Posts

Showing posts from October, 2015

Grading Fields for Higher Yields

Image
Harvest is growing long these days. It’s been a good harvest.   However, there’s nothing more disheartening than watching the yield monitor register some of the best corn you’ve ever had, only to suddenly drop by 100 or more bushels an acre. If corn is selling for approximately $4 per bushel, simple math tells us that equates to $400 an acre.   What’s causing this loss? Wet holes. The flat creek bottom where we’ve raised our best corn is littered with low spots where water collects.   Even though we know corn needs water to thrive, too much, in this case, water pooled in low lying areas, stunted our corn yield by over half.   The areas with lighter colored corn are in wet spots.  Corn standing in water or wetter soil is stunted in growth because the water fills the spaces in the soil, and the roots cannot receive oxygen.  This severely limits yields at the end of the season. Plus, the water runs off the field haphazardly causing eroded spots as it races to the c

To my friends that I disagree with on social media...

Image
Hey old friend, I miss you.   Remember the days in grade school when we made clover “jewelry” and “crowns”, played four-square, and begged our parents for sleep-overs?   Or when we spent hours outside of class making that video for our English class project?   Those were the days. Or maybe you’re my acquaintance.   My friend of a friend: maybe we were in a wedding together and shared a great time on the dance floor.   Maybe we shared one college class and really hit it off, but haven’t talked much since then. I see you on Facebook, now and then.   Enjoying a fall coffee or beautiful sunset.   Or… blowing off steam about the latest divisive issue. Transgender, abortion, which lives matter, the range of sexuality, gun control, common core, entitlement programs, presidential candidates… …and let’s not leave out: GMO, organic, animal welfare, factory farms, grass-fed, eat local, the environment. Do you want to know what gets under my skin the most across these t