The last cutting of the year is done on this field, but we still need to irrigate. Irrigation goes on until a HUGE killing frost occurs. Sometimes fall is very, very dry here causing the hay to be watered until late September and/or early October.
Of course you don’t want the fields to go into winter wet, but you do need to have them go into winter healthy. The main irrigation water from Blue Mesa Dam, will be turned off the last week in October. Golly, gee, that isn’t very far away now.
The onion farmers are in the swing of harvest with the cow people starting the silage/ensilage harvest on Labor Day.
Alfalfa is harder to get wet and to stay wet, so we put (yes, I help) gated pipe in the middle of field to water the rest of the way. Next year this field of alfalfa will be plowed under and turned into a corn field. Corn is easier to water so we won’t need to use these pipes.
Corn harvest is close now…..very close. Maybe in October, we will just have to wait and see what the weather brings.
Happy Labor Day!
Life on a Colorado Farm 
Happy Labor Day to you, too! Lordy, that’s a lot of pipe. So what all crops do you grow? As far as you can see in the photo, there’s pipe! Whew! You guys work hard!
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Now that is a lot of pipe! You do work hard! I don’t know if I would like to have to worry about irrigation, but I guess if you started out doing it, it is a way of life and as they say just another day on the farm! Take care!
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Oh wow! When did you change your color? I’ve been monitoring through my google reader so haven’t seen this – and I like it 🙂
Good luck for a bumper corn crop!
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Like I mentioned previously a farmer’s work is from sun up till sun down and then some!
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I like the new look 🙂 Work, work it’s all work, have a GREAT weekend and REST now 😉
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That is a lot of pipe. Lots of crops in this area are being harvested or are really close.
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New changes to your blog. Looks very nice.
How long have you had that field in alfalfa? Seems 10 years was about the prime production length for it. I hope the corn does well there. Should after having all that there. Good nitrogen fixing, good michorriza (I doubt I spelled that correctly.) growth, and good root penetration.
YAY! All farming will be easy from here on out!
OK, maybe that’s a little optimistic. 😉
~Faith
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I have moved irrigation pipe in my past life at a BIG restoration site. That is not fun what so ever… Or I did not think so.
I can truely appreciate the effort your family makes.
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Your irrigation is so much work!! How you keep up with it all summer long is amazing to me!!! You must eat, sleep, and dream of irrigation!! I am impressed!
Have a great weekend!
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Love these irrigation posts! And WOW the new look is something!
Hoping for no frost soon so you can get another cutting 🙂
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Bravo for hard working farmers, where would we be without you?
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I have seen two of your farm photos now, and it brings me so much back to my childhood. Shifting pipes is very special to me.
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Love the new look!
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How can it be fall already!? Enjoy your weekend. Spiffy new page, by the way 🙂
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That looks like a whole lot of work, moving pipe around all the time. You guy’s make a great team. Love the new look you have given your blog… Have a great holiday weekend yourself, Nate and I are camping with Paige and her family….Trouble….hehehe
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Wow, that seems like quite the job. I cant wait to see how the corn harvest comes along!
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All our irrigation is buried….but then we don’t ever have to plow where we irrigate!
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Nice change of the guard! Those pipes look like they are a piece of work to handle.
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I forgot to mention I love the new look!
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This looks like a lot of work, but it always does!! You guys still impress me!
Love the new look for your blog!
Hugs.
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Oooooooooohhh! I LOVE this new look! Great redo! Very uptown girlie. 🙂
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Love the look of your blog! You are all such hard working folks! Hope your harvest is good! blessings,Kathleen
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I don’t know If I said it already but …Hey good stuff…keep up the good work! 🙂 I read a lot of blogs on a daily basis and for the most part, people lack substance but, I just wanted to make a quick comment to say I’m glad I found your blog. Thanks,)
A definite great read..Tony Brown
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