We grow Meadow Foxtail for seed. We had a bit of a crop failure this year as one of the strips of cardboard we used to block of air to the combine fan came off and a lot of the light fluffy seed went out the back of the combine. Pretty stupid mistake as the stuff is worth like $4/lb.
I think we have the last remaining field in the USA.
The OSU fact sheet kind of puts it down as a good quality forage crop but I disagree. It does very well in wet fields and it ripens sooner than any other grass. I've seen a lot of hay labeled "German Timothy" that was actually Meadow Foxtail.
If you have a little irrigation you can get your first cutting at the end of May, hit it with a little water and in July get a beautiful field of hay that is mostly green leaves. The horse ladies go nuts over this sort of hay.
I should arm myself with good propaganda on the subject and start frequenting horse forums promoting the crop. I wonder if I could get an article in a hay magazine. I could just make a bunch of crap up and if I wrote a good cover letter I could probably get it published.
I should start talking about how good it is on NAT.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Saturday, July 30, 2011
I overslept and this will be a short post but you can still buy Bit-O-Honey candy bars
It is not like I just woke up. I stared at the ceiling in kind of a daze for something like two hours...thinking about what it would like to be a real farmer and not have every single crop be almost a failure. Not quite a failure... Look up previous post on my "sideways" luck.
I suppose it all came from my talk with MuddyV about the big fire at the local CIA airlines and how most people who make it big do it by business practices that we find offensive, (until we start doing it and then it is pulling oneself up by their own bootstraps)
I reviewed several people I know and decided Muddy was correct. The one fellow who showed up a the shop yesterday got the old folks in awe. He has 30 balers running all over the country. The guy did it by being a modern businessman. He undercut everyone in the straw business by offering the farmer high stumpage fees for the straw. He didn't actually pay those fees but did so selectively. Very clever. But, it put those who were honest or those who refused the risk out of business and stuck us bottom feeders paying money for something we used to get for free.
Completely ruined a really good thing and for what? He drives a really nice pickup and has a new house and plays in a rock and roll band and thinks he is a neat guy. You can't complain or you are just jealous because you are not a good businessman. Plus, he is the nicest guy you would ever want to meet.
Whatever...no longer care...
I have to go rake alfalfa.
Anonymous found me a Freeman 270 in Bend but it sold...
I do not want to bale at night.
You can still buy "Bit-O-Honey" candy bars.
You can get them from Amazon.com. If you want to buy some then type "Bit-O-Honey" in the Amazon search box on this blog. This will give me a kick back. But only if you buy it when you do the search. If you come back later I get nothing...
I suppose it all came from my talk with MuddyV about the big fire at the local CIA airlines and how most people who make it big do it by business practices that we find offensive, (until we start doing it and then it is pulling oneself up by their own bootstraps)
I reviewed several people I know and decided Muddy was correct. The one fellow who showed up a the shop yesterday got the old folks in awe. He has 30 balers running all over the country. The guy did it by being a modern businessman. He undercut everyone in the straw business by offering the farmer high stumpage fees for the straw. He didn't actually pay those fees but did so selectively. Very clever. But, it put those who were honest or those who refused the risk out of business and stuck us bottom feeders paying money for something we used to get for free.
Completely ruined a really good thing and for what? He drives a really nice pickup and has a new house and plays in a rock and roll band and thinks he is a neat guy. You can't complain or you are just jealous because you are not a good businessman. Plus, he is the nicest guy you would ever want to meet.
Whatever...no longer care...
I have to go rake alfalfa.
Anonymous found me a Freeman 270 in Bend but it sold...
I do not want to bale at night.
You can still buy "Bit-O-Honey" candy bars.
 |
| Click on the candy bar to go to the website from which I stole the picture. (I hope that is not a copyright violation, it takes you to the article by the guy who took the photo.) |
You can get them from Amazon.com. If you want to buy some then type "Bit-O-Honey" in the Amazon search box on this blog. This will give me a kick back. But only if you buy it when you do the search. If you come back later I get nothing...
Friday, July 29, 2011
A shadow of my farmer self...
