July Rains!
July 10th, 2008 by Northern Farmer Things are out of the ordinary around here this week. We had us some July rains, first time in three years! I’m so very thankful, the corn is bursting in growth, the pastures should start regaining in a short time and things are just generally different than the past few years. Maybe, just maybe this drought is busted for a few years! But for now I’ll be cautious. After these last few years some habits have developed, like being a super tightwad. No choice in the matter, learned how to make do as never before and I think we’re in the habit of staying that way. Which means there should be some prosperous times if this holds. Don’t matter what the markets are, just give us an inch of rain every week in July and the other stuff ain’t important! That’s an old saying in the rural communities. And it speaks much truer than a person might think.
I ain’t going overboard thinking about what we’ll do with “a crop”, something that’s been sorely lacking for a few years. But it has crossed my mind today while hand chopping thistles along the electric fences, what do I do with all this corn if this keeps up?? Looks like I’ll give the neighbor’s old New Idea two row corn picker a workout this fall because I sure don’t need seventy five acres of good OP corn to fill the silage pit if this holds. Then there’s the Amish, they want to buy seed from me if this season cooperates, something it hasn’t done for a while. I told them I’d set them up with some dependable MN 13 OP corn and the rest is up to them. Up to now, during the month long dry spell we had, the OP corn of ours far out preformed the GMO corns in the surrounding area. The ground in those fields got rock hard, just depending on sprays that killed the weeds after the weeds had taken every bit of moister out of the ground resulting in badly twisting crops, some of which will not snap out of the stress they were under and already could be declared a disaster. It is in my eyes anyhow. Went to St Cloud last evening and on the way and on the way back these farmer eyes looked at and observed every corn field the thirty miles there and back, when we got near home the field of Goliath corn of ours was by far the best looking corn of the whole trip. Feels good!
The oats is doing very well, all headed out and a deep silvery green. It’ll be turning gold shortly and will be a pleasure harvesting those fields! Lord, its just so good seeing things returning to normal! I still am having a rough time adjusting myself to the fact that we’re getting some crops this year. There’s one more meadow to bale up, was going to do that today but got a half an inch of rain that didn’t get any hay baled up but one goofy farmer dancing for joy the second time this week!
These next couple of weeks will also be very, very busy with church stuff. Funny how a little country church can keep a farmer so busy! But I love it! I believe I have to figure out something to speak about two different times so I don’t know what that will do to blogging. But whatever! Plus I have to take a bunch of rocks to church this Sunday to build a fire pit for the little kids camp meeting. No shortage of that resource on this farm, so I figure to drive out to one pasture we got on Saturday and pile a bunch on the flatbed and haul them off to church Sunday. Just another service we preform for His Kingdom. But if we can be trusted hauling rocks for church we can be trusted with a whole lot more I figure! Gotta start somewhere.
Still haven’t had time to post pictures, the daughter is down in Oklahoma and thus I’ve lost my computer expert for a while. But soon things will be back to normal here and we’ll see what we can do. Gotta load of farm photos but, well, I hate computers and that should explain allot.
There’s allot of joy as I write this tonight, couldn’t rant if I tried. Only another farmer, or someone that really wants to be a farmer could understand this reality of pure joy that I’m talking about. The enduring the disasters for many straight years and then the joy of seeing life return to the farm! I just gotta praise the Lord because its all Him!
July 11th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
Tom,
It is good to hear that you are getting rain. Sure you don’t want a milk cow now?
We are still a little short on rain down here. Yesterday as the severe weather moved through we got .10 inch while 10 miles to the southeast they got an inch. Last night we got another .3 inches. Lightning and wind woke me up around 4am and I stayed awake for a while listening to see how hard it would rain. Funny how waiting for needed rain can make you turn to God and anxiously anticipate a good soaker.
Jim V
July 11th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
Jim,
We received about an inch and a half so far this week and the crops are looking fantastic! I’m pretty sure we should pick up more today/tonight, just hope it comes as rain, not solid!
