Terry has finished getting the corn fields ready for the fertilizer. Moving from former bean ground to corn ground doesn’t take as much tractor work. First he disked the already mellow soil (beans are good for the soil), then he leveled. Here is is leveling, which means he is filling in any hollows and removing any hills that the wind and water created over the last year. It needs to have a little fall so the water can start at one end and run to the other end.
Finished! (Complete with a little dirt devil). Next we will add fertilizer, then roll in the fertilizer, then mark it out (so the water can run from the top of the field to the bottom) and start water.
I don’t do tractor work, but I do irrigate. Irrigation should start the first week in April on this field and on the already planted alfalfa fields.
Terry ripped up an old alfalfa field (they have to be torn up every 3-5 years to keep the hay produced full of healthy rich hay, instead of mostly weeds), which will go into corn. We will put water on that field around the second or third week in April.
The upper end (which burned in the fire) will be worked up and planted to alfalfa. He will do it sometime in April. It had corn in it, but since we are losing the largest field he likes to have a certain amount of hay to sell every year. Usually Terry plants a mother crop with the hay, but this year he is going to ‘thick seed’ it. Meaning only the very, very expensive alfalfa seed will be planted, a planted very thickly to choke out the weeds.
Old corn ground has to be plowed. We have lots of clay in our soil so plowing is the best way to go. Old corn ground is the only ground we plow. Plowing takes all the old stalks and leaves, turns it under in the soil where it breaks down adding richness to clay-type of soil. More work with the tractor, but way better results.
This field will become a pinto bean field next year. We do rotational farming, which helps the soil and the plants the next year.
The nasty high winds have left our area for a spell. I worked in my yard all day yesterday and came in looking like a fresh dug potato. Its a wee bit cooler, but HEY no wind.
I take it!
Linda
Life on a Colorado Farm 
Great post, Linda. I like reading what you plant in which fields… It’s the time of year for LOTS of outside work. Someone in a blog yesterday was talking about spring cleaning inside their home… WELL–I had to tell them that spring cleaning to us is working outside in the garden… Since I enjoy outside work more than inside work, I do put my priorities in that area… The inside is okay–but definitely not spotless!!!!! ha
Have a great day and don’t work too hard.
Hugs,
Betsy
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What incredibly beautiful ground!
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The nasty high winds are here..no fun. Looks like the spring field work is progressing nicely:)
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Hey, I got so much info out of this post I should get a couple of college credits! I find the description of your farming methods interesting. I may have been a teacher all my life but the farm still interests me.
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So it all begins again (o:
We have crazy wind… fires in the news… no moisture … yet anyway.
That old apricot tree is beautiful. Glad it made it.
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Hi Linda,
We’re coordinating an event focusing on Colorado women in agriculture and would like to send you an invite! Can you please shoot me an email at kelly@morethanpr.com with your email and mailing addresses? Thanks!
Kelly
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It’s that time of year to begin anew. I am afraid your winds have found their was to Maine. Winter has returned, cold temperatures and snow in the forecast for tomorrow evening and Thursday. Glad I did not plant my peas! Blessings to you, Julie.
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Rotation, rotation, rotation. 🙂
Do the soybeans fix nitrogen? I’m guessing that’s what you’re talking about. Glad everything is going on schedule. I’m so happy, if there had to be a fire, that it ran through your place before the seeds were up.
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I miss seeing that kind of ground, here in the northeast it is pretty mountainous and that don’t give you much ground for open fields like that!
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This was a mini course in agriculture. Thanks for that. I had no idea that plowing and planting could be so complex.
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Really interesting post, thankyou. Your pictures are really good too.
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Oh I agree with you…………..no wind is good wind!! Looks like a lot of hard work and a good harvest in the making!
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wind n dust, but it is indeed having some sort of beauty in it.
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