I have to compete with some pretty cute kids, and have only gotten to ride a couple of times this spring! 

I know that we are not the only farmers with a long, drawn out spring.  I also understand that it could be worse.  The only way to stay sane farming is to count our blessings every day.  It’s amazing and beautiful to watch them grow.

Preparing for Spring Planting

Planting has been set back a bit this year. But that doesn't mean we are just sitting watching the weather!  We have been out to:

Check soil moisture

We've had a lot of rain/moisture this spring so far.  Our equipment can't get in and out of the field when it is wet.  Another concern is compaction:  corn and beans can't grow in soil that is as hard as cement!

Check soil temperatures.

The soil temperature is important.  For example, if we plant into warm moist soils, corn can emerge within 4-5 days.  If we plant into cool or dry conditions it can take 2 or more weeks to emerge.  This can give pests (insects) and diseases time to eat and infest the seed.  Generally we want the soil to be about 50 degrees for a few days.  A helpful tool that we use is on the Iowa State University website that shows the approximate temperature of soils across the state. http://extension.agron.iastate.edu/npknowledge/soiltemphistory.html. The temperatures have been jumping up and down a lot lately.  3 days ago it was 37 degrees in Webster County.  Yesterday it was already back up to 53 degrees.  Ah…the power of sunshine!

Spray herbicides. 

Thankfully we got this done before the snow.  We have some bean fields that we need to spray prior to planting to keep the weeds down (pre-emerge herbicide).  We also have rye that we plant in the fall that needs to be killed before planting corn.  We planted the rye right after harvest and spray to kill it about 2 weeks before planting.

Check new tile.

Last fall we put down a lot of tile to help drain the wet spots in our fields. However, last fall it was dry! This spring we are able to look at what we did last fall to see if everything is working how we imagined.   

Do chores!

No matter what season or day it is, the animals always need feed and care.

Prep the planter.

Don’t worry, we are ready to plant as soon as it dries up!