Fencelines

[Dotch]

I wouldn’t want to be like you

After the Weather Eye’s additional rainfall last week, more praise from the scurs. Will that adulation continue, or will it be misplaced? Starting Thursday, sunny with highs in the mid-70’s and lows in the low 50’s. Sunny Friday with highs in the low 80’s and lows in the mid-60’s. Sunny on Saturday with highs in the low 90’s and lows in the upper 60’s. Sunday, sunny with highs in the mid-90’s and lows in the upper 60’s. Sunny on Monday with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid-90’s and lows in the low 70’s. Ish. Tuesday, mostly sunny with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid-90’s with lows in the upper 60’s. Mostly cloudy on Wednesday with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the low 90’s with lows in the mid-60’s. The normal high for August 20th is 79 and the normal low is 59. Once again, staying indoors making fondue in the AC may appeal more to the scurs than sitting outside by the fire roasting weenies. Those days are coming but not just yet.
 
Corn and soybeans continue their trek to the finish line. This past week, we saw corn denting as predicted. That meant roughly a month to physiological maturity depending somewhat on the conditions Mother Nature provides. On the replant corn, we’re looking at closer to six weeks yet. With any luck Jack Frost stays away. There are indications once we get out of the forecast heatwave, we’ll encounter some cooler than normal conditions. This may help stretch the moisture we’ll have left but it will also put some of the later and replant corn in potentially greater jeopardy. The good news is we are likely to see some rainfall during the cooler spell. Also being worried about, again, is tar spot. No doubt, the cooler, wetter conditions are more conducive to its development. The hot, dry weather preceding it may slow it temporarily if it occurs. Also, the amount of tip back on the ears seen by anyone who has looked at these fields critically not to mention the corn price, would make one think twice about pouring money on fungicide into a corn crop that hasn’t caught a break over much of the growing season.
 
The soybeans on the other hand may be the bright spot. Recent rains caused this ugly duckling to suddenly put on a lot of top. growth and along with it, a lot of blossoms on the uppermost nodes. Non-factor diseases such as downy mildew and bacterial blight have appeared, but white mold has stayed out of the picture thus far. Along with that, the soybean aphids, while they haven’t completely disappeared, are on the run from a host of beneficial insects. Any given field will yield insects such as syrphid fly larvae, ladybugs (both adult and larval stage), minute pirate bugs, soldier beetles, lacewing larvae, and tiny parasitic wasps. Some of these are capable of biting humans and leaving small welts when they come out of the field on your body. There is usually a line of bite marks around my ankles above my socks this time of year.
 
Pirate bugs, ladybugs and lacewing larvae are the usual culprits. The parasitic wasps are tiny and don’t sting humans. Their ovipositor is capable however of piercing and depositing an egg inside the body of an aphid. When the eggs hatch, the wasp larvae feed, pupate and kill the aphid. The wasps go on to produce multiple generations once they emerge from the parasitized body of the soybean aphid, also known as mummies. Some of those parasitized aphids make it to new fields where the wasp larvae inside them eventually kills the aphid. The resulting new wasp population parasitizes more aphids, and the cycle continues, even when the aphids go to their overwintering sites on buckthorn. Their activity is not limited to soybean aphids. They also parasitize aphids in the corn. As I’ve told many folks, I wouldn’t want to be an aphid in a corn or soybean field right now. You’d likely wind up being munched by some predatory insect.
     
The lawns have roared back to life and the ranch lawn was no exception. I needed to perform an oil change on the zero turn and while I was at it, discovered the air filter needed replacement. It’s powered by a common 24 hp Kohler motor so should be easy to find, right? Since the Bugtussle parts store was closed, went to my old standby where you go the bathroom in the orange silo. I’d seen the proper filter in the store a few months ago but didn’t need it then. The dusty summer mowing changed that. I was disappointed to find only a few V-belts hanging where the filters had been and a measly handful of air filters on a shelf, none of which would fit the mower. It irritated me enough that I decided not to purchase anything there. I went to another big box store. Same result. No purchase there either. Luckily, I was able to find the parts store open down the road. They had the right air filter and pre cleaner both. Turns out, they sell lots of farm related necessities at several other outlets when I need them. Filed for future reference.
   
When I jumped in the pickup the other morning to head off to work, I thought it smelled a little gamey, perhaps more than normal. It usually doesn’t smell that great to begin with during a hot summer, what with several ears of corn fermenting, a dead weed or soybean desiccating on the floor, a mineral block behind the seat and the usual sweat from all the trips in and out. This was different but couldn’t quite put my finger on it. As I got underway, the smell got worse to the point where I had to roll the window down. That helped but when I got to the stop sign, it intensified again. Then I recognized the odor. I’d seen Poppy unload one of her Corgi presents near my pickup at chore time and I must’ve stepped right in it. I got to the office and cleaned my boot off then looked to see what else was still lurking. Good thing. There was a hunk stuck to both the gas pedal and brake pedal along with a large hunk on the floormat. One of Poppy’s surefire methods of making sure she wasn’t forgotten.
 
