The Farming Thread

[Killswitch]

I'd doubt that the suckers have the hardness of the true ashwood, plus few would have the shape required (large ball end).

Suckers tend to be soft, all pulp wood and even dry, they are springy and useless for anything other than beating the kids.

I'll take a peek next time I am by. Maybe snap a pic.

 

[trysail]

I will go take a picture of my cornfield later today as a way to put the thread back on topic...

Well?
*taps foot*


We're waiting.



​

 

[Wildling]

Wow, we have everything 'round here.

Corn is still up here, too. Soy beans also still on the fields.

 

[kbate]

Well?
*taps foot*


We're waiting.



​

I had something far more and far less interesting happen and never got to drive to the farm. I got hit on by a young(ish) man while I was at our local deli getting a sandwich for lunch. I was amused enough to talk to him for a while.

Tomorrow.

 

[Wildling]

I had something far more and far less interesting happen and never got to drive to the farm. I got hit on by a young(ish) man while I was at our local deli getting a sandwich for lunch. I was amused enough to talk to him for a while.

Tomorrow.

Damn. I went out and did errands and nobody at all hit on me.

Then came home and one of the damn horses managed to go lame in the couple hours I was gone. Of course he did it 3 days after the vet came out to run the works on him to find out why he's generally just "off" and he was fine that day!

 

[kbate]

Damn. I went out and did errands and nobody at all hit on me.

Then came home and one of the damn horses managed to go lame in the couple hours I was gone. Of course he did it 3 days after the vet came out to run the works on him to find out why he's generally just "off" and he was fine that day!

that's about right for a horse who was hiding his sore tendons and then had flexion tests.

Usually it's with one you are vetting to buy, 3 days later he's so lame you call the bank to stop payment.

 

[Killswitch]

I had something far more and far less interesting happen and never got to drive to the farm. I got hit on by a young(ish) man while I was at our local deli getting a sandwich for lunch. I was amused enough to talk to him for a while.

Tomorrow.

Livin the life.

lol

 

[Wildling]

that's about right for a horse who was hiding his sore tendons and then had flexion tests.

Usually it's with one you are vetting to buy, 3 days later he's so lame you call the bank to stop payment.

This one isn't even mine. He isn't even consistently lame on one leg, it rotates between all 4.

Vet didn't do flexions, did a neuro test and bloodwork. Horse has past tendon issues though. Ugh, debating whether to bring him in. He stall walks, probably better off outside where he'll be happy (rest of them are out, he'll be pissed off inside.)

On the plus side, construction for the indoor arena is coming along.

 

[KinkyDaisy]

Lymes or erlichiosis? I'm still treating a horse who came up mysteriously lame in June. Doxy, Bute, and Banamine. He is coming along though. I don't know where you are but ticks are a giant issue here.

 

[BotanyBoy]

Here it's not ticks...it's the god damn mites.....

http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2013/213/7/c/t_shirt_graphic__star_trek___resistance_is_futile_by_jessicacasciotta88-d6g8oon.jpg

 

[Wildling]

Lymes or erlichiosis? I'm still treating a horse who came up mysteriously lame in June. Doxy, Bute, and Banamine. He is coming along though. I don't know where you are but ticks are a giant issue here.

We do have ticks and Lyme here, but I've never seen a tick on the property and the vet is leaning towards Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis. I've definitely seen possums here and his symptoms fit. We'll see. Its not my horse, so I don't get a lot of say in the diagnostics or treatment, I just get to worry about him LOL.

 

[Riles]

Nor, given the penetration of machinery use in contemporary agriculture, are they sitting on their arses driving tractors/harvesters etc. Instead it's "git behind the mule".. and hand harvesting. Probably makes them less competitive. Probably don't have massive contracts to fulfil from corporate agricultural commodity producers. (which helps explain sometimes why crops are ploughed in: low commodity prices set in artificial markets).

Or drive cars! At least only their horses are farting to contribute to air pollution.

Wait I don't drive a car here; I ride a bike or walk or catch a bus. And I'm not Amish.

And I am not obese.

Can I ammend this thinking just a little.

In Mennonite communities, the faming activities (ie, dairy parlors) are actually relatively modern, with a twist. They have electical, they have tractors, etc. A successful community is allowed certain ammenities that aid in the business, but their homes are traditional.

 

[Wildling]

Can I ammend this thinking just a little.

In Mennonite communities, the faming activities (ie, dairy parlors) are actually relatively modern, with a twist. They have electical, they have tractors, etc. A successful community is allowed certain ammenities that aid in the business, but their homes are traditional.