I've been working ground off and on for the last couple days. It is not as much fun as it used to be. Working dirt is kind of like playing with Tonka Trucks or toy tractors on a much larger scale.
Knowing that you are using 8 gallons an hour of $3.87 diesel kind of kills the joy...
Frankly, I think the economic problems are due to the price of fuel and that any economic renewal plan should take that into consideration.
On two fronts: 1. The price is too high. 2. We need an alternative to fossil fuel from the crazy people.
But, that was not what I wanted to talk about, in fact I have no idea what I started this post about.
I was listening to them talk about the economy on the radio and it is depressing. Not a single fellow involved has worked a day in his life. The females are all shrill and seemed to have all grown up on affirmative action or being told they were much smarter than they really are. Oh, same thing... (No offense to those who had to work twice as hard as their coworkers to get ahead)
I think Our Dear Leader should make a speech calling for a balanced economy. One based on agriculture, industry, and some other important category. Stress self reliance and "sustainability," and call for everyone to pull together. Then fire his jobs czar who is moving the 110 year old GE x-ray plant to China and tell everyone to buy local.
The whining and crying would be incredible. (I think the term is wailing and knashing of teeth)
But, people would start spending money.
So what if the big businesses fail, they are outsourcing everything overseas anyway.
Of course we all know "They" don't think that way and are so "owned" by "those" who got them in power it couldn't be done.
Second major thought, what is the amazing kool-aid they give you at the university that causes everyone who attends to define themselves by the their first marxist professor or Cliff's notes edition of "Catcher in the Rye." Good grief I listened to Bob Dylan and read that book about Monkey Wrenching, and the other one about how to be a revolutionary and I moved on.
Of course I also read James Joyce and look what stream of consciousness has done for me.
ADDHD
The sky is blue...
Oh no! I'm turning into a giant bug....
No, that was Kafka. I like Kafka, feels like my life...
Speaking of the absurd-I just noticed my daughter is dressing like her Wii avatar. I'm going to have to ask her about his. Short pants, t-shirt, stocking hat. I think it is even the same color. What goes on in their heads? What does she think? How does she interpret the world? I can talk to her and never know her but I see the wheels turning, the computer in her head. I just don't know... Banjo music, that is the key. Banjo and the Ledge. She is learning to play guitar... I tried to get her to sing "standing in the trash can thinking of you," and she told me to "go away..."
Here is a photo of her Wii avatar driving the M670 tedding hay. No, wait, it really is her.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Lunch on the farm
I remember the farm lunches from the old days.
We didn't call them lunch, we called them dinner. The evening meal was called supper.
When I was a wee lad Grandma would cook dinner on the farm. There was always potatoes and gravy. The grown ups ate at the house. I only remember being there once.
The younger workers ate at a picnic table in the back yard. This was more fun as Skipper, (the resident black lab) would eat anything as long as it smelled like tuna fish. So it was quite entertaining to see my cousin feed banana peels to the dog and see the dog wolf them down in one bite.
After we moved to the farm Mom always made big dinners at 12 noon. You dropped everything and came to dinner. It was quite important not to be late as Dad ate at noon.
When we were working off the farm Mom packed huge lunches. They always had cut up apples or oranges and a sandwich. And we always got a big thermos full of ice water.
I don't have lunches like that anymore.
That is partly because I keep loosing the lunch cooler and the thermos. I never seem to do the same thing all day and I change vehicles and locations and there is always a crisis.
I will tell you the one thing I have learned is to always take your lunch, a water bottle, and a heavy shirt with you where ever you go. There is absolutely no promise you will make it back to the pickup before you die of thirst or freeze or starve.
I took for for Gopher Valley last week with no lunch. I was in a hurry.
I did find a Snickers bar and I had coffee that my wife insisted I take. I found the snickers bar in the toolbox of the M670 super. It was left over from when I planted corn. It was not in the best condition. It also was partly melted.
But, I was hungry...
Snickers have peanuts which are a source of protein.
I would sure love to have one of those roast beef dinners, with mashed potatoes and gravy, and beans cooked to death with a little chunk of ham or bacon with them. And I would really love to have some wilted lettuce, but suggesting that is like asking for a meth sandwich...