See you next week…real good then.

[LPS]

I encountered one of those presents today.     Very interesting about the wasps and aphids. 

[Dotch]

Missing you, missing you...

The scurs are puzzling over the Weather Eye’s late summer heatwave. Will the Weather Eye’s antics be short-lived or are they the tip of the iceberg? Starting Thursday, mostly sunny with a slight chance of evening rain. Highs in the mid-90’s with lows in the mid-60’s. Mostly sunny Friday with highs in the mid-80’s and lows in the upper 50’s. Mostly sunny on Saturday with highs in the upper 70’s and lows in the mid-50’s. Sunday, cloudy with a good chance of rain. Highs in the upper 70’s and lows in the upper 50’s. Sunny on Monday with highs in the low 80’s and lows in the upper 50’s. Tuesday, partly sunny with highs in the low 80’s and lows in the mid-50’s. Sunny on Wednesday with highs in the low 80’s and lows in the mid-50’s. On August 26th, the sun will rise at 6:30 a.m. CDT and set at 8 p.m. We also slide below 13 hours and 30 minutes of daylight. A second Full Moon for the month of August will be upon us Wednesday. The normal high for August 26th is 78 and the normal low is 58. The scurs are betting the Weather Eye will straighten out and fly right with threat from the three lb. hammer.

A Blue Moon occurs Aug. 30th. From the Space website, a Blue Moon occurs approximately every 2 ½ years. It connotates the third full moon in a season with four full moons or the second full moon in a single month. A season is defined as the period between solstices and equinoxes, for example the time between June 21st and September 23rd. This makes the second full moon in August a calendrical and not a seasonal blue moon. This is also categorized as a Supermoon as it is as close to Earth as the moon can get, making it larger and brighter than normal. It will also cross paths closely with Saturn so a lot of heavenly activity for late August.

With tremendous promise after the mid-August rains, the later August heat likely won’t do the corn or soybean crop any favors. Corn appeared poised to be able to keep most of the tip kernels given normal temperatures and rainfall. Ditto with the upper pods set after the recent impressive growth spurt on the soybeans. Our subsoil moisture is likely tapped for the season so relying on late season rains is where we’re at. With heat reaching near 100, aborting more tip kernels on corn and upper pods on soybeans is almost a given. The best we can hope for is that it’s a short-term heatwave and for once, that maybe the forecasters are wrong.
 
Gardening has meant more bean harvesting and freezing. The heat pushed them pretty hard, with the Tendergreen variety producing more flat pods that tend to be tough woody. The Blue Lake variety we have seems to maintain its integrity and flavor through the hot spells. We’ve had plenty of good beans and with any luck, should have enough put away after this week to last the winter. We still had a couple bags left from last year. They’re still very tasty so will use those up first before they change their mind. The one weed on everyone’s lips this summer has been purslane. When conditions were dry, it seemed like I could stay ahead of it with the hoe, leaving it on the soil surface to dry up. Once the rains started, that’s no longer an option. It almost has to go over the fence to the sheep or get tossed in the lawn where the lawnmower grinds it up.

This version of Fencelines is coming from you on the road once again. It’s Crop Tour time and gearing up for the 2023 version. The trip out has been one that appears much the same as the previous 19. If there’s one lesson I’ve learned, it’s not to judge a book by its cover. There has been some extremely good-looking crop from the road and there’s also been some that look rather ugly. Most of the very ugly crop is from dryland areas near obviously irrigated fields. However, the only way to tell how good it really is, is to get out into it and examine the plants up close and personal. Aerial and satellite views can only measure so much. Of course the only measurement that matters is the one once it’s combined and in the bin.

Easy to miss Poppy with a road trip like this one. With no dog to look forward to last year upon our return, it’s easy to see why. Both Mrs. Cheviot and I will be gone from the ranch periodically over the next week. The interactions with people for a young animal such as this one are crucial. Fortunately, we’ll have kind friends and neighbors doing chores and caring for the little Corgi. Even though she can be more than a handful at times, it’s still nice to know she’s being well cared for. Even nicer will be to see that happy little face when we’re home again.

See you next week…real good then.

[LPS]

I have more purslane around the house where I don't think I have seen it before.  Of course in the garden too.

[Dotch]

Missed getting this one posted when I was on the road...


Missing you, missing you...

