So here it is the last week of April, and this is usually full steam ahead for planting corn. But as you have read me lamenting (some would say complaining) about the cold and wet spring, here we wait. But we were determined to get the planter out for a dry run (wait, should I use the term "dry" when talking about the superiority of Liquid?). Anyway, while dodging raindrops we checked out the planter in the parking lot since we replaced the 3-point pickup with a tongue hitch, plus several other improvements with the goal of making our lives easier. It passed. 
Maybe I haven't mentioned that we are renting two more fields. They are close by, just up the road a bit from Farm 3. Doug, Stephanie and I went up there to take a look and do a few work things. We should have done this already, but I took some soil tests today. Both fields have been in grass hay production for a number of years. This year we will plant corn and soybeans. This being new ground for us, we really don't know anything about the fertility or physical characteristics. So we made guesses on pH, CEC, P and K levels. We have to make a game of everything these days to take our minds off of not being in the fields planting. But it is kind of fun making predictions.
Next we mapped the fields with the JD Apex software for future planting. One field is 13 acres and the other is 18. I guess these will be Farm 9 for reference purposes.
We now have lights in one of the new buildings on Farm 3. This is the future site of fertilizer, chemical and sprayer storage. So lights are nice for that sort of thing.
Here is our Master Electrician (literally) Ron A. making final checks on the control box. We are lucky to have him as he has done a great job with all of the buildings at the farm and the new plant in Ashley.
And the rest of the day was spent working on the tank control box for the new Hagie sprayer. Here Doug and Ron D. sort through the myriad of colored wires. It's getting close.
It's supposed to be wet the rest of the week, but we aren't the only ones it seems. Growing crops is a challenge in many areas of the country, either too wet or dry. It finally rained in parts of Oklahoma yesterday. My home town of Stillwater got 1.6 inches and SAM Jacob down by Shawnee got nearly 4 inches, but he said some of that was of the frozen type of rain. But either way, it was the first significant rain there since last October.
Maybe I haven't mentioned that we are renting two more fields. They are close by, just up the road a bit from Farm 3. Doug, Stephanie and I went up there to take a look and do a few work things. We should have done this already, but I took some soil tests today. Both fields have been in grass hay production for a number of years. This year we will plant corn and soybeans. This being new ground for us, we really don't know anything about the fertility or physical characteristics. So we made guesses on pH, CEC, P and K levels. We have to make a game of everything these days to take our minds off of not being in the fields planting. But it is kind of fun making predictions.
Next we mapped the fields with the JD Apex software for future planting. One field is 13 acres and the other is 18. I guess these will be Farm 9 for reference purposes.
We now have lights in one of the new buildings on Farm 3. This is the future site of fertilizer, chemical and sprayer storage. So lights are nice for that sort of thing.
Here is our Master Electrician (literally) Ron A. making final checks on the control box. We are lucky to have him as he has done a great job with all of the buildings at the farm and the new plant in Ashley.
And the rest of the day was spent working on the tank control box for the new Hagie sprayer. Here Doug and Ron D. sort through the myriad of colored wires. It's getting close.
It's supposed to be wet the rest of the week, but we aren't the only ones it seems. Growing crops is a challenge in many areas of the country, either too wet or dry. It finally rained in parts of Oklahoma yesterday. My home town of Stillwater got 1.6 inches and SAM Jacob down by Shawnee got nearly 4 inches, but he said some of that was of the frozen type of rain. But either way, it was the first significant rain there since last October.