I love this time of year! The Earth smells fresh,
Clean! Full of rich natural nutritious food for all of us!
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
The Earth —-Tuesday, February 20, 2024
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Tag Archives: disking
For Those Who Have Been Wondering and For Those Who Haven’t Been Wondering —- Thursday, February 20, 2020
“Well,” Terry said, as he put on his coat and cap
“Off I go to play in the dirt!”
With those words, he was gone.
Back out-on-the-land!
So as you can [now] see, Terry is farming this year. The sitting idle watching someone else farm was agony for him last year.
Your friend on a western Colorado farm
Linda
The Urge to Farm — Sunday, January 28, 2018
It’s been terribly dry. So dry there is huge talk among farmers of what the growing season might bring.
The talk is also all about what to grow. Corn prices are extremely low–due to many factors, but mostly because there is just too much corn stored —not only here– but in the whole world.
The cost of raising corn is outrageously high …the two don’t really go well together.
Still the urge to farm is there. Alive and well in the hearts of those who love the land and love to see the crops growing.
February is typically a very wet month. Typically. So, with that in mind, and the fact the earth is very dry Terry (and others) have gone out to ‘stir’ up the corn stalks. Breaking them down in the hopes we have lots of moisture very soon. The moisture will soften the chopped up bits and pieces help them dissolve; enriching the soil as they diminish.
This light disking (not a vigorous deep aggressive disking) will also stir up the fodder left over from the cows allowing those wonderful Canada Geese and Sandhill Cranes to find more nourishment when they land on the fields.
(This is grand MEsa to the north of us. Although, we don’t get IRRITATION or drinking water from Grand MEsa, Cedaredge and even Grand Junction, does)
So we prepare and get ready for moisture, if not right here, hopefully in those huge,
(This is a prior photo of the Paonia Mountains to the East of us…up there–somewhere– is the Taylor Park Dam)
magnificent mountains which surround us
(This is a photo from last year of the San Juan MountAin Range…to the west of us)
and for which the irrigation water
(This is an old photo of mine of the Blue Mesa Reservoir where our IRRIGATION water comes out of)
(This is the dam that is the beginning (the head water) of the water which helps fill the Blue Mesa RESERVOIR — thus the water, which comes to us for irrigation AND DRINKING WATER then on down the Colorado River clear to California)
comes from.
(Right behind us to the west and to the southwest of us is the Uncompahgre Plateau–this is a spring photo)
As you can see we are surrounded by mountains all rich is natural resources–which pass on down to town dwellers, people who live in subdivisions, gardeners, farmers, and ranchers. The life blood of everyone and everything —-water.
All the product of melted snow.
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
The Sad Part About Spring—-Sunday, February 28, 2016
It’s BURN season!
Neither Terry or I get this rather new practice of farmer’s burning off their farmed ground.
The quality of air is just not there. For at least three weeks.
We see it everywhere…all around us.
We are old-time farmers;Terry and I. Terry still disks the stubble back into the fields; (I do the same thing in my gardens) adding rich nutrients into the earth, creating a better growing environment for earthworms and our crops.
“Why do they do this?” I asked Terry, as we watched one of the huge plumes of smoke on the horizon.
“I don’t know,” his puzzled voice came back to me. “Maybe burning off the fields helps it dry faster. I just don’t know.”
I don’t know either.
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
The Last of the Pinto Beans—Wednesday, February 17, 2016
I cooked the last of our pinto beans last night. The aroma of the beans earthy sweetness suffused the kitchen, welcoming us with a comforting embrace. (Eating beans and corn together supplies all the amino acids necessary for our bodies add in some ham; cook together until the beans are done. Serve with a hot chili pepper —- yum.)
Over supper Terry and I talked about farming this coming year. The big question: ‘Are you going to farm?’ Flashing loud and constant, like a neon sign. The second week of March is when the ground will need to be worked, the ditches made, the canal put in order, the seeds bought.
“I don’t know”, Terry shook his head. ” I really don’t know. But I need to be deciding I have to purchase the seeds (including the pinto beans—he plants Bill Zee pinto beans), the alfalfa field needs plowed up and moved….there are things I want to do to improve the place, a renter just can’t, nor should do.”
“I just don’t know.” He shook his head again.
“Besides I don’t want to be like our friend…he sold the farm, moved to town, grew so depressed because he didn’t have the farm anymore he rushed his move of the rainbow bridge one night.”
“That was terribly sad, for him and his family. But we are NOT going to sell the farm.” I pointed out.