The scurs are puzzling over the Weather Eye’s late summer heatwave. Will the Weather Eye’s antics be short-lived or are they the tip of the iceberg? Starting Thursday, mostly sunny with a slight chance of evening rain. Highs in the mid-90’s with lows in the mid-60’s. Mostly sunny Friday with highs in the mid-80’s and lows in the upper 50’s. Mostly sunny on Saturday with highs in the upper 70’s and lows in the mid-50’s. Sunday, cloudy with a good chance of rain. Highs in the upper 70’s and lows in the upper 50’s. Sunny on Monday with highs in the low 80’s and lows in the upper 50’s. Tuesday, partly sunny with highs in the low 80’s and lows in the mid-50’s. Sunny on Wednesday with highs in the low 80’s and lows in the mid-50’s. On August 26th, the sun will rise at 6:30 a.m. CDT and set at 8 p.m. We also slide below 13 hours and 30 minutes of daylight. A second Full Moon for the month of August will be upon us Wednesday. The normal high for August 26th is 78 and the normal low is 58. The scurs are betting the Weather Eye will straighten out and fly right with threat from the three lb. hammer.

A Blue Moon occurs Aug. 30th. From the Space website, a Blue Moon occurs approximately every 2 ½ years. It connotates the third full moon in a season with four full moons or the second full moon in a single month. A season is defined as the period between solstices and equinoxes, for example the time between June 21st and September 23rd. This makes the second full moon in August a calendrical and not a seasonal blue moon. This is also categorized as a Supermoon as it is as close to Earth as the moon can get, making it larger and brighter than normal. It will also cross paths closely with Saturn so a lot of heavenly activity for late August.
 
With tremendous promise after the mid-August rains, the later August heat likely won’t do the corn or soybean crop any favors. Corn appeared poised to be able to keep most of the tip kernels given normal temperatures and rainfall. Ditto with the upper pods set after the recent impressive growth spurt on the soybeans. Our subsoil moisture is likely tapped for the season so relying on late season rains is where we’re at. With heat reaching near 100, aborting more tip kernels on corn and upper pods on soybeans is almost a given. The best we can hope for is that it’s a short-term heatwave and for once, that maybe the forecasters are wrong.
 
Gardening has meant more bean harvesting and freezing. The heat pushed them pretty hard, with the Tendergreen variety producing more flat pods that tend to be tough woody. The Blue Lake variety we have seems to maintain its integrity and flavor through the hot spells. We’ve had plenty of good beans and with any luck, should have enough put away after this week to last the winter. We still had a couple bags left from last year. They’re still very tasty so will use those up first before they change their mind. The one weed on everyone’s lips this summer has been purslane. When conditions were dry, it seemed like I could stay ahead of it with the hoe, leaving it on the soil surface to dry up. Once the rains started, that’s no longer an option. It almost has to go over the fence to the sheep or get tossed in the lawn where the lawnmower grinds it up.

This version of Fencelines is coming from you on the road once again. It’s Crop Tour time and gearing up for the 2023 version. The trip out has been one that appears much the same as the previous 19. If there’s one lesson I’ve learned, it’s not to judge a book by its cover. There has been some extremely good-looking crop from the road and there’s also been some that look rather ugly. Most of the very ugly crop is from dryland areas near obviously irrigated fields. However, the only way to tell how good it really is, is to get out into it and examine the plants up close and personal. Aerial and satellite views can only measure so much. Of course the only measurement that matters is the one once it’s combined and in the bin.

Easy to miss Poppy with a road trip like this one. With no dog to look forward to last year upon our return, it’s easy to see why. Both Mrs. Cheviot and I will be gone from the ranch periodically over the next week. The interactions with people for a young animal such as this one are crucial. Fortunately, we’ll have kind friends and neighbors doing chores and caring for the little Corgi. Even though she can be more than a handful at times, it’s still nice to know she’s being well cared for. Even nicer will be to see that happy little face when we’re home again.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

The sun shines and people forget

The scurs are puzzling no more. The Weather Eye’s heatwave was for real. Are we done with that nonsense or are we in for an encore? Starting Thursday, sunny with highs in the low 80’s and lows in the low 60’s. Sunny Friday with highs in the upper 80’s and lows in the upper 60’s. Mostly sunny on Saturday with highs in the low 90’s and lows in the upper 60’s. Sunday, sunny with highs in the low 90’s and lows in the low 70’s. Sunny on Labor Day with highs in the low 90’s and lows in the upper 60’s. Tuesday, mostly cloudy with highs a slight chance of rain. Highs in the low 90’s with lows in the mid-60’s. Mostly cloudy with a decent chance of rain on Wednesday with highs in the low 90’s and lows in the mid-60’s. We slide below 13 hours of daylight on the 6th, about where we were back on March 6th. The normal high for September 6th is 76 and the normal low is 54. For Labor Day, the scurs will be lounging in their hammock and catching up on their magazines.
 