I was believing for rain though and you know how the Bible says”faith without works is dead”? Well, to show my faith I figured I’d buy some ducks to show I was believing God for some rain and looks like those ducks that we have here might just be happy ducks!
I tell you, I’m soaking wet this early afternoon from the humidity! That’s sure different! They’re talking severe storms here this afternoon and tonight and it sure does feel like it. I just shut down the whole farm, locking doors and such so if something brews up this old farmer ain’t running around like a chicken with its head cut off trying to batten down the hatches
If things hold together around here Jim, I’ll be looking for a Jersey, but I’m so gunshy that I’ll wait till the silage crop is done with before I turn that direction, and if all else fails I could get a couple goats
July 12th, 2008 at 8:04 am
Tom,
Wayward goats heading your way. Use all the milk you want. Make the rest into stew!!
Brad
July 12th, 2008 at 10:41 pm
Hi Tom,
It’s great to hear about your crops! We could sure use more rain our way. It has rained, but the bulk of it has gone around us. Our garden vegetables are about a month behind, so the corn is only knee high now, and today we were all walking around in fall jackets! Hopefully things will improve soon. By the way, goats aren’t so bad — we are averaging about 2-1/2 gallons a day from them. We have thought of getting a Jersey cow, but reconsidered after friends bought one this past spring, and after taking a short trip discovered her dead in the shelter belt. They haven’t figured out what happened, but the vet ruled out anthrax.
July 13th, 2008 at 5:45 am
Brad,
I keep lookin to the southeast and if I see them goats of yours coming I’ll give you a holler! Good part about your goats is the farmer don’t have to worry about fences for them, and neither do the goats worry about them
Hi Lynn,
Everything is behind here too, but lookin much better this year than for many years. Cool mornings most of the time. But the main corn is about chest high and growing. Not too bad for the week after the fourth. Hey, them are really some good pictures of that tornado up your way, we sure can do without that stuff! There were a few in the area here Friday night, but nothing close by. Finished up baling meadows yesterday, but should start second crop of upland hay shortly after this week’s much needed rains. My prayer is that we can go through a winter where we have enough feed for the first time in a few years. Then this old farmer can relax his brain for a season
July 14th, 2008 at 7:30 am
“There’s one more meadow to bale up, was going to do that today but got a half an inch of rain that didn’t get any hay baled up but one goofy farmer dancing for joy the second time this week!”
Isn’t a little bit of “goofiness” a preresiquite for farming? : )
So glad you’re getting the rain you need!
God bless!
July 18th, 2008 at 9:59 pm
Glad hear to about the provision. God is good all the time, even in the times when we don’t see or feel it. I really enjoy reading your entries and sensing the love you have for the land, the process, and the Lord.
July 19th, 2008 at 9:45 am
Hi Theresa,
But all is going along much, much better than the last couple of years as far as the farming thing is concerned, in fact its drizzling as I write this Saturday morning and all is pretty green. The corn is taller than I can reach, of coarse I’m not all that tall!
Yup, goofiness is a preresiquite for farming, and it also helps if a person is half nuts
Hey Garth,
You are right, God is good, all the time! Sometimes it sure is easy to forget that. Oh boy, what a week around here, might write about it, might not, we’ll see. I got allot of things to hash through after this week. I’m so tired this morning I can hardly think, was trying to find some Bible verses before sunrise for Wednesday evening’s service and can’t even focus in on finding simple verses from the Gospels. So I’m delegating the search to the rest of the family members here while I continue working outside. I’m looking for where Jesus says that whatever you do to the least of these you do to me. Anyone knows where shoot me a comment and I’d be thankful. That just proves how shot I am if I can’t focus in and find that
But God is good , all the time! Glory!
July 29th, 2008 at 11:03 am
“I’m looking for where Jesus says that whatever you do to the least of these you do to me. Anyone knows where shoot me a comment and I’d be thankful. ”
In Jerusalem
…….. need anymore annoying help, let me know….. 