I suppose today will be a silage chopping day. A one truck silage chopping day and I really hate to sit in the tractor and wait for trucks. I grease everything on the chopper and tractor. I oil the chains. I sharpen the knives. Finally I run out of grease and have to wait in the tractor. for the truck to come back. Perhaps I will take a book.
I used to keep old copies of "The New Farm" magazine to read in the cab. Perhaps I can find a copy of "Farm Show," and learn how to turn an old White combine into a snow blower.
Here is a horrible quality video of me grinding feed. It is amazing how much you can grind in an hour if you actually get the belt really tight and straight.
We need to plant corn but the ground is still too wet. I got out the "Glenco" which is just a 14 ft wide spring shank cultivator. I think I will cultivate the ground two directions and work the preplant fertilizer on. If I can get the clods rolled down for a smooth and firm seed bed the no-till planter will work up the ground pretty well.
It is kind of funny to note that on a year when we are totally broke, living 30 days at a time, I am opting for more conventional tillage than no-till. I notice this with my planting for other people. When money is tight they don't experiment with no-till. They work the ground.
One of my no-till corn customers called me to say the corn is all up and while it looks a little yellow. The spacing is good and the corn came up pretty even. He is quite happy with the planter and the planting job. He didn't say anything about the crooked rows.
PS: Check out The Contrary Farmer, Gene has a field guide to farmers. I should come up with a west coast version. It is pretty funny.
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To sit and wait when weather is fair, machinery in order and working well has to be the worst. And you can't even draw pay for leaning on a shovel.
ReplyDeleteI take it you don't have a kite?
ReplyDeleteWax the tractor. Make mud pies. Clean your fingernails. Pick your nose. The list goes on. You should never be bored.
Or you could take notes for your next blog post.
Just trying to help.
Sitting and waiting can drive you crazy (well me anyway) and I've done way too much of that this spring. Currently looking at radar maps, watching weather channel, looking out window at mist/drizzle wondering if I should head out to plant. Not crazy yet but getting there. Good to see the old hammer mill working Budde. You are much more efficient than me. I feed mine by hand with a 20litre (5 gallon) pail.
ReplyDeleteCollieguy, it was not so bad. I took a nap. Read the Capital Press.
ReplyDeleteBobby, the kite would have been a good idea. I tried picking my nose but you really can't do that for a half hour.
Ralph, Sometimes I load the mill with a shovel. I finally had room to get some production going. I did two and a half tonnes in an afternoon. Not that much production...