Crops took a beating in the recent heatwave and the upcoming forecast won’t do it any favors.  Still, how badly the crop got hurt is somewhat dependent on where you live. The heavy May rains that were a curse at the time may turn out to be a blessing in disguise. Earlier in the season where they were spared from the heavy May rain, crops just east of I-35 looked uniform. After missing subsequent rains, they still look uniform only not in a good way. Lack of moisture took its toll, and this most recent heat pushed it to the limit. A lot of short corn and soybeans with corn fired up to the ear and soybeans losing the battle in patches throughout many fields, ripening prematurely. Some disease pressure is also present in the soybeans, and it’s being amplified by the hot, dry weather. Not the first time this has happened, but it’s been a while. People forget.

So what kinds of things are happening in the fields locally? In the corn we’re seeing maturity hastened due to the heat. That means the potential is there given the accompanying dry soil conditions that stalk, and ear shank integrity could be compromised. Since uptake from the soil isn’t possible under dry conditions, stalks will be cannibalized, making them weaker than usual. Harvest may need to begin sooner than later. There may also be a test weight penalty if the ears drop too soon and pinch the flow of nutrients through the ear shank. On the soybean side, look for the loss of some of those pods that were set late after the rains back in the first week of August. Beans per pod could be compromised along with bean size. Ain’t I just the bearer of glad tidings?

We don’t have an exclusive on these conditions, however. The recent Pro Farmer Crop Tour bore this out as we moved west into IL. Getting out of the air-conditioned pickup to pull samples on our route, the humidity was so high our glasses would steam up. Not being able to see, it was sampling by the Braille method at first. Stumbling into stalk after stalk and hearing them snap was an eye opener, pardon the pun. Sampling soybeans in IA demonstrated some of the pod abortion mentioned above. Toss in some of the disease issues just getting rolling in those fields and there will be plenty of misery to go around.

On a happier note, upon my return from Crop Tour there were lots of overgrown zucchini to toss over the fence to the sheep. Made their day. Being back home also keeps a steady supply of sweet corn husks and cobs coming their direction. Luckily the sweet corn still had some younger ears interspersed with some the heat had blown over the dam. Sometimes uneven emergence can work in your favor but wouldn’t make a habit of it. Tomatoes are coming on full bore so BLT’s are on the menu along with about every other means of eating them. Still some string beans left although we’re done freezing them. What’s there we’ll eat fresh or give away as many as possible. A garden is never truly appreciated if it is not shared. Just ask the sheep.

While I was in a holding pattern Sunday waiting for the sheep to be released from the State Fair, I cleaned out the hummingbird feeders. They are nuts right now between the cannas, the planters, and the feeders. The 4 o'clocks are just getting cranked up so they'll have even more variety to choose from. Hadn't seen any orioles for a while but filled their jelly feeder just for laughs. It sat empty for a week or two. Could still hear the occasional catbird so thought what the heck. Monday morning, there was a fully colored male Baltimore oriole feasting on it. The goldfinches are starting to taste test the sunflowers as they ripen. They're also plucking a few sunflower seeds out of the feeder. This last batch of sunflower seed purchased was open & we wound up with a whole bunch of Indian meal moths flying around the garage. The silk threads the larvae leave behind tend to make the seed bridge up and not feed through some of our feeders. Makes for grumpy birds.

Some of the sheep at the MN State Fair went on to another show and some made it back home late Sunday afternoon. Some wonderful friends brought them back to their place in Faribault, so I didn’t have to battle the Sunday fair crowd. I brought Poppy along to meet some new people and get her accustomed to riding. She loves people but we’ve got a steep learning curve in the riding department. We got spoiled after all the years of Border Collies who lived to ride in the pickup. It didn’t take long to learn to leave the door shut or there would be at least one of them in there. Poppy gets worked up and won’t sit still. It’ll take some repetition but as we all know, you only get good at things by doing them.

Real good then…see you next week.

[Dotch]

Come Monday it'll be all right

Sure enough, just as the scurs were told, The Weather Eye’s encore heatwave arrived right on schedule. Now can we be done and get some rain or does the desert continue? Starting Thursday, mostly sunny with highs in the low 70’s and lows in the upper 40’s. Sunny Friday with highs in the mid-70’s and lows in the low 50’s. Sunny on Saturday with a slight chance of an evening shower. Highs in the upper 70’s with lows in the mid-50’s. Sunday, mostly sunny with a good chance of an evening shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the upper 70’s with lows in the low 70’s. Sunny on Monday with highs in the upper 70’s and lows in the low 50’s. Tuesday, cloudy with highs a slight chance of rain. Highs in the upper 70’s with lows in the low 50’s. Mostly sunny with a slight chance of a passing shower on Wednesday. Highs in the upper 70’s with lows in the mid-50’s. The sun will set at 7:30 p.m. CDT on Tuesday the 12th. The normal high for September 12th is 74 and the normal low is 52. The scurs will be waiting with bated breath, hoping that AMC brings out another car as exciting as the Gremlin or the Pacer.

