Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[Mini Horses]

I've said this for well over a year -- the trickle down of crops failing, animals sold, farms sold, work/job issues...this is where we will feel the costs due to the lack of product. Then, some businesses closed, employees have no jobs. Not every part of country can recoup. Drought, fires, etc, often take several years for ground to recover to point of use. Economically, it's a bust for beyond 2021 by a couple of years.

At least I have enough land to pasture but, still need rain to grow it. Ok now but, you never know! I do have chickens, eggs and meat, goats for dairy and meat, can easily get a hog...feed costs! Yeah, I can be ok but, know there are challenges! I watch hay grow across the street. Yep, will stock up starting next month at their 2nd cuttings. Selling a few goats then, too....kids and a few yearlings does I just don't need to feed and will give room for a couple doelings I do want to keep. Reduce herd and pay for hay! Reduce pasture numbers to feed, etc.

Get it while you can.

 

[farmerjan]

Warmer, more humid. Partly cloudy started at 67 , up to 76 already. Been looking at the radar, and more chance of pop up showers later... but they are supposed to mostly stay west along the alleghanies, so hope they do. Much better chance of showers by Wed aft...

Heading out to take a can of fuel to the tractor, check the water in radiator, and go rake. Was not a good night... taking some more stuff to try to stop it before it gets any worse. Drinking more water too, hoping that will help. Got 2 bottles of 1/2 full frozen water to take, will fill them and they will stay cold for a bit. Not alot to rake today I don't think, 10-15 acres but there is alot of rock and ledge so will take a little time. Then if I can manage, going down by the other house on the way home so I will take the truck.
My farmer texted me and he will have milk for me today.... I refuse to drink that 1% chalky water so have not had milk for a week.....
Gotta go.

 

[farmerjan]

In for a break. Put fuel in the tractor, ckd water, raked the 2 fields... one has a lot of ledge/rock. It is mostly all pretty dry... I think he is going to try to bale this afternoon.
Since DS put a mineral feeder on the trailer when he brought me to the truck, I went in front of him on the way back since one leg stuck way out over the side... so no one ran into it.... then came here, got a drink, ate an apple butter sandwich...put the water on the peach tree..... and am going to go out and change it to the other tree in about a half hour and then go down the hill. I will put the milk bucket in the truck and go there too and get my milk.

I want to go down and mark the fruit trees that are live that will be coming here since the hay has been cut so won't be driving on growing grass/hay. I have the "surveyors tape" to do it with....

Had to run ahead of DS coming back to the barn as he had a mineral feeder on the trailer and the leg stuck out... so no one would run into it... so did not go directly to the stone house. Will go down there as soon as I change the water to the other tree....
Skies are showing more clouds and it looks like on the radar that the showers might hit us here... we are on the edges of it. Hoping that DS can get the hay that is raked, baled. He had to take the mower to the other place and mowed 9 acres one place and at least 10 acres another place... then go back to where I had raked with the tractor since the other tractor tire was flat. It is a crack in the rim... it is on the trailer also; so that he can drop it off at a friend's , that can hopefully weld it and fix it...But that means he had to unhook the discbine and take the tractor back to the other place to run the round baler...they need the big tractors with the HP to run them.... and he was going to take a baler to the field with the truck, to hook to the tractor. We got the parts on the way home... and OF COURSE, they didn't put but half of the bearing in the bag they left out for us. REALLY?????. DS went and got the other big baler that string wraps, that we have for a spare, that he thought he had to put a belt in.... and looks like he actually got the belt in it before he took it over there to keep in a friends' barn.... so he was bringing it back and checking it out to go bale with it. Then he will try to get the rest of the bearing (has an inner and outer?) tomorrow and get the other baler back together.... Already $400 in parts.... ALWAYS SOMETHING..... but when he talked to them he said that the bearing was shot and that he needed the complete assembly.... why not give us both and then we could always take back what we didn't need....No that would require being proactive and using some common sense.....

So I am getting ready to head out. DS said he does not need me for the rest of today.... if we don't get much or any rain, I will be on the tractor in the morning working on the hay in the other 2 fields... get them raked and turned "up" so the hay underneath can dry....

Looks like some more serious rain coming in Wed eve or Thursday....then clearing off for the holiday weekend... We will be doing more hay if it does dry up.

 

[Mini Horses]

Always something!! Usually, not good.

I worked in it out there all day. Done with the one project, small but really needed. Doing another 650' of fencing Thur& Fri. Need that fence to graze that area. Gotta do while I have this slack time. It's picking up after next week, again.

 

[farmerjan]

Wow, @Mini Horses , didn't think your work would pick up again so soon.... guess that is good if you want to stash some more away or be able to buy some more fence posts or something.... but is does cut into the farm work time.