Yeah, used to live near Mennonite country. A lot of them have every modern amenity in the barn and no power to the house.

Tack shop I go to has a website and online ordering, Facebook, Twitter... etc. Mennonite owned and the only one on staff who isn't Mennonite is their social media gal.

Rode through several Mennonite farms on a hunt a couple weeks back. Barns were all pretty modern. I'd post a picture, but it has people other than me in it so not a good call. In any case, they do embrace a lot of modern technology, though I've only seen one or two that own a tractor locally.

 

[pete]

Yeah, used to live near Mennonite country. A lot of them have every modern amenity in the barn and no power to the house.

Tack shop I go to has a website and online ordering, Facebook, Twitter... etc. Mennonite owned and the only one on staff who isn't Mennonite is their social media gal.

Rode through several Mennonite farms on a hunt a couple weeks back. Barns were all pretty modern. I'd post a picture, but it has people other than me in it so not a good call. In any case, they do embrace a lot of modern technology, though I've only seen one or two that own a tractor locally.

fox hunting?

 

[Wife of Bath]

This one isn't even mine. He isn't even consistently lame on one leg, it rotates between all 4.

Vet didn't do flexions, did a neuro test and bloodwork. Horse has past tendon issues though. Ugh, debating whether to bring him in. He stall walks, probably better off outside where he'll be happy (rest of them are out, he'll be pissed off inside.)

On the plus side, construction for the indoor arena is coming along.

I had a mare that was that way for years, on and off sound. We did every test, neurological, etc. She was an expensive warmblood. Nothing helped. Eventually, she had a stroke- the vet decided there had been a traveling clot(s) that had been causing the trouble.

Lymes or erlichiosis? I'm still treating a horse who came up mysteriously lame in June. Doxy, Bute, and Banamine. He is coming along though. I don't know where you are but ticks are a giant issue here.

I'm so glad we don't have to worry as much about ticks here.

 

[Wildling]

fox hunting?

Indeed.

I had a mare that was that way for years, on and off sound. We did every test, neurological, etc. She was an expensive warmblood. Nothing helped. Eventually, she had a stroke- the vet decided there had been a traveling clot(s) that had been causing the trouble.



I'm so glad we don't have to worry as much about ticks here.

God, I hope its nothing like that. I just hope we get answers. I feel so awful for his owner, she had to move far away (across the country) for a job and left him with me... and then he gets this happening. Its shit.

Lyme is awful, I know people who have had it. No animals, but the one lady got very ill before they figured out it was Lyme. Scary disease!

 

[Wife of Bath]

Indeed.

God, I hope its nothing like that. I just hope we get answers. I feel so awful for his owner, she had to move far away (across the country) for a job and left him with me... and then he gets this happening. Its shit.

Lyme is awful, I know people who have had it. No animals, but the one lady got very ill before they figured out it was Lyme. Scary disease!

I hope so too, it was incredibly expensive and totally devastating.

The worst: the boarder leaves, you're in charge of the horse, and then the act of god happens. Best of luck, I'm sure it will resolve soon. Usually that kind of thing is neuro.

 

[Riles]

Yeah, used to live near Mennonite country. A lot of them have every modern amenity in the barn and no power to the house.

Tack shop I go to has a website and online ordering, Facebook, Twitter... etc. Mennonite owned and the only one on staff who isn't Mennonite is their social media gal.

Rode through several Mennonite farms on a hunt a couple weeks back. Barns were all pretty modern. I'd post a picture, but it has people other than me in it so not a good call. In any case, they do embrace a lot of modern technology, though I've only seen one or two that own a tractor locally.

I believe when a community is started, they have to work from the ground up, literally. Everything is traditional until they've grown their community (the Church serves as their bank, government, etc) and earn more money, they can upgrade to more modern technologies in their barns and equipment.

Touring some of their facilities, the coolest thing I saw by far was a 80 head tie stall barn with stanchens made completely out of oak. If anyone knows anything about dairy barns, they will know how impressive that is. Amazing craftsmanship.

 

[chillywilly2]

The Crop

a hundred and seventy five bucks for a Stick?


we still have lots of ash here but the borers are starting to show up

I'm stocking up on ash for furniture while its still inexpensive

 

[trysail]

Planted in beans last year.
This year? Corn (maize).



https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5488/10779515913_a655816fb3_c.jpg

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7569/15440292283_25334f5c6b_c.jpg


​

 

[dirtwrench]

I didn't expect this thread to ever re-emerge. That said, All my corn & soybeans are planted. Had to leave one small area (maybe 2 acres?) that was too muddy to plant.