I'm having berry pie and coffee for breakfast right now. I suppose that is not USDA recommended...
We didn't call them lunch, we called them dinner. The evening meal was called supper.
When I was a wee lad Grandma would cook dinner on the farm. There was always potatoes and gravy. The grown ups ate at the house. I only remember being there once.
The younger workers ate at a picnic table in the back yard. This was more fun as Skipper, (the resident black lab) would eat anything as long as it smelled like tuna fish. So it was quite entertaining to see my cousin feed banana peels to the dog and see the dog wolf them down in one bite.
After we moved to the farm Mom always made big dinners at 12 noon. You dropped everything and came to dinner. It was quite important not to be late as Dad ate at noon.
When we were working off the farm Mom packed huge lunches. They always had cut up apples or oranges and a sandwich. And we always got a big thermos full of ice water.
I don't have lunches like that anymore.
That is partly because I keep loosing the lunch cooler and the thermos. I never seem to do the same thing all day and I change vehicles and locations and there is always a crisis.
I will tell you the one thing I have learned is to always take your lunch, a water bottle, and a heavy shirt with you where ever you go. There is absolutely no promise you will make it back to the pickup before you die of thirst or freeze or starve.
I took for for Gopher Valley last week with no lunch. I was in a hurry.
I did find a Snickers bar and I had coffee that my wife insisted I take. I found the snickers bar in the toolbox of the M670 super. It was left over from when I planted corn. It was not in the best condition. It also was partly melted.
But, I was hungry...
Snickers have peanuts which are a source of protein.
I would sure love to have one of those roast beef dinners, with mashed potatoes and gravy, and beans cooked to death with a little chunk of ham or bacon with them. And I would really love to have some wilted lettuce, but suggesting that is like asking for a meth sandwich...
I'm having berry pie and coffee for breakfast right now. I suppose that is not USDA recommended...
Monday, July 25, 2011
Why I disbelieve in science in general and 1970's social science in particular.
I grew up in the 1970's and there were certain types of people I instantly distrusted and disliked. Even at age 10. It is quite depressing to see those people running the country.
It seems to me that those who supposedly know better than you or I and who have access to the media or universities or government can make up inane theories and waste lots of money and ruin people's lives and be proclaimed hero's. It happens in diplomacy, in natural resources, in science, and in education.
I found this horrible example of stupidity in science and which is also an perfect example of 1970's sentiments. I'm not sure where. I think I was looking at the website of an offensive talk show host.
So they take a baby chimp away from his mother and raise him as an undisciplined human child of the 1970's and then when he turns violent and undisciplined later in life they take this as an example of "unhuman" behavior and sell him for medical research.
And this is a microcosm of post 1970's thought.
Sort of like raising your human child with no restraints and then letting him rot in jail or a mental hospital when things go bad.
Look at the comments following the article. No one gets it!
Things they could have learned:
Chimps can and will communicate sign language. In fact this chimp communicated with sigh language throughout his life and seemed to be able to express emotions outside of a simple reward/gratification kind of cause effect relationship. (As in a dog doing a trick for a treat)
If you raise any animal with no discipline they do not learn to control themselves and they have screwed up adult lives.
We have a moral responsibility to those whose lives we take control of.
What they did learn:
Nothing... In fact they decided that (wonder of wonders!) chimps are not human. And they blamed the chimp for acts that were the result of their stupidity and which showed the chimp's intelligence and social instincts.
It was immoral and I am really kind horrified. These people still do this sort of thing. They do it in third world countries, they do it to racial minorities, they do it to our allies, they did it to Mubarrak, they do it to us, their arrogance is without bounds.
It seems to me that those who supposedly know better than you or I and who have access to the media or universities or government can make up inane theories and waste lots of money and ruin people's lives and be proclaimed hero's. It happens in diplomacy, in natural resources, in science, and in education.
I found this horrible example of stupidity in science and which is also an perfect example of 1970's sentiments. I'm not sure where. I think I was looking at the website of an offensive talk show host.
So they take a baby chimp away from his mother and raise him as an undisciplined human child of the 1970's and then when he turns violent and undisciplined later in life they take this as an example of "unhuman" behavior and sell him for medical research.
