Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

Contemplating some breakfast... probably eggs since I will be on the tractor for several hours raking hay in a bit.
It got down to 50 last night... forecast had said maybe upper 40's. Too cool now for the growing season.

Actually, contemplating made me go in and make some eggs. finishing them up now. Opened up the back door and heard the RI Red cockerel crowing, it still sounds funny but he has more volume and it doesn't crack in the middle as much. Have to take water when I go out as the waterer was about dry last night when I put them in the crates.

Going to put the shut offs between the hoses and get that together so I can water all the plants hanging on the chain. Want to do that before I head to the hayfield. Put a bottle of water in the freezer so it will get icy so I can take a couple in the little insulated pouch thing I take on the tractor as I will be way up the hill and not anywhere near the car or anything. Don't come down unless there is an emergency, when I am up there I finish everything that I am doing. It's quite a hill to go up and come down, and takes time, so why not have everything I need on the tractor.

Hazy out there... we have a weather alert for the amount of "particulate" in the air from these wildfires in Canada. The county just south and east they have a code orange... which is 1/2 way on the scale, 3rd degree, for compromised air quality and for people with respiratory problems, asthma, elderly and children with breathing issues to not spend much time outside. My county is yellow, 2nd degree on the 5 degree scale.

Guess it is time to get my rear in gear....

 

[canesisters]

It was THICK fog here until about 9AM, I wonder how much of that was effected by the smoke/particles in the air?

 

[farmerjan]

It was very hazy ... smokey hazy.... close to the ground kind.... for several hours today....then just hazy.

 

[farmerjan]

I should be in bed but have been catching up on some things at the desk.

Spent nearly 4 hours on the tractor and rake and got all the 4 different "sections done. 2 places in the pasture that DS cuts a little... but there are still rocks and ledge... then the 4 acre long field and then the very top field which is at least 10 acres. That field was alot lighter hay than it used to be. BUT, part of it is because we no longer can graze our cattle there, over the winter like we used to, and it is not getting any fertilizer... NO ONE will go up that hill and the rough ground to run a fertilizer truck up there... I won't drive anything but a tractor up there... DS will take the "bale truck" up there and he will only bring down 1 bale at a time to the flatter area... normally we move 2 rolls at a time with the "bale trucks".... the cattle used to run on the whole place for 3-4 months of the winter; then were locked out of the 2 hay fields... and they did alot of manure and fertilized the fields... DS used to leave the hay in the top field along the edges of the field, and the cattle spent alot of time up there and did alot of manure... picked over the hay field.... and the middle of March or so he locked them out. Now the field is not getting anything put back on it and it shows. I texted DS and said is it my imagination or is the top field alot lighter than is used to be... and he just texted back and said, yes, it is thinner.... We used to HAVE to tedd out 1st cutting or it would never get dry... I raked it, 2 days after him cutting it, and there was very little green turned up to dry more... It will be fine to bale tomorrow....
The owner had to fence his 6-8 cows out, and ran some other cross fence so that they could plant some "deer plots"... like the D%@# DEER don't have enough to eat all around there???? They are trying to increase the racks on the bucks.... but every other neighbor around there (I used to live in the stone house next door ) including my former landlord, shoot every single deer they can due to the constant deer damage in the gardens and them being in the pastures and the fields... this is about 4 miles from where I am now..... go over the hill about 2 miles directly to there... so I know there is no shortage of desireable food for the deer. And so he told us a couple of years ago that we would not be able to run cattle there for the winter anymore.. he was going to do somethings different... oh well....

SOOOOO STUPID..... and the fields are getting more thistles and alot of weeds are growing up that the cattle would keep trampled and chewed down.....AND we used to bush hog a good bit of it that we could get around in, to keep the weeds down... without tearing up the bush hog on the rocks and ledge...... he and DS have been friends forever, so it is his deal.... and we do take good care of that 10+ acre hayfield of orchard grass that I raked the other day and the field across the creek... they get fertilized.... but this is a shame on the upper (top) field going downhill due to lack of fertilization...