In a more typical year we might welcome weather such as we’ve had ahead of harvest. Unfortunately, it appears that this time is different. Corn that was half milk line last week suddenly has been pushed rapidly and prematurely to physiological maturity. The result is likely to be lighter than anticipated test weight corn and less than ideal kernel depth. I left what were some nice-looking ears on Friday in the pickup over the weekend. I was shocked to see on Sunday how much the kernels had shrunk. Not only that, in the field, stalks that were dead with ears already tipped down were kinking over when giving them the lean test.
 
While I had no soybeans roasting in the cab over the weekend, what I saw on Friday wasn’t positive either. Several pods on the plants exhibited pods that had been aborted or soon would be. More signs or premature ripening as well, some of it disease related and some just because there was no moisture to take up and they were dying. Sad to see it ending this way after getting our hopes up at the end of the 1st week in August. It’s as though someone put the Soup Nazi in charge of rainfall.

Silage harvest has been going on in earnest now for a couple weeks, depending on where you are and what was planted for silage corn. Definitely time to get after it upon seeing the half milk line corn last week and experiencing the blast furnace over the weekend. Silage yields and estimated crop yield for insurance purposes have been all over the board across the state. Some places have been as low as 15 bu./acre with others as high as in the low 200 range. Making corn silage is a lot less involved than the good old days when corn was bundled, shocked, hauled from the field and run through a shredder. From there it was either blown into a silo or into an area of the barn depending on what the intent was.
 
As it’s turned out, apparently I was one of the few in my generation outside of the Amish to ever to operate a corn binder and actually shock corn. Many moons ago, I wrote about the experience although I can’t remember when. We’d experienced a late August frost in 1974 so Dad borrowed the neighbor’s McCormick corn binder, and we shocked about 7 acres in a low area that froze. Operating the ground drive binder was fun. Since this model had a bundle carrier, you had to be thinking about where to unload 8 - 10 bundles into piles once they accumulated. That made it easier and more efficient for the shockers, which turned out to be me and the neighbor kid. That part wasn’t nearly as fun.
 
I had the good fortune to get up close and personal with a corn binder recently, this time a John Deere power binder. It was also left-handed where the McCormick I’d used almost 50 years ago was a right-handed model. There was no bundle carrier on this John Deere binder although the drive mechanism for it was intact. Ideally, Dad said the bundles should contain somewhere in the vicinity of 7 – 10 stalks. Otherwise they got pretty heavy and awkward to handle. The shocks should also consist of 35 – 40 bundles in order for them to stand on their own. He was right as he usually was. Some of them stood in the field all winter as we retrieved them, feeding the bundles to the beef heifers he had purchased.

So when and why did corn binders die out? Corn binders became a common piece of farm equipment starting in the late 1800’s and increased in popularity as steam and tractor power became available. Silos were also being erected on more farms in that timeframe. Power take-off binders or power binders appeared in the early 30’s although with the Great Depression and later WWII, they weren’t as popular as they might’ve been. They had some definite advantages, including rubber tires, making them better in softer soil conditions. The beginning of the end came about when pull type choppers arrived after WWII through the mid-1950’s. This eliminated the process of making bundles, shocks, and hauling all the bundles back to a stationary shredder. IH made corn binders through 1953 although they could see the handwriting on the wall prior to that. As C.H. Wendell wrote in 150 Years of International Harvester, “few people missed the corn binders when they were gone.”

Poppy took the heatwave in stride. She’s figured out where the air conditioning vents are and likes being in their proximity. She still comes outside at chore time, but it’s usually cooled down then, so she gets her requisite zoomies in. Poppy’s found new creatures to pursue as frogs have recently appeared in the lawn. Gardening continues to be one of her favorite pastimes especially the string bean patch. One night while picking beans, I heard this strange munching noise. Sure enough Poppy has developed a taste for string beans. She’s still eating crickets too so that cuts down on the pesky chirping in the house. As we like to tell her, it’s a darn good thing you’re cute. There’s been some anxiety on her part though as we’ve been on the road so much lately. Could tell when Labor Day Monday rolled around that all was right in her little world. An extra day with her people.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

I watch the birds fly south across the Autumn sky
And one by one they disappear

The scurs were unsure what to expect after The Weather Eye’s blast furnace bonanza. Do we ease into fall now or does summer never end? Starting Thursday, sunny with highs in the upper 70’s and lows in the mid-50’s. Partly sunny Friday with a modest chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid-70’s with lows in the low 50’s. Mostly sunny on Saturday with highs in the low 70’s and lows in the upper 40’s. Sunday, sunny with highs in the low 70’s and lows in the upper 40’s. Sunny on Monday with highs in the mid-70’s and lows in the low 50’s. Tuesday, mostly cloudy with a good chance of rain. Highs in the low 80’s with lows in the mid-50’s. Mostly cloudy on Wednesday with highs in the upper 70’s and lows in the mid-50’s. On the 16th, we drop below 12 hours and 30 minutes of daylight, about where we were back on March 27th. Makes sense as we approach the autumnal equinox on September 23rd. The normal high for September 16th is 73 and the normal low is 50. The scurs will check out their rakes for the upcoming leaf drop.

