A new way to farm

And having a little FUN while we do it. 

Last week I was featured on a website called www.FarmOn.com. They are an amazing resource for particularly young people in agriculture. The website is full of interviews, videos, workshops and more for those who are looking for advice on making your farm more successful or getting into farming. Topics include time manage, business plans, marketing through farmer's markets, social media advice, the list goes on.

In my post I shared information about the crop side of the Boy and I's farm. In additional to our Hereford cattle we also grow corn. However, we farm a little differently than most of our neighbors as we are involved in a farming group called Farmers United Network aka FUN. It has been an awesome way for us to grow our farm, learn from others, and not overextend ourselves financially.

I hope you'll check out the article and be sure to let me know if you have any questions.

You have read this article crops / farm with the title crops. You can bookmark this page URL https://miavamp22.blogspot.com/2012/11/a-new-way-to-farm.html. Thanks!

Harvest time in Alberta

Fall is in the air. 

Sorry for the lack in blogging the past few days. The Boy and I were in Alberta over the weekend and although it was a super quick trip I still feel a little bit in vacation blogging mode. 

It was a perfect time to be home. The leaves were just starting to change. Fall is a quick season in Alberta. The leaves usually change yellow one day and not too long after they have fallen off the trees. That is one of my favorite parts of the Midwest is the gorgeous Falls with brilliant colors. 

Harvest was in full swing when we where home. In July when I made another quick trip this is what the fields looked like. 

A view from the sky above. The bright yellow fields are canola. As in canola oil. 

And this is what the crop looked like from the ground. However fast forward a month and a half and...

This is what that yellow field now looks like. The crop has been cut. The next step will be for it to go through a combine. 

Those long skinny pods contain seeds in them. When the material goes through a the combine (huge piece of farm equipment) those seeds will be collected. Canola seed contain 40-43 percent oil.

Image via

This is what the seed looks like. According to the Canola Council of Canada there are more than 52,000 Canadian farmers that grow canola, and producer 20 percent of the world's canola. Thanks farmers!

You have read this article canada / crops / food with the title crops. You can bookmark this page URL https://miavamp22.blogspot.com/2011/09/harvest-time-in-alberta.html. Thanks!

Deep inside the cornfield - Corn Report

Inside the field. 

Wow back to back corn reports, I know I am on a roll. Since there hasn't been much visual change in the height of the corn I thought this time I would bring you inside the cornfield. But first let's once again see what the field looked like last week.

The cornfield on August 27, 2011. 

And this was the field on September 5, 2011. However, I promised to take you into the cornfield. So, here we go.

The tops of the corn stalks are still really green, however the bottoms are starting to turn brown. Harvest is getting closer. 

You can look down the rows and see how straight they are. They use GPS to plant the fields leaving the rows incredibly straight. You can also see some stalks on the ground. Those stalks called residue and are left on the field to return nutrients back to the soil.

And sometimes you find a corn monster in those cornfields. 

Last week I blogged about why the corn is black on the end. 

And although I have been told by the "Iowa" corn experts I have been pretty accurate in my corn reports I did get straightened out on one thing. What you are looking at above is an ear of corn. Once the kernels come of it is then a corn cob. 

So where does all this corn produced in the U.S. go? 14% to exports, 39% Livestock & Dairy feed, 47% to food, seed and industrial, according to the USDA. That means our cows get some of it, and some ends up on your plates!

You have read this article corn / crops / Iowa with the title crops. You can bookmark this page URL https://miavamp22.blogspot.com/2011/09/deep-inside-cornfield-corn-report.html. Thanks!

What does corn in Iowa look like?

Corn Report V

Ok, folks it is time for another Crystal Cattle unofficial Corn Report. I say unofficial because there are a thousand (probably more) people out there than know a lot more about corn than I do, but I love learning about it. So what did I learn this week? Well first let's compare how much it has grown.

This was the cornfield (the same one we camped in our tent by) on August 2, 2011.