“No, but Bob, rented his out and said it was the worst thing he ever did. No one could farm the place properly.”
I just smiled.
Then all the old farmers who are my age, keep asking me what I plan on doing if I don’t farm….die?!
“I just don’t know.” He said as he pushed himself away from the table. “I just don’t know.”
So here it is the million dollar question….with the clock ticking.
Your friend on a Western Colorado Farm,
Linda
A Big Day — March 3 2014
Yesterday was a Big day!
First was the BIG culvert pipe that was removed at the end of the farm-very rusted and crumpled and wore-out, that is for sure.-
Then the second big thing was the new culvert pipe–
All shinny black and very new looking lowered into the waiting trench.
This took most of the day. This morning, at the crack of almost light, the little children and their Mom walked the 1/4 of mile to the mailbox at the end of our land. (Terry and I watched from the warmth of our living room 🙂 )
The pipe was still uncovered and a huge hole still in the road, but with much daring and great feats of jumping the two oldest (12 and 9) jumped into the open trough, onto the wonderful big shinny pipe, and scrambled up the the other side….I’m sure they went to school dirty but happy. Mom-mom and the little Kindergartner had to walk clear around the huge hole, walk across a smaller white pipe to get to the other side, then RUN—RUN–RUN to the waiting bus down by the mailboxes.
Then last evening the little kids and their Dad stopped by to say HI. Then they were on their way through the fields to their house…Tally (the youngest) wanted to see if she could beat them to her house by running across the fields. You know what? She DID!!
Yesterday Terry started disking up the corn stalks. He worked until nine in the evening and has started the process again today.
We are not fond of large corn stalks creating little dams in the water furrows. Terry also like to have the rotting organic matter in our clay soil…lots of humus significantly influences the density of any soil and contributes to moisture and nutrient retention. We are always, always, always working to protect the land we farm.
That evening I notice a BIG storm playing over the Uncompahgre Plateau. (Un-come-pah-gray).
Today we have wind. Wind always signals Spring in our part of the world.
Your Western Colorado Farm Friend,
Linda
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Today I go to the museum. I have found that I am guarding my time jealously for my ‘volunteer job’ at the museum. It is something I enjoy that much. I should finish up the journals of Mr. Ash today and get to start on some other absorbing project.
Terry is now plowing. All spring work is right on time…we always start the second week in March. This year is normal.
We still don’t know the water situation, but everyone is getting ready anyway. Although, only 60% of the ground every farmer farms is only what is getting ready. (Did that make sense?)
If the water situation improves then everyone can plant more…we have until the middle of May to plant… until then we move forward with just the 60%.
The soil is turning good, just the right amount of moisture.
Old corn ground must be either burned off-then disked, then plowed, or grazed down/disked up/ and then plowed. We are NOT fans of burning….we believe in turning the plants over to improve the soil…manure is another great way improve soil (We are still of the old school 🙂 )
This weekend Mr. Davis will remove the cows. Then I will be cow-less again for another year.
So another day begins…our night got down to about 22* but today we are predicted to head up into the 60s.
Spring is finally here!
Linda
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Spring work has begun….
Terry has been disking the corn stalks.
I loved these photos of the spring buds and the spring work.
Still cold here, but warming up, it only got down to 20* last night.
Linda
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
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
Spring Work Has Begun
The first thing (after moving the cows off ) is to start disking
The corn stalks and leaves must be shredded
Terry disks both ways
After that comes plowing
Terry only plows the corn fields. The bean field is ripped and the alfalfa is marked out
The soil is just perfect right now. It has just the right amount of moisture so we actually have loam. Our soil (in this area) has some clay mixed into it, so getting the ground worked up when it is in the loam stage is really nice.
It doesn’t always happen that way.
Misty is helping farm this year. Although, I didn’t get her in the tractor she has been there. She spells Terry giving him a break. She wants to take over the farm when we decide the work load is just too much.
But back to the loam — Once the soil is plowed it is good to have freezing temperatures at night to help finish drying out the dirt. Then (which is happening as I write this) Terry (and/or Misty) will go back in with the roller flatting out the plowed clods.
What we do NOT want to happen right now is for it to either rain or snow. Plowed ground is like a sponge. If it collects too much water then the farmer has to wait for it to dry out and because of the clay we then get clods. Not good. Those nasty lumps of soil stay that way for the rest of the season.
So far the weather is holding, the equipment is staying together, and having more people doing the physical work makes the work load a lot lighter.
Linda
Life on a Colorado Farm 