The worse thing in the winter for a farmer is when the water to the livestock freezes up. This past Wednesday that very thing happened here. The water to the horses froze up. Tim replaced the heater and it still didn't work. Three days later he got it thawed out, fixed, rewrapped and working again, all while battling 18 degree temps, snow and blowing winds. Where was I? In the warmth and comfort of my house looking out. I did have a hot meal ready when he came in the house but this cold is not for me. To tell you the truth usually this time of year we are planted in lounge chairs on the warmest beach we can find. This year we decided to go later.
This frozen water problem usually happens while we are vacation. My poor dad usually has to deal with it and that always gets us a call. Then the guilt settles in for about 10 minutes. Dad will call one of Tim's friends tell him to bring his wife's hair dryer and they would get it fixed. Of course we would hear all about it when we got home.
Hopefully this year the problem has happened while we are here and things will go smooth while we are relaxing on the beach where the temps are always in the 80's, very little rain and a lot of sunshine. We will sit and think of all the project we want to do on the farm this year, the things we need to purchase, and who we need to sell (Andy you are safe, we mean the animals).
So if my dad calls any of you, would you grab the hair dryer and help him out? We would greatly appreciate it, and we will try to bring back some of the great temps!
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Monday, January 2, 2012
Oh To Be An Eagle!
Saturday Tim and I went to watch the Eagles down by the Des Moines River in the Saylorville area. Us and about 25 other carloads. It was a beautiful 50 degree day and the area was full of Eagles, there must have been about 22-25 of them. They were sitting in the trees. Then they would take flight over the water and just glide it was beautiful to watch. We took pictures hoping to get a "Great" shot to maybe frame. First off We need to be able to see, yes Tim, I mean you as well. We are at the age where one can not see close up but if I have my glassess (me), cheaters for Tim we can not see far away, that doesn't make it easy to take pictures. But we tried.
We then went to lunch and ran some more errands. On the way home we saw three eagles in the neighbors bean field and then low and behold we pull into our driveway and there is a Eagle sitting at the top of tree along the timber. Absolutely thrilled us to death. I wanted to drive closer to take more pictures, but the ground out here is a little soggy. As soon as we get into the house I run to get the binoculars so I can keep watch and wouldn't you know it another tree is in my way I can not see him or her. Not to worry a couple of hours later it moved to a tree where we watched it from the living room. We watched it until it got to dark to see it any longer. It didn't do anything but sit, probably starring at us!
First thing this morning Tim grabs the binoculars and goes cruising outside to find it. With 50 mile an hour winds all night it could be in Illinois some where. No such luck, yet! But how cool, now if it would find a partner and they would build a nest I would never leave the farm. Yes were glued to the Decorah Eagles last spring and we actually found our own Eagles nest to stalk east of my dad's house. We would drive over frequently to check things out. They hatched out eggs as well you just couldn't get a close up.
This is our Eagle, yes I am claiming it, now to give it a name! If it comes back!
Friday, December 23, 2011
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Farmers Rock!
Five years ago today my family found out how dangerous farming could be. My dad was involved in a horrible accident resulting in losing his right arm. Two days later he had a heart attack and had to have 4 stints put in. He is doing well and has adjusted very well to his handicap, and still farming!
Farmers are amazing! No matter the obstacles that may stand in their way they find a way around them. My dad is no exception. We are in awe. The first spring after the accident dad was still a little leary on being out by himself but he did. He was spraying and the hoses came off the sprayer. They are usually held in place with zip ties. Try using zip ties with one hand. Dad used duct tape, a lot of duct tape. Red Green has nothing on my family (he has shows and books on usages for duct tape).
At a times like this you find out who your friends are, who steps up to help without being asked. You hear about it all the time on the local news when farmers pitch in and help. It was no different in the Woodward-Granger area. Dad had finished getting the harvest in just the day before the accident but the fall prep work still needed to be done and the local farmers came to the aid. I let Andy stay home from school so he could take pictures and video it. I then made the photos into a slideshow for dad a couple of years ago. He is very proud of it, he has the pictures in a photo album by his chair and every once in awhile he will ask me to reprint a picture so he can give it to someone who was probably there to help.
Full time farmers like my dad are a generation that is dying out. I attended a wake tonight for a farmer who passed away this week he was 88. He was my Dad's neighbor while he was growing up and later became his landlord and friend. About six or seven years ago Joe wanted to sell his pickup, he wasn't driving anymore and had no use for it. He asked my dad if he wanted to buy it under one condition. The condition being that the hampshire pig sticker stay on the doors of the truck. Dad still has it pig sticker and all. Tim helped Dad fix the tire tonight and get it started, we are going to place it in Joe's field. Tomorrow when the funeral procession goes past it to the cemetery Joe's will have one last salute the farmers way.
