Life on the Farm

[bjrogg]

Wow no snow, almost like what we have here.  Almost lost all our snow last week from rain and warm weather.

Plenty of fox here

Yeah we lost our snow to Marc. We never really had much in the first place. Seems like it’s been either cold or warm. Pretty mild for the most part. The heavy snow went north or south of us. Kinda like the rain did all year

Do you have the white phase Arctic fox Marc? We have red and grey. Some cross which I have been told is a phase. I’m not sure. No white ones though.

Bjrogg

[bjrogg]

I don’t know if I will be able to keep this thread going steady but I thought I might post a few things as things start rolling in 2023.

We made a few more changes to the planter. Put different row cleaners and fertilizer attachments on. I like them. They worked good.

Started planting sugar beets Last Thursday in perfect conditions. Excellent weather. We worked hard at it and by late Saturday night I finished planting our beets.

I’m feeling pretty good about them. The ground was perfect. Everything worked great.

Bjrogg

[bjrogg]

By Monday morning the first ones I planted had a nice tap root started and getting ready to push. The weather cooled off considerably though. Snow in the air .
Bjrogg

[bjrogg]

My dad always said to grow really good beets they have to get snowed on after you plant them and snowed on before you harvest them.

I guess we’re half way there.

He planted his first crop of sugar beets two days before I was born. 62 years ago.

Bjrogg

[bjrogg]

It’s starting to look like spring
Bjrogg

[chamookman]

Great start BJ ! Bob

[bjrogg]

I think so Bob. We like to have sugar beets planted by my birthday. April 16 th. We finished the night before and we still had 24 hours of nice weather after we finished. The ground was in really good condition. It’s cooled off now but I think we played our cards right. It’s alway a big gamble though. So far I feel good about everything.

It will have to warm up more before we plant anything else. Hopefully the beets will come up before we start planting other crops and I don’t have to worry about replanting them. Right now looks like we are in good shape. If they don’t come up we will be way behind.

Either way it’s not good planting conditions now and doesn’t look like it’s going to be anytime soon. So it’s nice to have them in.

In the meantime we have lots of other things to do.

Bjrogg

[Pappy]

Ya it is getting that time of year around here also, they got my corn in almost 2 weeks ago, big risk that early even here, supposed to be in the low 60's and 35 at night Saturday, a little windy so maybe it won't frost.
 Pappy

[bjrogg]

We are holding off planting corn yet Pappy.

Sugar beets don’t mind the cold as much as corn does. The cooler temperatures help keep the disease pressure down for them too.

The corn doesn’t do much when it’s cold. Sits in the ground waiting for it to warm up and everything else tries to kill or weaken it. If it comes up and gets frosted off it will grow back, but that puts it behind to. Its growing point is located at its seed so it has to freeze down to the seed to kill it.

Soybeans growing point is above ground so a frost can kill them.

Sugar beets are pretty though. They can take some very cold temperatures even if they are up. They are most vulnerable right as they are barely poking out of the ground.

Bjrogg

[Stoker]

Glad to see you back rolling out. Taters are starting to go in about a week ago around here SE Alberta. Wet snow for a couple days here. S.I.L is to wet in SW Saskatchewan. It's only April, can start in the garden with radishes and such for a start.
Thanks for sharing
Leroy

[bjrogg]

I’m guessing they started planting spuds west of us here by the bay. They like to plant them in the muck. A few have tried around here but unless they are in the muck, from what I understand they have to many tiny stones that the processors don’t like them for making chips.

Or maybe they are just telling us that to discourage us from planting them.

Thought we might have some sugar beets up by now but didn’t see any yet.

Still cool a drizzle but a little warmer last night.

Bjrogg

[M2A]

Spuds always seemed like way too much effort and input compared to the return. At least the way we did it on the scale we did. If you can make it work thats awesome tho. Not much muck ground around here. Interesting they'd put them in that.

Been pretty warm and dry here. Big difference from last year. I could go for another 6 weeks of it but looks like a cold front pushing through today with some rain. Dry, cool weather behind that so that will work, with apples in full bloom now. We got corn up under row covers. Nothing on bare ground yet, maybe planting some of that next week.

wishing the best for you this season BJ.

Mike     

[bjrogg]

Wishing you the best to Mike. Always start out the season full of dreams of bountiful harvest. Knowing that we only have so much control over if reality is a dream, or if it turns into a nightmare.

It has been cool and moist here for a week now. Looks like more of the same for at least another ten days.

The sugar beet’s still aren’t emerged yet. They still look healthy. I would really like to see them come out and get some sunlight, but they don’t seem to be in a hurry with these cool temperatures.

Highs in the 40’s and lows in the 30’s .

The ground is in good condition for emergence. No crust at all. Moisture right to surface, but not saturated or ponding.

I think they will make it, but I’ve been through some nightmares before too. So far I don’t think
they are hurting to bad yet. Just need some warmth to spur them on.

Bjrogg

[WhistlingBadger]

Hey, Brian, are you anywhere near Alpena?  We're thinking about a scouting trip this summer, as we're still considering retiring to Michigan (either upper mitten or UP).  It would be fun to get together for a cup of coffee.

[bjrogg]

Hey, Brian, are you anywhere near Alpena?  We're thinking about a scouting trip this summer, as we're still considering retiring to Michigan (either upper mitten or UP).  It would be fun to get together for a cup of coffee.

As the crow flies it’s not that far WB. But the Saginaw Bay gets in the way.

We always have to go south, before we can go north. I’m about ten miles south of Harbor Beach.

I would love to have all the Badgers over.

Bjrogg

PS the weather has been cool and damp. The first beets I planted looked like they were coming up good now. It’s really too wet to walk in the field right now, but that should be good conditions for them to emerge. Still talking snow showers next two days and then slowly warming up a bit.

PPS maybe you want to scout  the thumb.