And this is a microcosm of post 1970's thought.
Sort of like raising your human child with no restraints and then letting him rot in jail or a mental hospital when things go bad.
Look at the comments following the article. No one gets it!
Things they could have learned:
Chimps can and will communicate sign language. In fact this chimp communicated with sigh language throughout his life and seemed to be able to express emotions outside of a simple reward/gratification kind of cause effect relationship. (As in a dog doing a trick for a treat)
If you raise any animal with no discipline they do not learn to control themselves and they have screwed up adult lives.
We have a moral responsibility to those whose lives we take control of.
What they did learn:
Nothing... In fact they decided that (wonder of wonders!) chimps are not human. And they blamed the chimp for acts that were the result of their stupidity and which showed the chimp's intelligence and social instincts.
It was immoral and I am really kind horrified. These people still do this sort of thing. They do it in third world countries, they do it to racial minorities, they do it to our allies, they did it to Mubarrak, they do it to us, their arrogance is without bounds.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Almost done with hay, movies on Sunday, the sky is blue...
I think I will show movies on Sunday night. Hope it is not too late for everyone to change their last minute plan tickets.
We are on the last field of grass hay. We are actually doing a hay field for a couple nice ladies and the only reason I'm doing that one is that they agreed to pay the outrageous price I quoted them. After bouncing around the field I think I didn't charge enough...
I have had a farm at Gopher Valley for something like 20 years. For the last five years I've been threatening to quit. But, the old folks that talked me into making hay for them 20 years ago, beg me to continue. I like older folks and so I agree to do it just one more year.
The problem with older folks is that they die or lose brain function and then the younger folks take over. The young folks think that the pathetic rent you pay is ripping off the old folks and that you are making a fortune off them. That is because the young folks think they are entitled to all the old folk's money so that THEY can spend it.
I lost one farm last year and I see the grandkids are now making lots of over-ripe hay. They have all new small equipment. Small tractors with cabs and a/c. A new baler, a new little disk mower, and a new tedder. They are going really fast on the smooth fields. They have not said thanks but they did wave when they went by.
When I got that farm from Mr. Allen, who pretty much talked me into doing it, and who promised me I could have it forever, it was a mess of weeds and rough ground. But, that was a long time ago. If I would have bought a house instead, I would now have something worth money, but that is water under the bridge...
I just had a talk with my other landlady. She must have had a small stroke. She repeats herself. Last year she forgot she told me I didn't need to pay rent as I worked her fields and they got rained out before I could plant. So I gave her $1,000 and told her I forgot and I apologized. What is the point in arguing.
That all happened about the time her step-son-in-law moved in with her. He lost his job and her family hated to see her live alone.
That all sounds good, but he is a very strange guy. I kind of think he hides from me... I always look for people around the house and then stop if I see them, or at least wave. I saw him in his garden but he would never look up. I was in a hurry and didn't stop and press the issue. I should have.
Yesterday, all the doors in the garage were open and the gate to the road was open. As soon as I started raking all the doors were closed. But, when I started stacking I saw the land lady emerge. I stopped and talked to her. No step-son appeared.
The neighbor's think he is tweaking and cooking in the garage, but, of course, they will not stop in and see her as the gate is closed.
I suggested to her that he expand his garden and mentioned the good soil next to the creek. She said she thought he needed a tractor. He also needs a truck for his plumbing business which he doesn't actually do. I assume he already has the pants for it...
The other day I took my daughter to work with me and she ran the tedder.
Here is a phone video of the event.
In other news... I was accused of spilling hydraulic oil on Gopher Valley road, but I didn't. Someone else did the dirty deed.
I also think I sold most of my rained on hay for below the cost of my production but that means it will be gone, lots of things when wrong. One truckload already is on its way to California. Also a fellow drove his log truck into the creek which is kind of entertaining, in a depressing sort of way. As in, if you are BP you can poison the Gulf of Mexico and ruin the Florida shrimp industry and get away with it but heaven forbid you drive your log truck in the ditch or loose a bucket of hydraulic oil.