And this is what that same field looked like on August 27, 2011. It keeps getting taller, however here's the cooler stuff. 

The is the Boy's forearm. The corn cobs are huge. This particular cob was 18 kernels around. That's good I am told. 

Now to some this corn may look ready to harvest, but the Boy showed me a few more things that we have to look at to help determine when the corn should be harvested. 

click on photo to enlarge

You can see that some of the kernels are dented and some are not. All the kernels must be dented before the corn is ready for harvest. 

The moisture in the cob is also too high right now. If you look closely you can see the change of color in the kernel, this is called the milk line. This line needs to move all the way to the bottom of the kernel before the crop can be harvested. 

Have you ever seen this happen to an ear of corn? I learned that is due to heat stress. These top kernels did not get pollinated resulting in what you see. And that's all for this week's Corn Report. Don't forgot to thank a farmer. 

Don't forget about the giveaway that is also going on right now. 

You have read this article corn / crops / Iowa with the title crops. You can bookmark this page URL https://miavamp22.blogspot.com/2011/08/what-does-corn-in-iowa-look-like.html. Thanks!

Raw Cotton - Wordless Wednesdays

Awesome photography.

Remember when I first posted the photos of the cotton wedding? Well now I want to show you what it looks like out in the field. Today, I am lucky to have some amazing photos by my Instagram friend robertx_tx from outside of San Antonio, Texas. If you have the Instagram app on your iPhone make sure to look him up.

This is outside of Corpus Christi near Robert's home town of Odem

Some cotton bales in the field.

Wind turbines looming over a Texas cotton field.

After the tractors leave the cotton field. 

I hope you enjoyed the amazingness! p.s. make sure you stop by tomorrow. I am going to be having a giveaway. 

You have read this article crops / photography with the title crops. You can bookmark this page URL https://miavamp22.blogspot.com/2011/08/raw-cotton-wordless-wednesdays.html. Thanks!

Following that slow tractor on the highway

Via Facebook 

This is a photo that has been circulating around facebook. I wanted to post for those that hadn't seen yet.

I know it can be frustrating waiting for or following those tractors, combines or hay trailers on the road, but farmers are just trying to do their job - get crops harvested and hauled so they can feed their animals or feed you. 

Some things to remember if you are around farm equipment:

- Farm machinery may not have brake lights or turning signals, so be sure to give yourself a fair amount of distant and watch closely for farmers making left-hand turns. 

- It is not a requirement that farm equipment operators drive on the shoulder of the road. However, if safe they may pull off to allow traffic to pass. Just remember that road can become soft due to rain and it might not be safe for the operator to pull over. Don't worry you'll get to your destination soon enough.

- It can be hard for the operator to see around the equipment they are towing. Just like a semi, don't follow too closely or else they might not be able to see you 

And as as a farmer it is your duty to make your equipment as visible as possible on the road. Remember that any farm equipment that goes less than 25 miles per hour should display an orange slow moving vehicle sign or SMV emblem on the piece of equipment. Turning on lights or flashers will also increase your visibility. 

If we both take a little more time on the roads everyone can get where they are going safely this summer.

Did you know that according to the American Farm Bureau Federation one U.S. Farmer feed 155 people! That is up considerably compared to only 19 people in 1940 or even 129 people in 1980. 

You have read this article agriculture advocacy / crops / farm with the title crops. You can bookmark this page URL https://miavamp22.blogspot.com/2011/08/following-that-slow-tractor-on-highway.html. Thanks!

2011 Iowa Corn Report III

It's growing

I apologize for the gap between Corn Reports. The last time I was in Iowa I forgot to take a photo, oops! I am sure Corn Farmers gurus could tell you a lot more about what is going on in those fields right now, you have to remember I'm just a cattle girl that has a fascination with Iowa corn. But as you can see it's growing.

June 6, 2011

And almost a month later it is getting to be close to as tall as me.

