The corn is starting to tassel out!!! And along with the tassels—
Baby corn ears are developing!
(The pollen from the tassels will pollinate the silks on the ears; viola! CORN!)
“Each person who delivers kindness stays with us forever.” — Robin S. Sharma
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
The corn is doing well—We have three fields of corn!
The second alfalfa field is just about ready to cut—maybe tomorrow. Forward we go! Another round of Hay and Hay customers. YAY!!!
This is the first cutting for two fields. We are going to have a busy summer with two fields of alfalfa!
Second cutting will be close to the Fourth of July!
AILYAK origin: Bulgarian
The subtle art of doing everything calmly and without rushing, whilst enjoying the experience and life in general.
(Even if it’s over-the-top exhausting 🙂 )
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
The corn is drying down. Gradually, gradually.
It’s not there yet. One field is starting to show the most signs of drying, but not totally.
So we wait. Waiting is okay. It’s a wee break in farming. 🙂
“Listen! The wind is rising, and the air is wild with leaves. We have had our summer evenings, now for October eves!” —Humbert Wolfe
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
But I don’t really care.
They are very destructive to the corn—they love the silks. Once they eat the silk the kernel stops forming.
But…oh, well! We have enough to share.
Aren’t they beautiful!?
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
The corn is filled out and moved into the dent—soon we will stop the water to the corn so it can dry way down
The birds are flocking together like they never really do in the summer
The sky is starting to change colors—moving toward those BRILLIANT
Stunning colors of fall. Yes, Summer is quietly but steadily slip-sliding away.
From my world to your heart,
Linda
Friday we woke up to this
It snowed most of the day—then started melting in the late afternoon
Then more snow overnight
Stopped we are for a spell.
The snow is lovely, wet, and heavy. A gift—we will take.
The harvest will happen again—as soon as we dry back out. 🙂
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
Out we went—to the cornfields
We gathered enough ears to run through the moisture meter at Foster Farm (that is where we sell the corn, so our corn needs to meet the moisture content of their meter)
Boo Berry helped. She is a big helper! 🙂
Almost all the ears are pointing to the ground —- 15%, as soon as the moisture drops to 14% we begin!!
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
We can all feel the change in the air
Standing by the field, one can hear the rustle of the leaves —singing a drying song.
Your friend on a western Colorado farm
Linda
The Star of the farm!
Corn!
It’s not dry yet. When it totally dries down the ear will turn over facing the ground.
Once that happens we wait until the moisture in the corn reaches a certain point–14% or lower. Then we harvest!
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
We are still irrigating the corn…
(early photo showing the ripening of the corn)
it is slowly starting to dent. See the little lines in the kernels, that is the dent.
Once completely dented, the shucks will dry out. (Earlier photo of the shucks being dry)
So, until the corn is all dented and the shucks show dry, we keep the water flowing.
Soon, though, soon. We will be done with the irrigation of the corn for the year.
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
Life on a Colorado Farm 