Cold soaker...cold comfort

[farmaholic]

I do think all the excess trash left on top is harbouring disease pathogens and also creating an environment for disease. What is the answer? I don't know. Our land is variable and some places within the same field don't need alot of trash management and others are brutal. We heavy harrow alot but that really one spreads and breaks it up and still leaves it on top anyway. Do I want to go back to tillage? Not on your life. A schlerotinia infected canola field that is zero tilled will probably add sclerotia bodies to the soil until all the residue is gone, extending re-infection periods. Continuous cropping and zero tilling is a good way to farm but it created a new set of problems when it(zero till)was first developed and adopted to "preserve" moisture. What happens when we are now dealing with excess moisture? The system wasn't designed for that. Enter high clearance sprayer and much larger chemical bills....! Our durum looks like it never got sprayed. Half rate Bumper post emergent, should of had something at flag leaf, then folicur(should have been caramba or prosaro or ?). But you know I don't think it would have mattered, the conditions were just too damp too long. The narrow window for fusarium "SUPPRESSION" couldn't overcome the environmental pressure.

[fjlip]

Nearing end of journey and the ride is getting rougher and many times the stress. Like hell the next gen should be victimized by the system that never changes. I think "farmers"(no longer what the word meant), that make any money in 20 years will be darn few and huge, diversified businesses. So borrow a few more million, swallow all your "neighbor competitors", who ever has a dream of beating the billionaires at the game they write the rules for. Good luck living in an empty land. I'll watch in retirement.

[farmaholic]

Well said fjlip. Be careful, he's packing heat.... AND practices.

[Braveheart]

When it's wet it's just wet. We have neighbours that till. This spring their machinery had to swim for it. We worked corner to corner

We have been really wet too. But our fields do wick moisture away from the surface faster and don't pond.

The important thing is if it's too wet stay away. It costs too much to muck it in. Usually lower yield then too. Both add to the cost per bushel.

Patience.

[Braveheart]

Haha. What I need more than practice are new eyes.

Quigley's gun? No, I want his eyes.

[Braveheart]

It is what you make it. Farmers have been buying the neighbours since the sod was turned. That won't change.

If this business was easy, everyone would do it. Try something else. Own a restaurant, trucking co., parts store, whatever. Labour issues, unreliable suppliers, product shortage, excessive regulations, you name it. Business of any kind is tough.

If you ask most people, they'd probably say they'd like to have a farm.

Say what?

[farmaholic]

Grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, till you get there and find it's harder to mow...

Maybe farming should have been like conscription, sometimes feels like a "service" for your country anyway, it's risky if you're called to active duty and it would give you a sense of appreciation for those who do it.

[gustgd]

Braveheart for the sake of Agriville I hope you get more rain. It's a breath of fresh air when you post. I hope to me some day.

For the sake of all our farms let's hope for another month of last week in Davidson's weather

Crop is full of fusarium but it won't get better so at least lets hope it drys up so we can prepare for next year.

[blackpowder]

I have Quigleys rifle. Does me no good without his eyes!
You see more high speed discs here but crap are they expensive! Mounted Valmars making a comeback. You will never again see tillage for tillages sake. Trash management is a different matter. Mind you a drought fixes that too.

[MBgrower]

Lots of brand new deep tillers in southern mb. Guys are mostly caught up with field work, so going for a second pass just for fun.

[MBgrower]

And then the vertical tillage units come out after cultivating, followed by two passes with the heavy and mid harrows. Esso dealer has a smile on his face.

[fjlip]

All the iron dealers and tillage tool guys party with the fuel dealers/refiners!
Good going guys, we call it recreational tillage because like organic farms it accomplishes very little! Just feels good.