So came home about 4 or so... went out and took all the cardboard I had left out to the garden (not alot) and put it and some more newspaper down and hay on top to hold it in place. Hoping that we get the rain on Sun-Mon they are saying we should get... although not an all day or pouring down thing... but once the cardboard and paper gets wet, it will stay damp with the hay on top of it... and it will help to hold down the weeds in the "walkways-paths", and inbetween the rows of plants. etc...
I see the wax beans are already poking through... just a few but I bet most will be up in the next 2 days... that was fast.... a rain would do them a world of good....
I did not get the rest of the 1/2 box of potatoes in... tomorrow ??? I hope before any rain.... I am going to just put them in another row parallel to the ones I put along the edge... and if they survive the spreading vines good... And then I will fill in the remaining little bit with some more green beans I guess... I hope to put in broccoli later, for fall, where the first beans are as soon as they are done producing...Garden is definitely NOT big enough for me... I am already looking and plan to expand it up towards the chickens a bit more... gain another 10 x 50 ft... the main part is about 50 x80 and the lower end extends into the L (bottom of the L sticks out past the main garden) another 15 x 20 maybe????

I did get the short section of hose off the gang valve that was broken, and attached it to the hose here where there was a junction right near the tree with all the hanging plants on...by doing so, I was able to soak all the handing plants...left it there and then reattached the long hose that goes to the chickens and garden area... and there is a slit in part of it and it is leaking . Don't know if it froze in that one real cold spell we had a couple of days, or if it also got caught in a mower blade.... So, I will get a "hose repair" of a male and female end, cut off the leaky section (6 inches maybe) and put in the new pieces; then I will have more options for length with a shorter piece there too. Could be worse... put a new cut off in the line where the other one was leaking... but then realized that it might have only needed a new washer... so I will try the cut off somewhere again with a new washer. In fact, I am putting new hose washers in most all the "joints" since they are cheap and that is ALOT cheaper to replace the hose washers rather than buy too many new cutoffs...
And I think that DS brought home all the hoses from my parents at my request... so I have to ask him so I don't go spend 30-50 bucks on any new hoses...
And finally I ran the mower a little bit on some grass I had weed eated and knocked down the real tall stuff and it was starting to grow again alongside and behind the carport... it was getting dusk/dark so only did a little bit.... SOOOOO EASY to push in a button and have it start up and run... no yanking on the shoulder... and it really chops it up good when it is less than 3 ft tall DUH.....

Way past time to go to bed... got to tedd out hay at Deb's place tomorrow...... he neglected to tell me he cut all that yesterday... and it will have to be tedded tomorrow to make sure it is dry to rake and bale on Sat... I'm just supposed to know these things... I just happened to see it was mowed when I drove by; the one long narrow field runs up to the road along her driveway... can only see about 30 ft along the road there. I was down there on Tuesday when I stopped and got the mail and drove down to just check on things.....and it wasn't mowed then... He will have to hustle to get all Dennis's baled tomorrow and then come up to get this done on Sat....

 

[Bruce]

But if the compost is real rich, you may get more leaf than potaotes.... all that good rich "food" for the plants.

I guess I'll find out I planted 14 blue and 14 red potatoes in the compost bin. Today I put out 3 sets of tires stacked 2 high, filled with compost and planted the white potatoes that had sprouted in the basement. These are from my Farmer's Market friend. I really like whatever variety it is and he's not had a good crop the last 2 years. The sprouts are already 4-5" tall, I didn't know if I was supposed to cover that all the way up or leave some out. I did the latter but if they should be covered, please let me know.

and we will have something to eat since we are in there for 5 + hours.... I will need to be there a little earlier since I will be setting up the samplers by myself.

Dang you must be so tired at the end of every day!!!

We mixed it with that pile of leaves and I added a couple bags of lime-for scab.

Should I add lime to my compost potato "plots"? If so, how much?

 

[farmerjan]

@Bruce ... don't know what to tell you about the lime adding to compost. Wouldn't be more than a handful or 2 I wouldn't think... but I honestly don't know.
Sounds like a great experiment with the compost and the potatoes... Keep us posted.
Hilling them, to keep the potatoes that are developing from getting green... I like to hill when about 4-6 inches and nearly cover them leaving a little showing as they will just grow up more. By that time, they ought to be leafing out alot and will shade out most weeds also. Some varieties will put down deeper roots for the potatoes to form on and some are right there near the surface at the base of the green plant leaves. I usually try to hill once... then cover the space inbetween and right up against the plant with straw/hay/mulch....

Yeah, those sprouted ones really can get you to "feeling sorry for them" and next thing you know, you will be growing potatoes every year. The one nice thing is that you hill them once or twice, or add more hay/straw/mulch around the plants to keep the potatoes from getting the "green" that is inedible and actually can be poisonous.
I hope they do real good for you...

