4th snow...

[freewheat]

Of course we again got the brunt. Last night I was looking at the canola, and if it had not been for this stupid snow, I was going to go tomorrow.

How cold do I need it to be to combine snowy canola swaths?

-10 cold enough?

[fjlip]

Colder the better. Did the wind blow them clean? Snowing like hell here again. Was calmer and not snowing at 5pm. Full winter in the yard.

[freewheat]

Scared to look.

[redleaf]

If I recall correctly 2002 we combined a lot of canola with snow in the swaths. I was running a 1480 and it had to be at least -8 to keep from plugging sieves. Once I left the machine running full bore and was just walking around to freshen up and wake up in the early morning hours and as I stood near the rear of the right hand side I noticed that it was warmer there. The warm air from the radiator was being blasted down the side of the machine and bucked into the cleaning fan. I was about done when I discovered this but thought if I had to do it again I would try to block some of that air. Long story short neighbour dried all of mine and hauled it to elevator. About three weeks after I was done I did a field for a neighbour dry with no snow at all only odd bit of ice. It was nov 30.

[TOM4CWB]

Redleaf,

We had at least a good 2 inches of snow on swaths... had to combine after midnight... minus 10 at least... and quit by any sign of dawn[sun light]. Good pickups are an absolute requirement and 10-20 percent more wind on shoe. Then put combine in heated shop... and pull out both [bottom and top]shoes for next night and let them melt off, dry, and remove any debris; reinstall. same on clean grain/return auger systems.

[Oliver88]

Similar story to some of others regarding 2002.
Colder the better for sieves, etc.

We had our canola cleaned in 2002 to remove ice and than dried it.

[foragefarmer]

Just wondering what the situation was that you didn't take it off the last couple of days. Did your area not have decent weather on and before the weekend? I do recall you posting you had a line on a dryer from a neighbor. The snow had been forecasted to becoming several days ago! Was the canola that tough, as it is the middle of November and the window, does close fast.

[freewheat]

As my post says, forage, this is our fourth snow. The first three melted. It is wet. There has been no window since the 23rd of October. If there had been, I would have done it.

When Regina was 13, we were 4 and the third snow was melting.

I guess it is hard to fathom to you? It is not for the lack of trying, but when you can wring water out of the top of the swath, it is not gunna go.

[freewheat]

This snow being forecast several days ago, BTW, does not magically make it able to combine. I KNOW the snow was forecast for several days. But I could not do a thing about it.

[foragefarmer]

We've all had hardships, that's farming, you posted I asked, that is all there was to it!

[freewheat]

No, I appreciate that. It is hard to fathom if you are not in my 8 square mile area!

[mustardman]

Neighbours and myself are getting frustrated also with flax. warmest fall in history hasn't helped.

[boarderbloke]

Cripe foragey, what's with you, just gotta slam I guy when he's down, headshake!

Hang in there free, you might be surprised just how much this wind can dehydrate that snow and dry your swaths. Hopefully they're not getting blown around too much. I'd say the wind is your friend now, and if the sun comes out, doubly good.

[seabass]

Warmest fall my ass! Dave Suzuki tell u that?

[freewheat]

Well I went and had a look. Fair bit of snow in the swaths and they are kind of frozen to the ground from it being so wet. Not sure how they will pick up. They never blew a bit.