It has been wet/monsoon/wet/ dry for 5 minutes here in Iowa this spring.

 

[trysail]

I didn't expect this thread to ever re-emerge. That said, All my corn & soybeans are planted. Had to leave one small area (maybe 2 acres?) that was too muddy to plant.

It has been wet/monsoon/wet/ dry for 5 minutes here in Iowa this spring.

While it may come as a surprise, some of us are well aware of the 2% who feed all the rest.





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[trysail]

Soybeans Climb With Corn as Rain Swamps Fields in Parts of U.S.
by Phoebe Sedgman
June 23, 2015


(Bloomberg) Soybeans and corn rose to the highest levels in more than a month as downpours in the U.S. raised the potential for crop damage in the world’s biggest producer.

Parts of the Midwest received more than six times the normal rainfall in the week through Monday, the National Weather Service said. Farmers are planting soybeans at the slowest pace for this time of year since 1996 and the wheat harvest is making the least progress in almost two decades.

Corn and soybean prices have fallen over the past year as global output headed for a record. Soybeans, used for cooking oil and livestock feed, lost 22 percent while corn dropped 17 percent. Forecasters say an El Nino weather pattern is strengthening, which may bring a wetter summer to some parts of North America...

“U.S. farmers are somewhat late planting soybeans this year, which is prompting concerns that their yields will be below normal...”

Soybeans... added as much as 0.9 percent to $9.68 a bushel... Corn... gained as much as 1.6 percent to $3.70 a bushel... Wheat... advanced as much as 1.6 percent to $5.14 a bushel...

Grain returns rise by as much as 10-25 percent during El Nino cycles because of damage to staple food crops...


Midwest Storms

States including Illinois, Missouri, Indiana and Ohio had less than two days suitable for fieldwork last week, the U.S. government said. The Chicago Board of Trade declared a condition of force majeure for grain deliveries on Wednesday as many shipping stations on the Illinois River couldn’t load.

Further rains were reported in parts of the Midwest...

Ninety percent of the soybean crop was planted as of June 21, the slowest pace since 1996... Nineteen percent of the winter-wheat crop was harvested, the lowest since 1997...



​

 

[Jamicurechickie]

Soybeans Climb With Corn as Rain Swamps Fields in Parts of U.S.
by Phoebe Sedgman
June 23, 2015


(Bloomberg) Soybeans and corn rose to the highest levels in more than a month as downpours in the U.S. raised the potential for crop damage in the world’s biggest producer.

Parts of the Midwest received more than six times the normal rainfall in the week through Monday, the National Weather Service said. Farmers are planting soybeans at the slowest pace for this time of year since 1996 and the wheat harvest is making the least progress in almost two decades.

Corn and soybean prices have fallen over the past year as global output headed for a record. Soybeans, used for cooking oil and livestock feed, lost 22 percent while corn dropped 17 percent. Forecasters say an El Nino weather pattern is strengthening, which may bring a wetter summer to some parts of North America...

“U.S. farmers are somewhat late planting soybeans this year, which is prompting concerns that their yields will be below normal...”

Soybeans... added as much as 0.9 percent to $9.68 a bushel... Corn... gained as much as 1.6 percent to $3.70 a bushel... Wheat... advanced as much as 1.6 percent to $5.14 a bushel...

Grain returns rise by as much as 10-25 percent during El Nino cycles because of damage to staple food crops...


Midwest Storms

States including Illinois, Missouri, Indiana and Ohio had less than two days suitable for fieldwork last week, the U.S. government said. The Chicago Board of Trade declared a condition of force majeure for grain deliveries on Wednesday as many shipping stations on the Illinois River couldn’t load.

Further rains were reported in parts of the Midwest...

Ninety percent of the soybean crop was planted as of June 21, the slowest pace since 1996... Nineteen percent of the winter-wheat crop was harvested, the lowest since 1997...



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Brothers will be happy...more $$$ in their pockets if everything continues the way it has been going..we have been getting just enough rain and sun here in SW Ontario....corn is definitely going to be "knee high by the 1st of July" here...it is already there....

 

[dirtwrench]

Finally, the last few days have been hot, humid, and no rain here. I swear you could almost hear the corn grow yesterday.

Sadly the price of "new crop" corn is still way below cost of production. Soybeans the same issue. If these prices continue until fall (again), I may join the ranks of "former farmer."

You can color me- sad.