Gone With The Wind

You might have noticed all the wind turbines that are along I-70 when you were driving through Kansas.  Let me just say this: they are there for a reason.  Sometimes the wind will be strong enough that it actually starts to blow the topsoil off of our fields.  When this happens we have to rough up the surface of the ground in order to stop the wind erosion.  We had a failed wheat crop on a dry land field. Hooray for drought... So I used the below implement to rough up the ground.  

You can see below where a ridge was formed and some dirt clods were created.  We ran about 20 feet between passes and this was enough to stop the dirt from blowing.

When a big wind storm hits our area it can actually make visibility as bad as blizzard.  Below is a picture I took after the worst of the wind had passed.  It looks like there is a cloud blocking the sunset, but it is actually dust. 

I feel fortunate to be able to start farming when I did.  It's hard to explain how nice it is to not have to be sandblasted dustblasted on a tractor without a cab when we were trying to stop the topsoil from blowing.  This storm also made me feel sorry for all the folks that were farming during the "Dirty Thirties".  They didn't have cabs on their tractors, or modern farming practices that eliminate most of the dust storms. 

-The Dusty Farmer Ryan

My Grain Headaches Suggested Viewing:

• The Dust Bowl by Ken Burns - Click the link if you have Netflix and want to add it to your queue:  If you are a fan of historical documentaries or just want to know more I would suggest checking this one out. 

Where The Wild Things Are

One of the perks of being in a tractor all day is the view.  I get to see all kinds of wildlife and scenery.  The problem is actually getting a picture of animals before they take off. Below are the best wildlife shots I could take in 2013.

A fox:

Some Mule Deer:

My favorite wildlife experience this year has been watching Swainson's Hawks follow my tractor around while I planted corn. When I was pulling the planter I would disturb rabbits and mice from their hiding spots and the hawks would dive bomb them.  One morning I saw a hawk grab a mouse off the ground and throw it up in the air and catch it in its mouth.  That pretty much made my day.

Happy New Years from the farm!

-Wild Thing Watcher Ryan

Hi My Name Is...

Hi.  My name is Brisket.  I am a blue heeler, and I like to chase things like tennis balls and cats.  I was picked up from my last home about a week ago.

In the last week I've learned to sit, and ignore other commands. My humans like to put me on a leash to go on walks, which is a bunch of crap; I'm a farm dog. 

Maybe someday I can help my humans herd cattle, but for now I'm pretty happy chasing cats.

-Brisket

P.S. -  I also like to eat cat fur and poo.

Corn Cam: Season 2 - Harvest Edition

The corn harvest of 2013 finished on our farm a couple of weeks ago.  For the weather conditions this year our yields were good and overall our harvest went well.

 

This harvest I spent most of the time driving the grain cart or I like to call it the Harvest Chariot...  The grain cart's main job is to allow the combine to offload on the go.  Most of the time in the grain cart is spent driving back and forth from the combine to the semis. 

 

Depending on the condition of the field there are times the grain cart operator has to wait.  So I brought a long my favorite farm publication along with me.  Farm Industry News focuses on new farm technologies and how they work.  Basically, it is a great magazine for farm nerds...  So I guess you could say it's perfect for me.

Finishing fall harvest feels a lot like the last day of school; excitement, relief, and the beginning freedom.  Once all the crops are out there is great deal less to be concerned about.  The fields are clear the wells aren't running and the equipment is cleaned and put in storage.

After corn harvest we focus our energies on the business side of farming.  Book work, taxes, and tying things up for the end of the year.  We also spend more time with our cattle because they are no longer at there summer pasture and need more attention. 

Throughout the year I also keep a list of all the things that I want or need to learn about in order to be a better farmer.  Obviously this list goes on FOOREVER, so I try to focus on the things that will benefit our farm the most.  You will probably get to hear about some of these projects this winter.

-Harvest Charioteer Ryan

What is that?

What is a Bushel?

When I came to the farm I knew what a bushel was academically, but I never really knew what one bushel looked like.  So after cleaning out one of our wheat drills I decided I wanted to measure one out.  Below is an approximation of volumetric bushel of wheat.

A bushel can be both a volumetric measurement as well as a mass or weight measurement.  Typically in agriculture the bushel is measured by weight.  For instance, a standard bushel of wheat is 60 pounds whereas a standard bushel of corn is 56 pounds. Of course the weight and density of a grain depends greatly on the moisture content of the grain.

-Bushel Bucketer Ryan

Wheat Watch: Season 3 Episode 1 - Wheat Drill Edition

We are almost done planting all of our wheat.  We thought we were going to be planting into dust like we did last year but we actually got a decent amount of RAIN.  The fields were too wet for us to plant for a little over a week after the rain.  I've never experienced this type of delay before.  I can't say that I was very upset about it though. 

The implements we use to plant wheat and other grains are called drills. 

Depending on where you are from you might have an image like below in your head when you hear the word drill.  The drills we use to plant wheat are actually 30 to 40 feet wide and hold anywhere from 50 to 100 bushels of wheat for planting.  There are two different types of drills that we use to plant our wheat; the disc drill and the hoe drill.

The below disc drill uses two discs to open the soil so the seeds and fertilizer can be dropped in.  After the seed is dropped in a press wheel covers the seed up with soil and packs it into the ground.  This type of drill is best used in a field that has little to no tillage because plant residue from the previous season will not get hung up in the planting process.

The below hoe drill uses a shank with a point on the end that splits open the soil.  The seed, fertilizer and press wheel all work in the same fashion as the disc drill.  In order to plant effectively with a hoe drill the field must be tilled and have little to no plant life or residue.  If there is too much residue it will get caught in front of the shank causing the drill to not plant correctly. 

I planted wheat with both types of drills and they both have their advantages and disadvantages.  The condition of the field, the farming practices used over the previous seasons, and moisture in the soil all help us to determine which type of drill we use. 

Below is one of the first fields we planted and the wheat is looking great.

The other day I heard a farmer say "Getting that rain sure makes me look like a better farmer..."  It's amazing to me how true that is.

-Drill Instructor Ryan

Unknown Substance

Farmer's Log - FarmDate - 13-9-2013

We have encountered a weather event unknown to this area. There is a mysterious substance that has fallen from the sky for the last 2.5 days.  The local population has had issues with transportation as well as communication.  Despite this, they have reached a state of euphoria.  Further investigation will need to take place in order to identify the exact nature of the substance and what caused this weather event.

-Farmer Ryan