Another Good Day– March 13, 2014

Posted on March 13, 2014 by Dayphoto

Late winter, which is really Spring work for us, is going good.

Terry and I worked on the big canal right by our yard…we are terrified the ditch company will come along and burn our whole house down…they haven’t been very good about controlling the fires they start these last four or five years. So now we take care of everything even remotely close to our house, barns, corrals and haystack yards.

I don’t really understand the work ethic of many people anymore…my maternal grandfather always told my brother and I: work hard, do a good job, respect the other person, and never take away a man’s (or woman’s) dignity. My Daddy always said that the customer is always right, if you want to have a good business you take care of the people who purchase from you.

Somehow, somewhere those things have slid far, far away, from how people think of others and to be truthful–customer, member/users have no respect for the store, company or business anymore either.

It’s all a shame really.

But enough of that—-as we were working away we saw the little grandchildren get off the bus and start hiking home. Our grandson ran by our lane as fast as his twelve-year-old legs could carry him—the I pad was calling I’m sure. But the two little girls trudged down our lane to hang out with us as we worked. They even helped by spraying Grandpa with water. Of course, he had to spray them back…it was a jolly good time!

Gradually, we got done with that project. In the house we went to get snacks then Terry and I loaded the girls up on the four-wheelers and took them home—THE LONG WAY! They had huge smiles when they got off.

Back home Grandpa headed out to start plowing (yes we plow–our land requires the deep plowing to bury the shredding corn stalks so the earth worms can start to work on them. We do have some acreage we don’t plow, just rip and plant.)

I’m still working on my trash woodpile. I hope to get it thoroughly sorted today so chain saw can be applied. This summer we have to do a better job of not just dumping everything into one heap and actually sorting as we go. (I hope. One can dream, I suppose. 🙂 )

Your farm friend,

Linda

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Posted on March 13, 2013 by Dayphoto

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 27, 2012

Posted on March 27, 2012 by Dayphoto

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

Posted on March 15, 2011 by Dayphoto

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

The Weather Holds so Plowing Can Begin

Posted on March 26, 2010 by Dayphoto

Our fuel was delivered for the season. Now THAT is a jolt to your pocketbook, believe me.

And the weather held long enough to get the plow on and head to the corn and hay fields.

As you can tell we are small farmers and our equipment is older. We use a four-bottom plow any larger and we would have to enlarge everything else. Four plow shears go down, then the plow is turned over and the other side of the four shears do the work.

Here Terry is setting the plow into the ground

The primary purpose of plowing is to turn over the upper layer of the soil, bringing fresh nutrients to the surface, while burying weeds and the remains of previous crops, allowing them to break down. It also aerates the soil, and allows it to hold moisture better. If the weather is nice (meaning not storming or dropping down moisture) most farmers, in our area, leave the ground to warm up and freeze (that is what you really want) for a week. The repeated warming and freezing makes for a very soft and friable soil.

It is now down.

And off he goes. We are having lots of wind so this soil will be dry faster than a week. Every day the soil needs to be checked, if it dries out too much the soil will turn to clods. Clods are a pain, a real pain.

We should be able to roll this weekend. (and yes I know how to roll).

All of this seems like lots of work, but to us it’s a real labor of love. When you enjoy what you are doing, work is never part of the equation

Linda

Cough, Hack, Sneeze, Wheeze

Posted on March 19, 2009 by Dayphoto

fire-001

I will be soooooooooo happy when this burn season gets over! For some odd reason most of the farmers around us have decided to burn off last years’ crops instead of grazing them off.

fire-003

I’m sure there would be many sheep and cattle people who would have loved to have the feed!!!!

We graze and then plow under. In an effort to keep our soil healthy we feel turning what is left from the cows (poop and corn stalks) into the ground reduces cost of purchasing fertilizer and adds body to our clay-like soil.

fire-0041

So until all the ground is turned under we will be plagued with smoke. This is what it looks around our house the last couple of days. Ugh.

Step Two of Our Western Colorado Farming

Posted on March 18, 2009 by Dayphoto

If you are opening up corn ground or tearing up an old hay field, all the farmers in our area plow.

I know that plowing is a dying process back east, but we have heavy clay soil and must plow.

So after disking we Terry plows

shinny-plow-shears

BUT if a farmer is going from a former bean field he can rip the field open because of how the beans grow causing a much loamier field.

ripper-002

Terry plowed all the old corn fields, and today he is ripping the old bean field.

I’m really glad he has retired, before all of this would have taken place after 7 at night and before 6 in the morning. Now, while I am at work, he is at work “playing” in his fields.