Construction Update

I've been working on the farmhouse - Placing rigid insulation, then covered with stucco, around the exposed foundation

putting in several new windows. My dad has been helping me all the way through this build.

 

followed by trim around the windows, then siding. 

the guinea fowl like to climb up on the buildings

Farm Politics

There are a lot of things that are "broken" that I'd argue are working as designed.  The economics of agriculture are in that category.

The above quote is a screen shot from a pdf titled "Parity and Farm Justice: Recipe for a Resilient Food System"

Parity is the idea of a "fair price" for farm commodities.  The "market" isn't able to pay anything near the cost of production for many commodities.  The large players have destroyed what worked in the early days of the Farm Bill and replaced it with something that preserves their access to a seemingly endless supply of cheap inputs.

It doesn’t have to be this way. We can make parity a household word. It’s as simple as believing in a living wage for farm workers, and a just food system.

 Even the "winners", at this moment organic grain/meat producers (though not dairy), are forced to play by these rules and will eventually be incorporated into the larger system.

The subsidies in place now are solely for crop insurance. So a failed crop ensures payment to the providers of inputs without putting anything in the pocket of the farmer.

It's a big subject. I'd encourage the few people who read this blog to continue to ask questions.

Armyworms

I have them in about 1/4 of my corn, almost exclusively in areas that had heavy foxtail pressure earlier in the year. This makes sense as the armyworms like to eat/lay in foxtail and other grasses. Unfortunately corn is a grass.

Armyworms have earned their name for their tendency, at high populations, to ‘march’ across a field, consuming whatever vegetation is in their path. Two species of armyworm, true armyworms and fall armyworms, may affect crops in the Upper Midwest, predominantly in the grass family (corn, wheat, other small grains) and in fall grassy cover crops.
Early summer crop damage is caused by the true armyworm. True armyworm larva can cause damage in the early summer to corn, wheat, barley, oats, and occasionally to soybeans and sunflowers. The adults begin arriving in the upper Midwest in April or early May, with peak moth flights later in May or early June. These dates vary from year to year, based on weather conditions.

The advice I've got says that trying to spray an organic "insecticide" isn't worth it. So I'll take the hit to my yield.

The link from Albert Lea Seeds has plenty of more info on them.

Cultivating Corn, Central Ohio. 1938.

(Source)

Corn is Chest High

It looks good, especially considering all the things I've done for the first time. There's nothing more to be done in the field until harvest time at the end of October.

(Click on any picture to make it bigger.)

There is a lot of compaction at the entrances to the fields, where very few corn plants grew.

'

The corn appears to be healthy and growing well. 

In the rows, missed by the rotary hoe and where I couldn't throw enough dirt with the row cultivator, there are some weeds. I expect that the shade from the growing corn will crowd out/kill most of these weeds. At this point there's no way for me to get rid of them.

As I said in the previous post, 10 to 13 acres, out of the 61 I have planted to corn here, have heavy foxtail pressure and will have this kind of weed pressure. The remaining ground is relatively weed free. Aside from not killing weeds so they don't return next year, I might suffer a yield "drag" as the weeds take nutrients from the corn, limiting my yield at harvest time.

Cultivation with Rotary Hoe and Row Cultivator

It's done. I went over the 61 acres twice with the rotary hoe and twice with the row cultivator. I also went over the areas that have heavy foxtail, approximately 15 acres, another two times with the row cultivator. A lot of time on a tractor that doesn't have a cab. I'll also point out that you need keep the tractor tires in between the rows of corn; there's about 4" of clearance on each side of the wider rear tires and the corn.

Here's a pic of me after a day of cultivation.

(Click on any picture to make it bigger.)

The row cultivator behind the Deere 4020, taken about June 23rd. This is after the first pass with the cultivator.

The photos below were taken about a week later, after we'd received 1+" of rain and had temps in the 80's. The foxtail is very thick in about 15 acres. All in areas that are wetter than normal due to the drainage/topography of the land. I've been thinking about how to better control the foxtail. There isn't anything else I could do, mechanically. The corn will be ok, as it can outgrow the foxtail. In following years other crops won't be able to do that.

 Most of the above pic shows how thick the foxtail gets. A little on the left rows shows what it looks like after my first pass through with the row cultivator.

 The first pass with the cultivator really didn't bury much.

 After the second pass through with the row cultivator most of the foxtail is gone, excepting in the row. There was so much residue from the foxtail I took out with the cultivator, the dirt wouldn't "flow" as it should and the cultivator would plug up fairly often. I'd get off the tractor and pull the big piles apart by hand, and then continue.

I'd say about 80% of the land is free of weeds. Foxtail, as well as canadian thistle, are the main culprits.

Today the corn is about chest high and is looking good. More on that in the next post.

Repairs to the Case 475 Disc Harrow

Five scraper arms were missing. The used parts place didn't carry them and the local Case dealer wanted to charge me $112 (!) each.

(Click on any picture to make it bigger.)

 The scraper arm is the red piece on the welding table. It's stamped from 1/4" plate and has a few angles and holes in it. My replacement parts are made from 1/4" steel strap and plate pieces that are welded together.

The discs cut through old plants and bury them in the dirt. While doing this dirt is often stuck to the concave side of the disc itself, and if there isn't a scraper, causing it to plug.

As well as the scrapers there are a couple of new hydraulic hoses, four new tires, and assorted other things to fix on the disc.