Were theres mud theres money

[malleefarmer]

Im not complety converse with all canadain farming practices and your problems.

But been to canada twice nth battleford, cochin, lyldminister,alcurve, onion lake,100 mile house,dawsons creek and regina all the time on ranches or grain farms 5 weeks each time so i know a little.

All id say is i would take the mud over dust anyday.

ps may have a wedding over there in 2011 or 2012 any of you guys want a bum like me to visit?

[malleefarmer]

and strasbourg...spelling might be wrong there and was it loon lake???

Visited when i was 21 then again when around 30. ps im 44 now

Probably ahving a beer in a bar with some of you guys and i didnt know it.

[tipsy]

Mallee I understand everyone feels different about different circumstances/issues,but, I doubt for anyone to say they prefer mud over dry ground, I really don't think they have experience much if any mud. Mud is difficult if not impossible to work. Mud is dangerous to work,your using chains,cables,tow ropes which break. Sometimes you are pulling stuck equipment by yourself (not recommended). Mud is very hard on equipment, drive line, clutch, etc.etc.. I'll take dust to mud anytime at least you can work around yard go fishing golfing camping,yep, dust is just plainly all around more enjoyable.
If it should work that you make your to Saskatchewan and the north east part we would be more than glad to host you and show you our part of the world. Btw what we consider n.e.Sasatchewan is not really n.e.Sask., it's just the n.e. part of the farm belt or farm area.

[BreadWinner]

I like the saying "seed into dust and the bins will bust" my grandfather used it all the time. I think the saying for a wet spring was something like "fu*&*^% wet ^%$^%$*&^ not geting anthing done"

[bucket]

The reason that makes sense is because the seed is in the ground.

When its dusty and you are seeding at least you are waiting for a rain, when its wet and you can't seed you are waiting for a drought.

[checking]

People left the prairies in droves in the thirties over what? It wasn't rain that chased them out.

Talk to any livestock producer over what they would choose.

Hands down, I'd take a high water table.

[wade]

Isn't it like argueing which is the worst disaster? My vote goes to the disaster I'm living is the worst!

[bucket]

People left because they had adapted the worst farming/mining practices in the history of the prairies. The result can still be seen today. If farmers were still half and half with summerfallow not chemfallow the washouts in the fields today would split quarters up like pies.

[fjlip]

"Seed in the MUD, your crops a DUD". that would be the majority of prairies. I'd rather wait for, pray for rain. It just seems wrong to curse water that is so necessary, but in excess so costly also. Our best years were always on the dry side with timely rain.

[bucket]

The other reason seeding into dust and your bins bust is the fact you get 160 acres on a quarter and a good chance the best land (low spots) actually produce.

I am not seeding my best land - its under water.

[freewheat]

Yeah lots of money. Leaching nutrients, denitrification, broken machinery, chains, dying soil, dying earthworms. No crop seeded means 0 money, but all these above losses, plus erosion costs, extra tillage costs, weed costs, etc. I always notice the guys who think we're nuts complaining about the wet conditions, are from arid areas, and have no clue. It is way easier to imagine drought, and what it does, than to imagine it too wet, when all you do is pray for rain year to year.

On a drought, if you don't seed, you do not lose nutrients, you do not break machinery, and you do not have to till and fill in erosion channels. Weeds are no issue to get rid of, etc.

Just some perspective for true drylanders who beg for rain year to year.

Water is poison if taken in excess. FJLIP, I love that phrase!

To much of anything is a poisonous situation, yes even water.

[TOM4CWB]

Where is 'global warming' when you need it?

If it was 25C every day... instead of 10-15C things would firm up quick and plants and evaporation would take care of the extra H20. WE need more heat!

[checking]

As SF3 will tell you, that's the trouble with a drought. Most will seed on the prayer that it will rain. Excess rain that keeps coming takes the cost decisions out of your hands. I'd call that a case of where your first loss is the smallest.

I had relatives that pulled up stakes to move to BC in 1937 just before the weather change arrived. The wives said they could have stood it, except for the fact that they didn't even have water to make a garden. The first letter back from BC comments on how there actually was a colour called green.

Think about that, and count your blessings.

[bucket]

Checking

How were people farming in those days. Were they taking care of the soil or mining it.

Maybe they left because of their farming practices. The last few years have proven we are farming better and conserving water in the soil instead of drying it out with a plow.

[cottonpicken]

Who says the worlds short on empathy?

I'm with wade