I went out and changed the hose to the other peach tree before. For some reason the knees, especially the left one which is the "good one"..... are really hurting today. Then I went down the road to DS's property, and decided to mark the fruit trees before the grass starts to grow, as DS is anal about driving on hay fields when they are growing. If we get any rain they will really come on because they were done nearly 2 weeks ago now. So I drove down there and put 1 orange tape/ribbon on the apple trees in the back section... there are maybe 4 or 5, then came around the tree line and old fence line and marked the ones in the front. There are about 7 or 8 peaches,,, have no idea of the varieties... and there are peaches on all of them but one and that one has a vine and junk growing up and trying to strangle it. Used the pink surveyors tape on them. Found a few more apples in the front section, and then put 2 orange tapes on a bunch of pear trees. I think there are 6 or 7 of them.
There are several dead ones in the rows also.... but the good thing about marking them now with the tape, at least when they lose their leaves and all, I won't move the dead ones. At least 8-10 dead ones total....
So not as many live ones as I originally thought.... but the pears are really TALL.... don't think they are semi dwarf.... and they are going to have to get a pruning to get them to branch.... pears grow very upright anyway....
This gives me an idea of how many and then I can place the like fruits together so they will cross pollinate if they need to and fruit better. The pears have a few small ones on them but don't see any on the apples. They need major pruning... Some of the peaches have double trunks, and are needing major pruning too. That will get done this fall or winter when they get transplanted....I realize it will set them back, but ought to not be quite so bad as these 3 of mine that were already in bloom.

It will take them a year or so to get re-established, but that is preferable to them getting cut down. So on rough count I ought to wind up with 8-10 peaches total, 6-8 apples I think, and around 6 pear trees. So around 25 fruit trees which is really alot. They ought to fit on the section I want them pretty good too.

This took about an hour or more since I was working through high grass and I have no balance/stability lately with these knees. I also picked up a couple big clumps of hay that he missed with the baler, and threw it in the back of the truck to bring home for mulch. Then I went and got the milk at my farmers' and then came home. I really need to get down the hill but I just don't have the energy today.

I asked for some real old crummy hay to make a "bed" for these potatoes that I got that are sprouting so bad. I really wanted to try out some different varieties, and ordered them and I hate to see them go to waste. There is a real crummy bale at the place I just raked that got set back and I guess he forgot to go get it... I asked for it. And there is a bunch of crummy hay at Deb's in the hay field that fell apart that I will take the pitchfork and go get too. I will plant the potatoes in the hay and layer them and whatever I get, I get. Better than wasting the seed potatoes. I am going to just put it out here where the fruit trees are going to go... won't matter if it kills the grass and I can water if need be from the hose I am doing the trees..... I have several tubs that the molasses/protein lick comes in and I am going to put some of the tomato plants I bought and have not gotten planted, put in them with some dirt and all to have right here at the house. They will be late but I can actually cover them if we get frost later so might be able to extend the season.... or if there are no chickens, I can pull them into the greenhouse/shelter.
Speaking of which, the chickens will be going out in about 2 weeks here from the friend up the road... so we will see what/if I get any. They ought to be good sized to take to the poultry swap in mid Sept if I get them in mid July....feed is sitting in the bin..... maybe make some extra money on them if there are many... I don't need any in the freezer right now that is for sure... so if I can get a bunch, then sell as many as I can and then do the rest up into parts. That would work out good, beef is going in August...

Got to go get the chickens at the fair grounds freezer in the next week or so. I have cleaning out the upright in the building on the list for this week coming. GOT to get down the hill in the next couple days... but raking hay is the priority for the next 2 days then work on Wed and Thurs (morning).... I can do some tomorrow I think after I get off the tractor from raking. Looking for something to take for the ache in these knees....don't really know why they are so sore... except they have been "down" so much for the last week and all that riding in the vehicles. I did put my legs up on my knees, alternating, so as to give them some change but I guess not enough.

Time to go in and find something to eat. Going to be cold whatever it is with this sticky 80 degrees still. need to get on the couch with the knees/ankles up. Oh got to go turn off the water too. I will water the rose and the peonies out in the tubs tomorrow. The rose is finally starting to look like a rose bush.

Turns out the daylily bed out back, is just the orange ones that grow wild everywhere here. I thought there were some different varieties. So I think that they will also get moved to the end of the property along the dirt road. They will make a nice bank cover and they will grow anywhere. I have several really nice "different" varieties that I have bought over the years that I want to put into a nice bed/section. I guess you would say "cultivated" varieties. They got stuck here next to the carport and really do not get enough sun there, so will get transplanted next year to where they can really grow. I want to move some of the other stuff around in the fall/winter too.

Time to go find something to eat.... and get these knees up.

 

[Baymule]

Did you get a recliner yet?