Been a long and tiring day... went down and got the tractor and rake, and brought it up to Deb's.... the tedder was there but several fields didn't look/feel very green so I thought raking would do the job. Got the field on her hill, across the driveway, from the house raked and only a little was real green and with the breeze should have dried good. Went in the back larger field and there was alot of green, so after trying to rake 3 windrows, decided I needed to tedd it out to dry more... Had trouble with the hydraulics on the tractor... the 3 pt arm on one side would not raise up (so the rake or tedder could be hooked to the drawbar, and could turn freely.... fluid was low but filling that didn't help... so was going to get the arm lifted up and chained up and after 3 trips around the field it came undone and the other arm dropped and wouldn't lift...
Of course DS is not here as he is up practicing for the roadeo for VDOT for next week.....

Jim came to help but he is not the mechanic he thinks he is and is not very savvy on farm tractors at all... finally went and got the Ford 6600 (like my 4600 that I normally rake with and he still has the post hole auger on it)... and unhooked the 3 pt hitch bale spear and went up and hooked the tedder and finally got all that done. Again, jim does not understand the hydraulics because the 6600 also has a front end loader with a bale spear on it....DS was putting the round bales in the row across from my house with it.... and when I tried to raise the front end arms the tedder would drop which was okay in the field... but then when I wanted to go to another field, the tedder would fold up (it has 4 wheels, 2 stay on the ground and 2 raise up, on each side to transport or go through gates) but the loader would drop down.,... had to do some fancy stuff to manage it but I did get 2 fields that I wanted tedded out....

Texted DS and said that I was sorry to have had to bother him with the hydraulic problems with the deutz tractor... and if he got the rake hooked to the 6600 for me, I would get all the raking done tomorrow. Supposed to be some sun and warmer, and then some sun/clouds on Sunday with possible showers coming in after noon.
DS is trying to get the other guy to get the trusses and purloins (?) done to get the roof on the hay barn... that should have been done weeks ago but he wouldn't show up to work half the time....

 

[farmerjan]

OOPS hit the post key...

Anyway... finally got done with all the stops and go' s and got home around 8:30... got the chickens in, set the trap, and came in the house.
Sauteed some fresh scallops in butter (2nd night in a row) as I wanted to make sure I got them eaten fresh.;.... ate a cut up tomato from a local "veg stand"...got the scallops and the tomato from the same place... they meet a seafood truck every 2 weeks or something and they sell a fair amount of the fresh seafood..... tomato was okay, not as good as out of the garden, but I wanted one... and mine will be late this year...

Just took a shower and headed to bed. It will be another fairly long day tomorrow getting it all raked... but at least it all ought to be dry... did not tedd out 2 small fields as it was getting late and I did not want to fight with the tedder/front end loader hydraulic situation... I know there is a better way to get it hooked up but just don't know the system well enough... will have to study what DS does and ask him some questions about it... I know how to do it on the 4600 Ford, but it doesn't have a loader/spear on the front. Not only do the loader arms go up and down, but the spear (or bucket) tilts up and down... so there are several hoses and all that. I don't know what is what and did not want to disconnect anything. I made do but want to rake the 2 small fields first tomorrow so if there are any "green spots" they will be turned up to the sun and breeze.

It was not quite as hazy today... more actual high clouds with the few scattered showers. We got some sprinkles and I stopped for a bout a half hour while they did their little 10 drop thing then stopped and then spit a few more out. I will be glad to wait for Sun/Mon to get some more and much needed rain.

51 up to 73... so not exactly a warm morning... Supposed to warm up a little then cool off with the rain, then get back to more normal temps by mid next week.

 

[Baymule]

@Bruce i loaded up that pile of leaves and horse manure with lime, because the the horse manure was fresh, not composted. The pile of leaves was about 6’ wide and 15’ long. Added a pick up load of fresh horse manure and lime.

Your compost should be ok, fresh manure causes scab.

 

[Ridgetop]

Getting a lot of hay made - sounds like the allergies are under control now that you are done with that other type of hay.

That RI R rooster cracks me up. When we used to raise straight lot chicks we would always have a coulpe roosters. When they first started to crow, they would do it really quietly to practice their squeaky noises. So funny. Used to be a lot of roosters around, even after our chickens were gone you could near neighbors' roosters. We really liked hearing them but none around now. May have to get some chickens in Texas just for fun.

 

[Mini Horses]

Saw this and maybe you have but sounds helpful with current rx trends....mastitis & somatic help.

New product may help farmers manage herd mastitis issues

No matter the season, mastitis is destructive and costly for dairy farmers. A new non-antibiotic animal device, OZOLEA-MAST, could be a solution to help farmers reduce severe mastitis cases.

www.agriculture.com