Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Farming Ruby's Farm 2010 - Fertilizing




In this group of photo's, Stan Sadusky has hired Jackson's FCA to apply the PK prescription to the soil to ensure a good nutrient base for this years corn crop.

In the past few days, the boundary markers for the wetland have been placed and Stan tilled around the perimeter of the field to show the apply where to apply the fertilizer. In this photo, the FCA is applying anhydrous ammonia - N. The borrow areas were rather rough after they were reconditioned last fall and another pass with a tillage tool was needed to level off the soil.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Adjacent Farm Dry Enough to Plant Corn 4-18-10 5:40pm


This set of photo's illustrates that the soil was dry enough for the Resch Family to plant corn on April 18, 2010. They are the first to plant corn in a three mile radius of my farm. Several farmers in the neighborhood have not even hooked up there planters or tillage equipment.

My dad and I always tried to start planting by May 1st. We were always worried about a late frost killing the seedlings just coming out of the ground. I remember several Minnesota fishing openers with snow and icing conditions around May 15th.



In above photo - No tresspas signs are posted allong property line.



Perhaps the Resch's are taking advantage of the dry planting conditions now that the County Tile System has been operating efficiently all spring.

Reduced head pressure is allowing them to get into the field early.

If drainage system works better than ever, will CER values go up for farms along County Ditch 6.

Adjacent Farm Dry Enough for Spring Tillage 4-18-10


Early morning reflection of my building site looking from the trash skimmers viewpoint. Thousands of gulls have stoped by for the past week or so to rest before heading north on their migration.


East Berm on Basin A - Big- Massive - Dry

Water managed and controlled within the confinement of the basin.


4-18-2010 - At 1:30 Mr. John Resch begins incorperating chemical on adjacent field. Yesterday, he tested the field. Today the field is fit enough to begin spring tillage. In this photo, he is field cultivating next to the county's observation pipe and the 6" hickenbottom.

I looked from horizon to horizon with binoculars and only saw one other tractor in the field. I think Wederbrands were leveling off a corn field.


In this photo, you can see Mr Resch spraying herbicide in front of the field cultivator at the north end of my silt fence.


In this photo, Mr. Resch is incorporating right by the 8" hickenbottom.


In this photo, you can see that the water from Basin A or Duck Pond is safely flowing freely into the county tile access point with 1" of water above the outlet structure. The flow rate at the county's observation pipe was 4.5 inches in a 10 inch tile.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Adjacent Farm Dry Enough for Spring Tillage 4-17-10

Basin A or Duck Pond is draining water at 1" above the maintained water level.

This Rat Catcher/ Trash Skimmer on Duck Pond does a good job of straining any organic matter from going into the tile.

The field adjacent to Basin A was dry enough for Mr. Resch to begin spring tillage. He made a round adjacent to the property line.

Photos show his tillage by the 6" and 8" Hickenbottoms and by the county's observation pipe. These are the three low spots along the property line.

I tilled by the 6" Hickenbottom yesterday and it was dry.

The atv tires were clean and dry by the 8" hickenbottom.

The outlet on Basin A was flowing freely at the 1" level and the rate of flow at the observation pipe was at 4 1/4" in a 10" tile.

The drainage system is working as designed.

By reducing if not eliminating head pressure on the 1909 drainage system, I feel that this is a win/win situation for County Ditch #6.