 

[Mini Horses]

Work! For some reason, one of our chains has begun a huge renovation in stores. So my normally slow summer is being ruined. Go with the flow....teams of 5-7 doing a week of 10 hr days. It's intense. Usually 2 a month. Good pay. But exhausting. Last and this week had a lot of time off. Hitting farm hard. No rest but, feels good to get things done. So that's a good feeling.

 

[farmerjan]

I'm up and going,.... well, the " going" part is questionable. It is already 70 and supposed to be in the 90's for the next few days. I am going to get my butt in gear and head for the hay field pretty soon. It will be hot.

Really stinks that you have to go back in for some intensive working, @Mini Horses . But as you said, good money, and you never know if and when you might need that. Kinda like when my farms all decide they need to test the same week.... REALLY.... the thing is after they do this complete renovation, maybe it will slow down more than normal.... they say to make hay when the sun shines... amazing how flexible we are with our jobs sometimes.
Being off is really nice though....

No, @Baymule , no recliner yet. Haven't had the time to even think about going to look at any. Won't happen this week either. I think that all the traveling/riding in the truck was part of the problem... and now of course on the tractor.... and I had laid off the different pain pills, not taking much ib or tylenol or anything... so now I am going to have to get back and probably take some stronger stuff to try to get a little "lowering" of the acute pain.... sure wish they would help more than they do. Been rubbing the arnica cream on them at night to sleep... I wonder if I didn't get the joint a little out of alignment and that is why it hurts so much more.
Just took some stuff, hoping it starts to work before I get out the door and going.... kinda like stop it before it gets too strong?

Got to eat something and then get out the door. If I get the hay turned up, with the raking, it will have most of the day for any green spots to dry good with this sun and heat and ought to be ready to bale . There is a breeze right now, don't know if it is forecast to last. It will dry good if it does.

Time for some breakfast and then out the door. Oh, I need to take that hay off the back of the truck too. I will be raking right down the road from the stone house so need to go there after, and get a load of misc stuff. Landlord will be able to see I am back if he comes down the road. So, got to make the effort.

 

[Mini Horses]

even if you had a recliner, you don't have any time to use it!

 

[farmerjan]

Back for a few. Called Jim to see what his schedule looked like, and he was going to the place where the 9 acre field was that I took the tractor and rake to yesterday... so I got him to meet me at the other field, left my truck and got a ride to the 9 acre field to rake. Got it done and then took tractor and rake to the other 10+ acre field of orchard grass to rake... and where my truck was so I would have a ride when I got done. Got all but the outside 6 rows done and had problems with the drawbar hitch again, so had to quit. Texted DS, it has happened before... the bolts keep backing out and it drops and then the drawbar swings from side to side.... not good.... and so he is going to fix it again. He said he put the big bar on it when he put the bolts in the last time I used it... and really tightened them as tight as he could get them.... 6'6" and 230 lbs worth of MUSCLE....
Good thing is that is all that needs to be done on this field... so it will get finished somehow.

Bad thing is the PTO shaft in the big Allis Chalmers Tractor, that he switched to when he had the flat on the big AGCO tractor, BROKE yesterday evening while baling hay...... and a new one is on order and will take a WEEK to get here. So to PLAN C... he will have to use the big John Deere tractor with the front end loader to bale with. It is the last BIG tractor we have that is capable of running the baler.... until the rim for the Agco wheel gets welded and it ruined the tire so need a new tractor tire for that.... OF COURSE it is a BACK tire....
This is an expensive hay season so far...and we are not done.

So at least I got all the hay raked except for that little bit... so it is drying good with the bottom side turned up.....he will be able to bale it as soon as he can get to it.

Very slight chance of a shower today and tomorrow.... hit 91 in the shade already... got to get a thermometer out in the sun to see temps... maybe I don't want to know.

It got hot out there on the Ford 4600 raking... that is why I wanted to get started earlier this morning. Glad that I did.

So, I came back to the house after stopping at Wendy's and got a quick lunch and a big lemonade.... I had nearly finished all the water I took. Need to get some 1/2 bottles in the freezer, so I will have them to take the next time. I fill them with water and the ice melts slowly enough to keep them cold for a few hours.

I am going to get the hay out of the truck now and then go down the hill to the stone house. I wanted to get going this morning to meet jim to get the ride so didn't worry with the hay.
Saw a couple more old rolls of hay at the 9 acre field that I am going to confiscate... guess I will try to take the red/white automatic bale truck one day here soon and go see about collecting a couple to bring here... want to get these potatoes "planted" in the next week.....In fact, I am thinking that I will try to get as many as possible, and put some there where I intend to have the permanent garden and let them smother the grass.....plus if this works with the potatoes, I will do them that way next year. Regardless, I want it for the mulching of the garden anyway.

Late lunch break is over....