I also have a link to an article which tells you what to do if you find Fender's blue butterfly in your field at Gopher Valley but I lost the link. I'll tell you what you do, which is not what the article says to do. You post No Trespassing signs, you pretend not to know what Lupines look like, and you swear ignorance if someone from the nature conservatory rats you out. Because..., the farming practices you are doing are what promotes the Lupines and the Butterfly and they assume the butterfly is there by chance and survives in your field despite your farming practices. I've seen some unofficial tests and the butterfly does better where the hay is cut. This does not fit the party line however so it is not true...
But, now I need to go to work.
We are on the last field of grass hay. We are actually doing a hay field for a couple nice ladies and the only reason I'm doing that one is that they agreed to pay the outrageous price I quoted them. After bouncing around the field I think I didn't charge enough...
I have had a farm at Gopher Valley for something like 20 years. For the last five years I've been threatening to quit. But, the old folks that talked me into making hay for them 20 years ago, beg me to continue. I like older folks and so I agree to do it just one more year.
The problem with older folks is that they die or lose brain function and then the younger folks take over. The young folks think that the pathetic rent you pay is ripping off the old folks and that you are making a fortune off them. That is because the young folks think they are entitled to all the old folk's money so that THEY can spend it.
I lost one farm last year and I see the grandkids are now making lots of over-ripe hay. They have all new small equipment. Small tractors with cabs and a/c. A new baler, a new little disk mower, and a new tedder. They are going really fast on the smooth fields. They have not said thanks but they did wave when they went by.
When I got that farm from Mr. Allen, who pretty much talked me into doing it, and who promised me I could have it forever, it was a mess of weeds and rough ground. But, that was a long time ago. If I would have bought a house instead, I would now have something worth money, but that is water under the bridge...
I just had a talk with my other landlady. She must have had a small stroke. She repeats herself. Last year she forgot she told me I didn't need to pay rent as I worked her fields and they got rained out before I could plant. So I gave her $1,000 and told her I forgot and I apologized. What is the point in arguing.
That all happened about the time her step-son-in-law moved in with her. He lost his job and her family hated to see her live alone.
That all sounds good, but he is a very strange guy. I kind of think he hides from me... I always look for people around the house and then stop if I see them, or at least wave. I saw him in his garden but he would never look up. I was in a hurry and didn't stop and press the issue. I should have.
Yesterday, all the doors in the garage were open and the gate to the road was open. As soon as I started raking all the doors were closed. But, when I started stacking I saw the land lady emerge. I stopped and talked to her. No step-son appeared.
The neighbor's think he is tweaking and cooking in the garage, but, of course, they will not stop in and see her as the gate is closed.
I suggested to her that he expand his garden and mentioned the good soil next to the creek. She said she thought he needed a tractor. He also needs a truck for his plumbing business which he doesn't actually do. I assume he already has the pants for it...
The other day I took my daughter to work with me and she ran the tedder.
Here is a phone video of the event.
In other news... I was accused of spilling hydraulic oil on Gopher Valley road, but I didn't. Someone else did the dirty deed.
I also think I sold most of my rained on hay for below the cost of my production but that means it will be gone, lots of things when wrong. One truckload already is on its way to California. Also a fellow drove his log truck into the creek which is kind of entertaining, in a depressing sort of way. As in, if you are BP you can poison the Gulf of Mexico and ruin the Florida shrimp industry and get away with it but heaven forbid you drive your log truck in the ditch or loose a bucket of hydraulic oil.
I also have a link to an article which tells you what to do if you find Fender's blue butterfly in your field at Gopher Valley but I lost the link. I'll tell you what you do, which is not what the article says to do. You post No Trespassing signs, you pretend not to know what Lupines look like, and you swear ignorance if someone from the nature conservatory rats you out. Because..., the farming practices you are doing are what promotes the Lupines and the Butterfly and they assume the butterfly is there by chance and survives in your field despite your farming practices. I've seen some unofficial tests and the butterfly does better where the hay is cut. This does not fit the party line however so it is not true...
But, now I need to go to work.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Potential Movie Night at the Great White Barn
I am considering watching movies on the barn Saturday night. We do have church in the morning. I could do it Sunday night. I forgot to invite anyone.
Update: I doubt it will happen...
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