July 4, 2011

As you can see the corn has grown tremendously in the last month. In my opinion, this time last year, the corn was a little taller, however it is still on track to being a great crop. 

It is always exciting to think about how much food these fields will provide for our livestock and people. The crops look good right now, but the Boy's farm needs some rain. Especially, to keep the grass growing for his cattle. 

The Boy and I had a great Independence Day weekend. I think it is great that I get to celebrate Canada Day and Independence Day each year. Between going out to the farm we were able to get some golfing in (I had an awesome game), hanging out with his sister and future brother-in-law, who were up from Texas, rode in the parade, watched some fireworks and spent a little time at the pool with his cousin. I would say a pretty good weekend.

You have read this article corn / crops / Iowa with the title crops. You can bookmark this page URL https://miavamp22.blogspot.com/2011/07/2011-iowa-corn-report-iii.html. Thanks!

Life isn't very fair when you are a farmer

Weather will make or break you 

Now before I start this post I admit farmers are notorious for complaining about the weather. It is always too hot, too dry, too windy, too rainy, too cold. Sure we are looking for perfection. Perfection means that our cattle or livestock will be comfortable, chores will be easier, and crops will grow to their maximum potential. Weather affects our livelihoods probably more than any other profession.

This year the weather seems to be even more abnormal than normal (but who really knows what normal is anymore).

In Texas and along the southern border of the U.S. farmers and ranchers are experiencing extreme drought. Currently 11.8% of the country in a D4 drought. That is the most serve form of drought possible. In Kansas (closer to me) 25 counties have been named disaster areas because of the drought. Kansas is the number one wheat producer in the nation.

It was this post read from Hallie at Ride Of Hallie's Life about the current situation in Texas, that really  got me thinking about the weather. Many of the farmers in Hallie's area use irrigation pivots (a giant sprinkler system) to water their cotton. "The irrigation is meant to be a supplement to the 20 inches of rain they USUALLY get. It takes the pivot sprinkler 7 days to complete one round, and it is only taking 2 days for the water to evaporate entirely." I think my draw dropped when I read that line.


Hallie also said that not only are this year's crops is a loss, but since there is no major rain being called for until July 2013 - yes 2013, next years crops are looking bleak as well. I really encourage you to read her story.

click here to view the U.S. Drought Monitor national and state maps

But that isn't the whole story. Every night I go home and listen to the news to hear about the severe flood the Missouri River is causing, and there was the flooding in Southeast Missouri early this year that one farmer expects will cost him a million and half dollars - he is just one of 200 in that area. Through the Dakotas and Nebraska cattle and machinery had to be moved, and crops were lost due to flooding, along with homes and buildings. The Arkansas Farm Bureau reported that more than a million acres of cropland was under water in May, and the damage to crops and forage is expected to exceed $500 Million.

It just doesn't seem fair some farms are standing under water and others can't be seen because of the dust blowing so hard. But I guess none of us signed up for farming and ranching because it was easy. We do this because farming is in your blood, it is in your soul and it is a part of who you are. 

For the consumer you might see higher food prices, but many of you won't even think about what the farmers went through this year to get food on your table. If you know a farmer or see a farmer say thanks, it won't bring this year's crop or livestock back, but at least they will know you are thinking of them. 

Just a few tweets about my friends and what kind of condition they are in:

www.twitter.com/sandmanDJS

www.twitter.com/missymjones

www.twitter.com/cnelso

www.twitter.com/letellierranch

www.twitter.com/etcattlewomen

www.twitter.com/fosterk96

www.twitter.com/hbaumgardner

www.twitter.com/rayleigh06

www.twitter.com/klintsickler

www.twitter.com/tjblackwell

And some guys have all the luck! www.twitter.com/Tyler_Heil

You have read this article agriculture advocacy / crops / farm / weather with the title crops. You can bookmark this page URL https://miavamp22.blogspot.com/2011/06/life-isn-very-fair-when-you-are-farmer.html. Thanks!