Leaves are falling off the soybeans in places already although the pace has slowed somewhat once the weather cooled down to more seasonal temperatures once again. It appears we’ll be about on schedule for a more normal start to harvest than we might’ve guessed during the heatwaves. I’ve been asked many times how yield estimates are stacking up. I think Tom Hoverstad probably said it best when he mentioned in a recent podcast that the rain we cursed back in May came back to benefit us, especially when you happened to benefit from subsequent rainfall when others didn’t. Even some of the replant corn has been surprisingly good when doing yield checks. The proof will be in the pudding though when combines roll and bins are measured. The 10-man dryer has already been operating drying some early maturing corn so it's only a matter of time.

In the garden at the ranch, we’re still enjoying the fruits of a bountiful harvest with more to come. Tomatoes are ripening full bore like everywhere else, and the pepper crop has been outstanding. Heat and dry weather agreed with both of these nightshade family plants. There is still plentiful sweet corn to be had for a while yet as well. The squash, pumpkin and gourd vines are starting to die down so we can see what was under that heavy canopy. There appear to be a lot of all the vine crops. Even our meager attempt at cucumbers has been yielding some nice cukes as they responded to the frequent watering and more recently, the welcome half inch downpour late Saturday afternoon. He sunflowers are about done blossoming and have set a lot of seed already. Just in the nick of time.

The birds at the ranch are in transition mode. Male goldfinches are losing their sunny yellow coats, all the better to blend in with the sunflowers as they dry down. We saw the last Baltimore orioles on the 6th. There were still some catbirds but there are so many berries and crabapples, I decided it was time to suspend the jelly feeding operation. The bald-faced hornets were becoming increasingly annoying when trying to fill the feeder during daylight hours. They’ve also been a nuisance at the nectar feeders for the hummingbirds. The hummers have been crazy with the numbers difficult to determine. At any given time there are three or four whipping past. When the hornets get too aggressive, the little birds just head for any number of different plants including cannas, salvia, petunias, four o’clocks and coleus. When darkness arrives, the white-lined sphinx moths take the night shift.

Last week I wrote about the corn binder experience and after looking at ads on Craigslist and Facebook marketplace, it brought back memories of my first days plowing. One fall, we had some set aside acres that needed to be plowed up so they could be put back into production.. I was probably in 7th grade at the time and Dad’s pride and joy, the Co-Op E4 was hooked to the 3 14’s IH plow he had purchased. Plowing the set aside was a slow, tedious process. Pulling the plow in 2nd gear, it was probably moving no faster than 2.5 mph given the slippage. The plow had rigid beams, not trip beams or automatic reset. When it contacted a rock solidly it would unhook from the tractor to avoid springing the plow. Since the set aside was on the rockiest field on the farm it happened frequently.
 
It also unhooked the hydraulic hoses from the tractor back to the cylinder, you hoped. The old Aeroquip couplings were sometimes a bearcat to reconnect when they were under pressure. It took a long pry bar with a pointed end stuck in the coupling body just right along with a prayer to reconnect them. Then you hoped it wouldn’t spit the coupling back out when you attempted to raise or lower the plow. Sometimes diddling with the hydraulic control handle helped and other times not so much. Coupled with the slow rate of speed, one had to set stakes to see progress. I remember getting a ride home after football practice one night from my best friend’s sister and her boyfriend. She asked if I’d get done in time to come over and play with her little brother Kenny that night. Her boyfriend laughed and told her the rate I was going, I’d be lucky to finish by Christmas. Good times.

Poppy has taken the cooler fall weather in stride. No longer does she need to go inside to cool down, so we try to keep her outdoors with us as much as possible. She still enjoys going to the garden where she helps herself to what’s left of the string beans. Fine by me. No longer in bean picking mode. After that, she’ll do some cricket, grasshopper and moth chasing. Lately, being outside means staring at the sky and listening. Poppy watches the geese like a little statue as the honking waves fly past. Closer to the ground, she’s also interested in sound and movement of the hummingbirds buzzing from flower to flower in front of her. She doesn’t attempt to grab them although they are so quick, there’s little danger she would harm one. They say that dogs take after their owners. Next thing you know Poppy will want to drive the Studebaker.
 
See you next week…real good then.   

