A Farming ?

Norm · June 02, 2009, 09:10:39 AM

I know we have a few folks on here that farm. I am trying to get a feel for how the planting season is going for you. Here, unlike last year, we've had ideal conditions for planting. I keep hearing that east of us has not been so lucky and would like to know what it's like in your area.

I pre-market quite a bit of our crop and the prices are good but if the eastern corn belt has to switch to beans it may affect the prices going forward.

timberfaller390 · June 02, 2009, 09:47:08 AM

Every thing here was put in the ground late, late, late due to too much rain. We lost the first cutting of hay because we couldn't get a dry week to bale. I am just now getting most of my crops sprouted and out of the ground. Actually if the rain had cooperated we could have already cut hay twice. Some of my cousins over in AL. are cotton farmers and they don't even have thier fields planted yet.

Maineloggerkid · June 02, 2009, 11:35:04 AM

Up here, it's been so wet that we are just getting ready to put stuff in the ground.

Faron · June 02, 2009, 11:41:06 AM

Our planter is rolling for the first time today. It is none too dry, either. Some crops mudded in last week in the area. We have kind of rolled the dice and sprayed corn herbicide, committing us to our planned corn acreage. I would think in our area some ground will go to beans instead of corn. Rain across northern Indiana yesterday and this morning. Dad heard a forecast predicting the Wabash will flood again. Not sure about the White in our area. 60% chance of thunderstorms tomorrow. This is southwestern Indiana.

We did manage to get our rye hay baled without getting wet.

JV · June 02, 2009, 12:24:24 PM

Our renters are done. We had a very narrow window open and the guys burned some midnight oil. A lot of notill done here with Roundup ready beans and corn, so they had last minute options. One renter has a 16 row planter and 30' and 20' notill drills, so he can plant a lot in one day. He can do both farms here in the length of time it took me to get my equipment out of the shed and get ready.

Modat22 · June 02, 2009, 03:34:13 PM

Most of the farms near me went in late late due to rain, the ones that went early are going to be short corn.

wi woodcutter · June 02, 2009, 08:41:06 PM

We were late here in Southern Wisconsin.

A good friend of mine runs 2,500 acres of his own and 2,000 custom. He has a 12 row and a 6 row and we were running them around the clock to get done last weekend.

Don_Papenburg · June 02, 2009, 11:19:42 PM

On the 21rst i got sweet corn planted for the first time this year. then I got field corn started on the 22nd. Got most done by the 24th . had a lake in one field that I had to drain ,planted around the swamp on the 30th . started putting on bean herbicides that afternoon . I have 6.5 acres of beans to finnish when it quits raining this week.

blame · June 03, 2009, 01:23:47 AM

i'd say that less then 50% of the crops here have been planted thou there ahas been alot of activity last 2 days

baronthered · June 03, 2009, 03:58:35 AM

Got the hay in but it keeps raining on the days it's dry enough finally to get something in the ground. >:(

zopi · June 03, 2009, 06:42:58 AM

We're a bit earlier than most of you guys...stuff went in late here..12" of rain in May alone. I don'r see alot of cotton going in here, very heavy on the corn and soybeans, first cutting of hay is cut baled and stacked...a week or two ago..

Faron · June 03, 2009, 07:04:28 AM

Raining again :(

Kansas · June 03, 2009, 07:35:48 AM

Crops went in in pretty good shape around here, outside of some washing problems from the 7 inches of rain we got right after most of the corn went in. Most people are no-till here, both the river bottom and hill ground. Got an inch of rain yesterday which we actually needed. My 33 acres of corn is about a foot tall. I probably ought to forward contract what the crop insurance covers, but being greedy, I'm holding out for more.

Norm · June 03, 2009, 07:45:28 AM

Thanks for all the info guys. I'm sorry to hear of all the rain and poor planting conditions. It reminds me of last year when we were just starting on beans about now.

Hopefully the markets keep going up to help compensate for the smaller yields.

CLL · June 03, 2009, 08:10:27 PM

Vast majority of farmers here have planted their corn for the second time. Had a guy up the road that said when he called the agent for them to come out and look at his corn that drown, the agent said they had so many filing just to go ahead and plant and send them the bill.

stonebroke · June 03, 2009, 09:02:51 PM

I hate to say this but we are actually a little dry. The crops went in early and are looking very well. Got two inches of rain last week. Until that the hay looked poor . the rest of NYS seems to have had more rain than us.

Stonebroke

Sprucegum · June 03, 2009, 09:29:17 PM

Seeding going full tilt here. This is mostly canola and wheat country with a bit of barley here and there. Hardly ever see a field of oats anymore.
The weather is bone dry and too cool, haven't had a decent rain since '05.

Don_Papenburg · June 03, 2009, 10:17:09 PM

First year since 83 that I have not had a field of oats . It was just too wet and almost too wet for the corn that took its place. there is still a small pond out there.

Norm · June 04, 2009, 07:07:16 AM

I've got 12 acres of oats this year. It's a cover crop, double crop for new seeded alfalfa. I wanted to seed r-r alfalfa but some dip fed judge has it's sales halted. I really need to cut my 7 acres of alfalfa now but the forecast is wet for a week.

Faron · June 04, 2009, 08:05:36 AM

Looks like we baled 396 5x5 rye bales off 44 acres. Probably a little more than 4.5 tons per acre. It is a good start to keep the cows fed this winter.