Crops are in the ground!
As you recall, last month I was planting corn at an average of 25 acres an hour with that new 24-row planter I purchased earlier this year. The only setback so far has been the crankshaft in the 8430 John Deere tractor broke, so it had to be in the shop for about a week. The 8430 pulls the 24 row planter so I was glad it was fixed quickly and we finally finished planting all 2100 acres of our corn. On May 1, I started planting my first of 1400 acres of soybeans. The planter I use for that is a double-16 row planter. Overall, planting progress this spring has been great. While we have had rain, nothing like last year, so hopefully (as we can never be sure what Mother Nature sends our way) no major floods like last year.
We have also been busy laying tile lines in our wet fields. Tile lines are perforated plastic tubes that are buried in the ground. When the field becomes saturated with water, the water percolates down into the tile line, which carries the excess water downhill to an outlet, such as a creek or ditch. Tile helps keep the fields dry enough to run equipment through, and keeps the crop from drowning in excess water. So, even if Mother Nature decides on an encore of last year’s weather, we are ready!
Good news! We sold our combine this week. Good news! That means get to order a new one for this fall! I’m looking at the John Deere site again and the excitement is building. You might think it is early to be thinking about harvest time when the crops have just been planted, but when you want to run a successful farm, you have to plan ahead. Well, enough play time, I’m off to the fields again!
Late, Dave