[Dotch]

And I got a peaceful easy feelin'

The scurs are becoming more comfortable with The Weather Eye’s recent data. Will we make it through September without a visit from Jack Frost or is he lurking in the shadows? Starting Thursday, mostly sunny with a slight chance of rain showers. Highs in the low 80’s with lows in the upper 50’s. Partly sunny Friday with a good chance of showers and thunderstorms by evening. Highs in the upper 70’s with lows in the low 60’s. Mostly cloudy on Saturday with a good chance of showers. Highs in the low 70’s with lows in the upper 50’s. Sunday, mostly cloudy with a good chance of forenoon showers. Highs in the low 70’s with lows in the low 50’s. Partly sunny on Monday with highs in the upper 60’s and lows in the low 50’s. Tuesday, sunny with a slight chance of rain. Highs in the upper 60’s with lows in the low 50’s. Partly sunny on Wednesday with a modest chance of rain. Highs in the low 70’s with lows in the mid-50’s. On the 22nd the sun will rise at 7:01 a.m. CDT. The autumnal equinox will occur on September 23rd. On the 26th, we slip below 12 hours of daylight, the same as back on St. Patty’s Day. The normal high for September 26th is 69 and the normal low is 46. The scurs are thinking raking leaves is overrated.

Some early harvest progress as some combine early maturing soybeans and continue picking early maturing corn. Yields have been variable depending on location and soil type. As we get deeper into harvest we’ll have a better idea of where this crop really is. Yield estimates have looked particularly promising on the corn. While it doesn’t appear to be the crop we had in 2021 or 2022, it should still be respectable and meet local demand. The stalks attached to this corn crop are somewhat suspect and the upcoming rainy, windy forecast may test the stalk quality. One other potential question may be the grain quality, especially where it involves the replant corn. It’s always a good idea to pull the centers out of bins anyway but it may be one of those winters to pay particular attention to snowfall on the bin rooftops.
 
Where is our fall precipitation potential heading? In the near term it appears more promising than it has been for a while. Sure, we could’ve used the rain back in August, but we’ll need to get our soil profile recharged again somehow. We can’t rely on a winter like last year where wet snowfall melted and percolated into the soil much of the winter with little or no frost. Spring rains such as we had in May are no slam dunk either or at least many of us would rather they weren’t. When the El Niño was being talked about earlier in the year, one of the possible scenarios was no major increase in precip until the fall. Some of the private weather outlets are indicating that may be the case. We shall see.
 
The cooler weather allowed us to finally get some of the sheep moved around and into the pastures with the proper rams. We purchased a ram lamb, JJ, from John and Judy Moore in MI earlier this summer so it was nice to see how big he’d grown. He had a fair amount of fleece on him but no more than some of the brood ewes. Pleasantly surprised to see he compared favorably in size. So far I’ve really liked his demeanor too. Sometimes rams develop an ugly temperament when breeding season arrives and it intensifies once they’re brought home off of pasture. So far he’s been a teddy bear, not offering to take a whack at me when feeding grain or being mean to the ewes if they don’t stand for him. It cuts down on productivity when brood ewes and shepherds are battered and bruised.

Auntie Mar Mar comes through again in the clutch. I subsist fairly well on produce from the garden and can fend for myself in the kitchen or grill when it comes to main courses. When it comes to dessert though, I struggle. Not that I can’t make things, it’s time consuming. After a long day, it’s probably not high on my list of priorities. Taking pity on me for having to stay home keep the home fires burning, I was the recipient of a pan of peach crisp. The peaches were fresh from Colorado so nothing could be better. Microwaved and paired up with some ice cream, it was absolutely heavenly. A more than even trade for a few tomatoes and peppers I’d say.

Got the Studebaker out for a run over the weekend with the car club. We kept it closer to home this time with a visit to the Faribault Woolen Mills. Sometimes those trips to places you’ve never been in your own backyard are the best. I’d seen the signs for years but had no idea where the place even was. The tour was very interesting and being a longtime sheep producer, it was fun to connect the dots. The tour guide grew up in Hartland so that made the experience all the better. Afterwards there was time for me to attend the 30th anniversary of some sheep friends in Faribault. Another interesting venue in an old limestone apple orchard building. That was fun too, visiting other sheep friends and the family. And when it came time to leave, it was real easy to find my car.

