If the farmers didn’t get their crops planted before the heavy rains this week, they might have to wait a few days to get back into the muddy fields.
Planting Corn
Watch corn planting with smaller equipment.
Picture of the Day for May 5, 2018
The crop fields were filled with activity today, now that the snow has finally melted this week. Large tractors were working the soil to prepare it for planting and you could hear the noise from the machinery. But in some fields, the noise coming from working the soil was the jingle of harness chains, plodding hoofs and the huffing from horses instead.
Plowing the Field
Picture of the Day for December 11, 2017
The snow was falling this morning and then later it was flying when the wind was gusting to 36 mph as the temperature began to fall. Watching white clouds racing across the sky on a sunny summer day would be more enjoyable.
Summertime Cloud Watching
Picture of the Day for November 29, 2017
The cool, wet fall did not help the crops to dry down and during this corn harvest season, there are long lines at the corn drying facilities and even causing some propane shortages. Some farmers who can feed ground cob corn to livestock may pick the ears and crib it to allow the moisture content to lower for storage.
Harvest Time – Corn Picking
Watch the corn being harvested and stored in a corn crib.
Picture of the Day for October 16, 2017
The harvest season is behind this year with the weird weather but soon the soybeans will be dry enough to begin harvest.
Waiting for Harvest
Picture of the Day for September 4, 2017
While many enjoyed the day off during this holiday, there are always some who have to ‘labor’ on this Labor Day, like the clerks working at the gas station when I filled up with fuel today and those employed at other business still open during the holiday. Farmers often work during the holiday, especially if it is a dry day to get the hay baled.
Farming Labor
Picture of the Day for August 2, 2017
With the weather this spring, a lot of the corn wasn’t “knee high by the 4th of July”, but now most of the corn stalks were over my head and it is tasseling and silking. And the corn silks look like a hair wig as the silks blow in the wind. There is one silk for each potential kernel of corn, and if a silk doesn’t get pollinated, then there will be a missing kernel.
Corn Silk
Picture of the Day for July 24, 2017
On the rolling hills of southwestern Wisconsin, the cattle are enjoying a nice summer day. Tomorrow sounds like a wet and humid day, which some of the humidity could be coming from “corn sweat”. The transpiration from corn puts a lot of moisture back into the air, as an acre of corn can give off 3,000 to 4,000 gallons of water each day, according to the U.S. Geological Survey Office.
Cattle Grazing on Rolling Hills
Picture of the Day for June 9, 2017
The dry days this week have farmers scrambling to get field work done, including cutting and baling hay, before another rainy week starts tomorrow afternoon. And the haying method has changed over the years and baling large round bales is so different than the little hay bales that I had to stack on a wagon behind a square baler.
Making Large Round Hay Bales
Watch the haying process.
Picture of the Day for September 24, 2016
The beginning of autumn brings signs of soybeans starting to dry down for harvest as the green pods are turning yellow and brown. Each pod normally contains two to three beans.
Soybeans Dancing
