Farm work is never done

It is starting out to be an exciting season. The weather has been cooperating with my work schedule and so far my decisions have resulted in planting success. The warm weather has brought Soybeans out of the ground after about a week. Most of my Soys are planted on land that was plowed last year, and this ground is holding moisture very well. I had to work the ground shallow to avoid mud, fortunately the beans sprouted before the wind dried out that top inch - and grow they have.

As with any rush, things go wrong. My most anoying failure was the left marker on my grain drill - it kept slipping wider. This makes it frustrating, while trying to set up the marker and finding it keeps needing adjusting. The first thoughts are that i am just not following properly, but only in one direction. With no cab, dry ground on top and a wind in line with the rows, I couldn't always see my mark so it took 40 acres before i figured out what was going on. Then, of course, that fine thread odd size u-bolt breaks. Well, no one to blame but myself, it was a replacement part with a made in China tag. With a little ingenuity and making use of a steering wheel puller, I fabbed up a sollution in the field, which lasted until I was done. Now I must not forget to go back and fix this properly before I use the drill next, this fall for wheat.

Had a few misjudgements on how much seed I was planting. Thats the down side for buying bulk seed when you don't own a scale. I can only eyeball what is in the wagon and when your off by 7 units of small seed after 50 acres its not a gross error, but you need a good suppliers to get you the seed on a Saturday afternoon of a long weekend so planting can continue.

I enjoyed being on the tractor watching the sun rise and set nearly every day for a week. I didn't mind getting that great farmer tan (or burn) on my arms from not using sun block. The dust following me up and down the field carried with it that sweat smell of soil when it is fit. The truth is, as much as I wanted to sleep in on a couple of mornings, I would really like to have a few more acres so i could keep doing it.

However the end of planting is no time to take a break. I now have weeds to control, fields to scout and even a main tile to fix. Its amazing how giant holes in the ground only show up when you are facing backwards. Then there is all the work i put off while planting. I still have to get the unload auger on my corn bin working, now that trucks will be rolling up next to week to be filled. And my grain header for the combine isn't done and wheat harvest is maybe 6 weeks out.

While putting equipment away I usually use the small MF265, but as it was hooked up to the sprayer and I had to put my packers away, which are sectional and only one at a time can be backed up I created quite a scene. It looked so funny to see a 125Hp tractor on a 5ft packer I couldn't resist to snap a picture. Sometimes the craziest things are just necessary.

Not everyone in the area is having the same level of success. My neighbour has been plagued with much more sever breakdowns and on ground that not having been plowed in recent memory is as hard as rock and it is drying out quickly. Although offering my equipment to help him out, as I am sure I would, he turned down the offer and is trying to do it all with his own. Its still early enough to get a good yeilding bean in the ground. But I would really like to see all those other fields turning green soon as well.

The pace has slowed a bit, I am not using lights to keep working these days. Once the sun is down, I clean up and wait for the next day. But I, along with the roosters in the yard, still enjoy being at work on the farm when the sun rises. Just don't get much done before I have to head off to the day job - but I guess that is what weekends are for, getting to work all day on the farm!

Comment

You need to be a member of Ontario Agriculture to add comments!

Join Ontario Agriculture

Comment by Joe Dales on May 28, 2012 at 1:01am: Nice job getting the crops in Gus.

Be safe and good luck.

Joe

RSS

Welcome to
Ontario Agriculture

Sign Up
or Sign In

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

Soybean Fungicide Decisions

As soybean crops move into flowering, questions are sure to be raised about whether fungicide applications are needed. In anticipation, let’s take a closer look at the potential disease threats and what Manitoba On-Farm Network research has told us. What Should We Be Concerned About? Foliar diseases infecting soybeans in Manitoba typically occur at low severity levels and are not expected to impact yield most years. These usually include bacterial blight, downy mildew and Septoria brown spot. Stem diseases generally have a greater impact on yield. White mould: infections begin at nodes along the main stem. Wilted plants may be spotted from afar, within a humid canopy may find white mycelial growth and black sclerotia bodies later in the season. This disease is the main target of fungicide applications. Cool, wet conditions throughout July and August favour white mould. For every 10% increase in the percent of plants infected with white mould, 2-5 bu/ac of yield are lost in soybeans.

Fungicide Decision Tool for Managing Mycosphaerella Blight in Field Peas

When your peas have reached V10 (10th node stage), it is an ideal time to start scouting each field to evaluate if a fungicide application to manage Mycosphaerella blight is warranted. Continue scouting for symptoms from V10 (10th true node) to R2 (beginning bloom), during mid-June to late July. Mycosphaerella (Ascochyta) blight is the most widespread and economically damaging foliar disease of Manitoba field peas. Peas are the single host crop of Mycosphaerella but it can be managed by foliar fungicide. This pathogen can be stubble-, air-, soil- and seed-borne. Spores can travel long distances by air, meaning there is a disease risk even in fields where peas have not been grown previously. The impact of disease severity on yield will depend on how early the disease sets in and how quickly it progresses into the upper crop canopy. Early infections during the bloom to early/mid-pod stages cause the most damage if left untreated. Use this fungicide decision worksheet when scouting to

Manitoba pork, canola producers hold steady amid heavy tariffs

A slab of back bacon from Natural Raised Pork comes with a waitlist. Ian Smith points to tariffs. Since the United States placed levies on imports from Canada, Manitobans have increasingly been calling Smith about his farm near Argyle, some 40 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg. “There’s more people wanting to support local and I’m one of few people that do what I’m doing,” said Smith, 62. He estimates 90 per cent of his pork products are bought by Manitoba households; the latter goes to a packing plant. Last year, it was a 50-50 split. Smith works alone, hustling to meet the four-to-six week waitlist that’s accumulated. He keeps hundreds of feeder pigs and a couple dozen sows; it’s a relatively small operation, he noted. “If there’s any mistakes to be made, there’s only one person to blame and that’s me,” he said with a laugh. Smith doesn’t export to China — so he’s shielded from that nation’s levies still hanging over the Canadian industry.

KAP Welcomes Appointment of New U.S. Trade Representative

Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) welcomes the appointment of Richard Madan as Manitoba’s new trade representative to the United States. “We commend Premier Kinew and Minister Moses for making Manitoba’s voice a priority in Washington, D.C.,” said KAP President Jill Verwey. “We look forward to working with Mr. Madan to advance the interests of Manitoba farmers and the agricultural industry, ensuring these interests are at the forefront of his work as he forges stronger relationships with American policymakers and trade officials.” Agriculture is an important part of Manitoba’s economy, with $4.29 billion in agri-food exports to the U.S. alone in 2024, and KAP sees the new presence in Washington as instrumental in fostering strategic relationships with key states that are important to our trade interests. “The U.S. is Manitoba’s largest agri-food export destination and is one of Manitoba’s key trading partners on the international stage,” added KAP General Manager Colin Hornby. “

2025 Annual General Meeting

On Wednesday, June 18th, the Ontario Farmland Trust hosted its Annual General Meeting. The meeting was held hybrid again this year, with members and friends joining both virtually and in person.

More…

Badges | Report an Issue | Terms of Service