Family time

Well farmers today we enjoyed a beautiful thanksgiving meal together with our extended families at Nana's house. We had approxmimately 25 people there. I especially enjoyed the visiting and fellowship. The turkey and green bean casarole wasn't bad either. Neither was the dressing, deviled eggs, pumpkin bread and strawberry surprise. Well to say the least we are a little full. Even the cows looked especially plump this evening on our drive that we took.

Well we are finished as of yesterday with our fall application of herbicide and top dressing of fertilizer. I noticed that it is getting pretty dusty here on the farm. We are in bad need of a rain. I'll post a picture of the sprayer after it made its final pass around the last wheat field yesterday. It is caked in about 1/2 inch of dust. Hopefully it rains soon, but I am reminded that November is one of the driest months we experience here in western Oklahoma. Perhaps we'll have a white Christmas! Because at this point I'ld take moisture in any form. Well, gotta go and wrap my teeth around some more turkey.

Thanksgiving Day everyday

Hello agricultural enthusiasts! This week we will be celebrating our national holiday of Thanksgiving. I was reading in the Oklahoman newspaper that a parent had heard from her little kindergartener that Thanksgiving Day was the day the pilgrams met to give thanks to the Indians for their help. This mama was quick to point out that the pilgrams were meeting to thank the Lord for his blessings and not the Indians. How quickly we forget that the Lord is in ultimate control and deserves the best thanks we have to offer in return. However, we can show our thankfulness to God by being thankful to those around us whom God has placed there to help meet the needs we have in our lives . Thank God our farmers are willing to make the sacrifices necessary to provide a plentiful source of quality food that we all enjoy. This enables all others to pursue adventures and jobs that they otherwise wouldn't be able to seek if they were primarily concerned with finding or growing a good source of food to help feed their family. God bless the American Farmer in this fruitful land of opportunity.

Parker's advice

This is to all you farmers at heart out there. Our 3 year old has been talking a lot here lately. What is unusual at least to me is that he thinks he has a farm plan that we should follow. He suggests that he drive the combine and then follows with all else who would make up the crew to help him harvest the crop. He thinks that I could drive another combine, his brother could drive the grain cart, his other brother could work the ground and the other brother could drive the truck. He thinks that his mama and sister should stay at the house to cook. Basically this little entrepreneur has it all mapped out. All we have to do is follow his plan. He has even allowed that Papa stay in the pickup to be the boss or get a new combine so he can show us where to cut. Well, I guess he thinks we all have our place. Maybe he's on to something bigger than what we think. I know I have found my place, right here on the prairie being a farmer. It takes a little different individual to get up every day with the sole intention to help feed people. Farmers have been doing this for centuries exhibiting much patience and perseverance. This road seems to be really clear cut. Work ground, plant seed, spray crop, harvest crop. But within this scenario is a vast field of enough variables to make my head spin. Maybe Parker will be one of those pioneer farmers of the future who will be feeding others when all of us are worn out from trying. I certainly hope that he will be. May God bless all of our farmers, past, present and future.

taking a breath

Well farmers we have finished planting. Wheat is all up and growing. you would be proud. We are even starting to topdress nitrogen fertlizer and apply chemicals to keep the weeds in check. It took a while to finish up planting because we got a large rain that kept about 300 acres from coming up. We had to completely replant 200 acres in one field and patch around in several fields to make sure we got an adequate stand on them. We have even turned the cows out to graze on the wheat that is closest to our house. They are much appreciative. Our wheat has had a bout with what is known as leafhoppers. Also, we've had many reports about rust getting on the wheat plants. If its not one thing, its another around here. Well, as for me, I've enjoyed my Sunday just about as fully as farmer can enjoy anything. Well gotta go. I'm off to check the weather reports!

Almost finished....

Well today farmers we could have finished with the wheat planting, but thankfully it has rained near half an inch. The green wheat here on the prairie sure looks splendid and is it ever growing. We'll be thinking about the wheat pasture before long. However, the cows must wait for 45 days to graze due to us treating our seed wheat with a chemical that keeps fungus and insects at bay. The chemical is called Gaucho XT and we heartily recommend it. We have not had any problem with fall army worms and I've seen the neighbors to the north having to spray for them already.

When we do get to plant again, we only have about 50 acres to go. We'll also have to re-seed about 40 acres due to wild hog problems. These things are really multiplying around here and they root the wheat up looking for grub worms. Hopefully we'll get them in check soon. The only way to get rid of them is to either hunt or trap them. We caught 3 of them earlier in the summer in a home made trap. My brother-in-law, Mike Taylor, made it and we'll have to start using it again.

We'll keep up the good work and you do the same.

Keeping the wheels turning

Hello you humble farmers. We've been busy planting the wheat. It has been going very good and we are well over halfway finished. Hopefully, we'll be drawing it to a close this week. So far we have planted everything into moisture which is pretty hard to do sometimes in this part of the country. This evening we are even looking for a gentle rain which will help the wheat to come up. The biggest problem we had was with a fertlizer tank that sprung a leak during the night! We'll fix its wagon sooner or later. Also, the John Deere 4450 for some reason decided to get a sticky thermostat. We thought it was fixed by Michael the Deere mechanic, but Saturday after lunch it started over heating again. Aye, we had to go get one of our Case IH Steiger STX325's that was resting in the barn. We'll finish planting with it and with our trusty Case IH 9240. Both Crustbuster all-plant 4030's have performed flawlessly. Much thanks to our mechanic James Lindsey on their regard. We'll that's about it. Two weeks in a nutshell.

Rain falling softly

Hi farmers. Rain today and it is coming down so perfectly. I sure hope we don't get this nice rain and then a big washing rain from the Hurricane churning down in the Gulf. We need days like today here every once in a while.



We have spent all day in the barn working on our newest addition - a CrustBuster 4030 all-plant drill. It is being plumbed for liquid fertilizer and boy is it taking some time. We like to work, but this has been pretty intense today, especially for a rainy Thursday. Maxton says we must be getting some of the humidity from the Gulf with this rain. Now I know the humidity has to be 100% to get rain, but its really warm and sticky and its raining. So, needless to say I'm in the house drying off or up or something like that.



I'm amazed at how still the wind has been. We haven't really had any wind for the entire month of August and now September has been the same way. Its a little dissappointing not to have a little breeze.



We're also having to mow some of our no-til land that we spread some potash on. It needs to be worked into the growing layer of the soil and there is too much straw to do this so hopefully mowing will help. Richard is in charge of this project. And he ought to be getting pretty good at it since he's had to do mowing at every opportunity this summer.