Next problem! Desiccating!

[furrowtickler]

A couple very good post there ado, well done. Jen, relax, zero till has it's place but not compareable to grass land. Conventioal till feilds around here are impasable b/c the water just can't be absorbed through the hard pan - that should be the comparison.
Keep those cows happy on that grass, we need some farmers doing well or this forum would self implode.

[ado089]

Jensend,
I agree with you that there is alot whinning on the grain farmers part and I also do beleive like mentioned before that there should be no special treatment in the form of extra payments. Grass is good,so are cattle, I ate one for lunch. What I took exception to was blaming wet fields on min-til, that's like saying you have shitty hay this year because you're using the wrong twine on your bales. There's alot of hay that wasn't cut, more that's still not baled and even more bales that are going to sit in the field until freeze up because it's too wet to get in the field. There are other problems such as foot rot and bugs that come in wet years that drop productivity. 40 incehs of rain is not good for anyone. One last point is that cow land is usualy cow land for a reason, light soil, hills, poor sub-soil, ect. Some will drain better than others and there are low grass acres that are under three feet of water this year. I realy hope that we don't turn the clock back 25years on soil management because of one wet year.

[Choice2U]

One of the major differences between zero till and cultivation is under zero-till the root system of that year's crop degrades over the winter leaving tiny little "tubes" where water can percolate down as opposed to the compaction that occurs under the shovel which inhibits moisture infiltration. Grasses also die and leave these tubes which zero till mimics so there are similarities. Grasses have the added benefit of diversity versus monoculture and 6 months versus 4 months of growth unless the farmer is letting weeds grow before seeding and after harvest. In extreme situations such as this year, zero till advantages that show up 99/100 years can actually become a disadvantage. I'm sticking with the benefits of zero till over the long haul.

[SASKFARMER3]

Jensend are you the Alberta cowboy from Cupar. Yes the Avonlee golf coarse got money this year yes the city residents flooded got money this year it goes on and on and on. So saying the cowboys didn't get any is BS. All our neighbors got most of their hay up really good crop. Hm why not you. Your out to lunch on your information. Have land this year that I bought that was recreational tillage since 1924. That's the year it was broke. Guess what barely got it swath ruts 6 inches deep all around the field. Yea its a gem.

[jensend]

yeah sf3. i'm from alberta. now who are you? or are you going to hide? our hay is done custom so only a quarter of it got done. we'll still make use of the land but it will be reduced. btw don't you think my grass on the highly assessed land looks better than the crops next door?

[SASKFARMER3]

Yea saw your grass looks awesome, Family member right down road on higher assessed land looks awesome. But wait two years ago when it never rained grass looked sick crop yielded in 60s. This year is extreme that's all I am saying. have a good one. And on the cattle and BSE your experts sold you cattle men out. THats the truth and it hurts.

[jensend]

when it gets dry rotational grazing does for forages what zerotill does for crops. better water use efficiency. if you want to graze lazy you never have a root system so of course dry hurts. and yeah we got sold out by the govt and big interests with bse but the govt will sell you out too. cargill will do the same to crops as they've done to cattle. never ever believe the americans are your friends or that the big guys know how to keep the industry healthy.

[SASKFARMER3]

You hit the nail on the head and that's why I always say when farmers have Cash the grain companies worry. They try to keep farmers poor so they are in control. Most farmers don't get that concept. Cattlemen learnt it with packers and who owns them.