Poppy continues to rid our home of household insects. Just say the word “bug” and she goes into a frenzy looking to see where the offending intruder might be. Not unusual to see her snapping at flies or trapping crickets between her paws. The only trouble is we can’t usually get them away from her before she devours them. That’s OK. Crickets are safe for dogs to eat as long as the insects haven’t been exposed to insecticides. On the bright side, it’s certainly made a difference on the amount of racket they’ve made inside the house this fall. There’s a lot to be said for peace and quiet.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

A little voice inside my head said, "Don't look back. You can never look back"

The Weather Eye made the scurs day with rain materializing, finally. Are the odds of receiving more rain good or will we be in full soybean harvest mode again soon? Starting Thursday, mostly cloudy becoming sunny. Highs in the low 70’s with lows in the upper 50’s. Sunny Friday with highs in the upper 70’s with lows in the low 60’s. Sunny on Saturday with highs in the low 80’s and lows in the low 60’s. Sunday, mostly sunny with a slight chance of showers. Highs in the low 80’s with lows in the low 60’s. Mostly sunny on Monday with highs in the low 80’s with lows in the low 60’s. Tuesday, partly sunny with a slight chance of rain. Highs in the upper 70’s with lows in the low 50’s. Cloudy on Wednesday with a good chance of rain. Highs in the upper 60’s with lows in the upper 40’s. On the 28th the sun will set at 7:00 p.m. CDT. The September Full Moon occurs on the 29th. Sunday is October 1st. The normal high for October 1st is 67 and the normal low is 44. The scurs are gathering firewood for their recreational fires, contained in a regulation 36” Trash Fire police approved fire ring of course.

The Full Moon for the month as mentioned happens on the 29th and this time around it goes by the Full Harvest Moon. Some years the Harvest Moon is in October as it is the Full Moon nearest to the autumnal equinox. In the days of horse-drawn agriculture, farmers could work into the night by the light of this moon if necessary. The Ojibwe called this the Rice Moon as wild rice harvest would begin and continue for several weeks. The Sioux knew this as the Moon of Brown Leaves or the Moon of Drying Grass. At the ranch it is a Harvest Moon as the fall garden produce takes its place around the yard. It’s also the Bad MN Football Moon. It ain’t looking pretty for the Gophers and Vikings folks.
 
Harvest was put on hold as we suddenly had consecutive days of measurable precipitation. Some of the TV weather pundits have declared it won’t help farmers and they’re right for the most part regarding this year’s corn and soybean crop. However, if you have pasture and hay ground these fall rains have brought some hope that maybe next year will be better. Both have greened up significantly. If looking at a 4th cutting before plowing the hay up, this should really help. Ditto with being able to graze pasture to stretch tight hay supplies. Also beneficial for fall tillage, soil sampling and anhydrous ammonia application. Crop that was harvested ahead of the rain continued to be generally better than expected. There are areas that haven’t been as fortunate with reports of corn as low as 20 bu./acre. Contrast that with some reports locally of corn running over 200 bu./acre and one has to feel fortunate indeed.
 
We continue to harvest the fruits of our labor in both the garden and the orchard areas. The pears suddenly became the top priority when they started to blush. The bald-faced hornets that have graced us with their presence obviously like pears too so picking them towards dark has kept confrontations to a minimum. With varying degrees of ripeness, we should have pears for a few weeks. The Honeycrisp apples are ready as well although we’ll need to clean out some space in the refrigerator for them. They keep well so we should have some to snack on for many moons. Of course there are always some casualties as the birds help themselves so need to get them picked as soon as we can. The sheep don’t mind the ground falls but feeding the sheep wasn’t the point of planting the trees.

We were finally able to both be in one place long enough to load up lambs that needed to go to market. Despite the genetics they don’t all make the cut as breeding stock. There are always a few that one has to debate about keeping or shipping. When the cut is made, you never look back. One has to remember the animals you’re keeping are never perfect and those that you don’t have a fault or faults that put them on the trailer in the first place. The drive to Zumbrota is a long and winding one. When the animals are unloaded, they count them, then take your name and address. It’s out of your hands until the check arrives sometime later in the week after the sale on Tuesday.

It’s a little different scenario than the good old days hauling fat lambs to Wilson’s and later Farmstead in Albert Lea. As the lambs ran down the alley, you closed the heavy wooden gates behind them as they moved closer to the scale. Once they got to the scale, the buyer took a look at them and there usually wasn’t much dickering on price. The weight and grade slip was placed in a vacuum tube that arrived for the lady behind the desk upstairs. You walked up the stairs and they cut you a check. You then walked out the office door to the catwalk over the roof of the building, down the steps and you were on your way. When I was a kid up through high school that’s the way it worked. When we started hauling sheep there again nearly 15 years later, same thing from the smell right down to the pea soup green paint on the office walls. Some things never change.
 
Poppy has been able to see the part of a MN late summer and early fall that she didn’t get the chance to see last year. Given her interest in catching and eating insects, have been a little surprised she hasn’t tried to snatch any of the white-lined sphinx moths as they move from flower to flower. One would think snacking on their stocky little bodies would be right up her alley. She’s curious but so far has left them alone. It won’t be too long and the corn shock along with the mice will reappear in the yard like last October. Poppy will have something familiar to occupy her time with. The cycle will have repeated itself for another year.
 
See you next week…real good then.