April Showers Bring May Flowers- Or Grass We Hope!

Ah, April.

Such a pretty month one of my favorites really. Spring is showing up, the grass is green, trees are getting their leaves and the temperature (while it goes up and down and changes every 15 minutes it seems, it is Kansas you know?) is nicer than winters but cooler than summer. Ahh. Spring. My favorite time of the year.

Spring brings new life. New life is important to any farmer. Whether it is a new baby calf, horse, sheep, goat or pig-- you choose your fancy, or seeing your wheat green and growing, corn once it is planted sprout or whatever plant you raise in the ground ready to come up and produce. It is a time for many housewives or househusbands, single ladies and gents to get their gardens started and flowers planted and to start the mowing season. Ah Spring.

Many people do not understand why agriculturists like ourselves have to burn our pastures and fields. There are many benefits to doing this for our type of work. As for many ranchers and farmers it is to keep the nutrients needed to help our animals grow and to keep weed and tree problems low.

Here are a few good posts explaining pasture burning:

• From The Pioneer Woman: Why We Burn Our Pastures
• From Rain Cow Ranch: Why Would A Grass Farmer Burn Pasture?
• From Backyard Ranch: Pasture Burning

All of these blogs describe why pasture burning is a necessity for farming operations. I understand that many are concerned for the environment and general safety of the public. But I can assure you that we work with EPA and the regulations in agriculture every day and we obtain our burn permits with our local fire stations and counties to help better your food. Plain and simple. We have to do things to help produce enough food for all of us to eat and these are just some of the ways we can effectively do just that. Every year the amount of food needing produced raises and even if you are a vegan or vegetarian, someone still has to produce your food and a lot of it. So next time you are eating whatever it may be, please do not just criticize us for how we do it and how you believe it is wrong. Take some time to find a farmer/rancher ask them questions and get the real advice from the person working every day to grow that meal for you to consume.  Many of you would be surprised to find out the #truth behind what really goes and on and why we burn pastures or use certain chemicals (that never reach you or I) in order to produce enough wholesome great tasting food for both of us to enjoy.

We have been blessed with some rain showers already and we were lucky enough to have all of our corn in the ground for that rain as well. A few of the pastures that were burned in our area are already turning green and beautiful with new fresh lush grass- and I can't wait to watch ours join them and the corn to sprout!

Sorry for all those that have those nasty allergies-- I know you hate spring, but as for me-- I'm getting my camera out and loving this time. Happy Spring!



The Milkmaid 


(P.S.- This is all from the beginning of April-- sorry for the late upload!)

Soybean Planting

I am writing from the fields again. It seems this is my only free time to write sometimes and sometimes the only time I get into the writing mood when I am in the action of the farm life.

This week we have a chance of rain! Hallelujah! We are in a pretty rough drought right now and are praying some of the storms bring rain to our fields. Some storms get so close and we watch them go by. It gets rough but we keep our faith and keep praying that we will get some rain too. My brother even got to do an interview with some of our fields about the drought on the local news.

The wheat crop is looking pretty rough this year. Last year we had 60-70 bushel crop where this year we are hoping for 30-35 bushel an acre. Remember we are an all dry land crop farm so we do not irrigate our crops since we don't have any water sources to do so. We wish we had some though!

Since we do have a good chance of rain, we have been trying to get all of our soybean fields planted and the fields sprayed. The other day my dad and I had to unload a semi with seed. The fertilizer truck came and at the same time the tractor needed fuel and was in the way when the feed truck came all while we were trying to clear the driveway so the milk truck could come. To say we were busy on the farm is almost an understatement. Oh and we were filling the sprayer to get back out in the field. We managed as always and I always think this is one of the most fun times because it is almost a thrill running around trying to get everything done.

Here are some pictures from this morning getting ready to start a field. Josh is filling the planter with soybean seed that has been treated. AJ is running the seed tender and adding talc to the soybeans as they exit the tender. I got to drive the truck with the nurse tank full of liquid fertilizer. We had quite the little parade this morning traveling to one of our far fields. Josh was in the tractor with the planter, I was behind him with the fertilizer and AJ last with the seed. Also, this isn't the same corn field but one planted close to the same time and how much the corn has grown since my last blog.

Have a great Memorial Weekend!

The Milkmaid