I am getting away from my point here but I just wanted to share how I see a farmer. There is just something about a farmer that when it comes right down to it they are there for their fellow farmers. I can't really put it into words but I am proud my dad is a farmer, that my husband would love to be a full time farmer and that my son wants to be somewhat a farmer.
I am sharing Dad's video. Thanks to all the farmers and friends that helped that day it meant more than any of you will every know.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Sounds of the Farm
I wish I knew how to tape sounds, or to even have the device to tape sounds. I probably do but just don't know it. I was outside yesterday afternoon enjoying probably our last 70 degree day, and just started laughing. If I had neighbors they would have thought I had gone mad, but if I had neighbors they would think we are mad.
This past weekend Tim moved all of the cows and calves back home. We have 13 cows with 12 calves, 1 bull and then 9 calves that will be going to the locker in February, plus Lucky and Lucy the two calves we have bottle fed and will be friends for life. So there is a lot of mooing going on especially from Lucky who has been the only one around since May and getting all the attention. As soon as she sees Tim or I she really starts the mooing. I think she is telling us she is not happy with all the new animals.
We also have Cocoa my new mini donkey we added in September. I am not sure about donkey's mating ritual but it seems like he makes a lot of noise when Punkin is in heat. Cocoa's voice is not like you would think a donkey's would be and definitely not like Donkey's in Shrek. Part of it comes out and then it gets horse (no pun intended). It is funny especially when you hear it at 3 in the morning.
Then add the 1 guinea, three peacocks, 4 roosters and two barking dogs. Yesterday while I was outside it was like they were all trying to get my attention!
Our closet neighbors are about two miles away by road but two fields away the old fashion way. So I am sure if the winds blows right or maybe if there is no wind they can hear this and bet they are glad they are not right next door. Some day I will have to go to the neighbors and just listen to hear what they hear. Maybe that is why they do not come visit!
This past weekend Tim moved all of the cows and calves back home. We have 13 cows with 12 calves, 1 bull and then 9 calves that will be going to the locker in February, plus Lucky and Lucy the two calves we have bottle fed and will be friends for life. So there is a lot of mooing going on especially from Lucky who has been the only one around since May and getting all the attention. As soon as she sees Tim or I she really starts the mooing. I think she is telling us she is not happy with all the new animals.
We also have Cocoa my new mini donkey we added in September. I am not sure about donkey's mating ritual but it seems like he makes a lot of noise when Punkin is in heat. Cocoa's voice is not like you would think a donkey's would be and definitely not like Donkey's in Shrek. Part of it comes out and then it gets horse (no pun intended). It is funny especially when you hear it at 3 in the morning.
Then add the 1 guinea, three peacocks, 4 roosters and two barking dogs. Yesterday while I was outside it was like they were all trying to get my attention!
Sunday, October 23, 2011
It Is Always Something!
"Farming is not easy, if it was more people would be a farmer." I use this quote frequently around our farm, especially the past couple of weeks when my dad, Tim and Andy are trying to get the crops out of the field.
Two weeks ago Andy exploded a battery when he put the cables from the battery charger on the tractor wrong. He was lucky he was in the tractor and not standing by it or we would be talking about a hospital visit. The next day he had a flat tire on the tractor he was using, lesson learned for him: You have to change the tire not just put air in it. This past Sunday the poor kid hit (just grazed no damage) my dad's new tractor. My dad's first brand new tractor in lord knows how long and Andy had to be the one to hit it. Of course he will never live it down even though there was no damage.
We have had grain bin dryers that didn't work. The bin repair people worked on one four days in a row with the same problem. As soon as they leave it would break again. Then the grain bin at our house broke. Tim would come home from work and have to work on the bin.
Then, we are not done yet...The combine broke down. That was a two day fix. This was all happening while the weather was beautiful and you kept hearing the local weather people telling farmers to wait until it rains to get the crops out because of it being dry and the potential for field fires. Now what is wrong with that advice? These people obviously have never farmed. You can not combine crops in the rain. Fires are a hazard that farmers deal with much like the weather, there is no control. Just be prepared! And my dad was, he made sure there was a fire extinguisher in the combine and a disc hooked up to a tractor. I stayed home the days they combined beans at my house, just incase.
One weekend the joke was anything Tim touched he broke. None of which was his doing and thank goodness he could fix it but hoses were coming off the tractors, the 4-wheeler froze up, the tractors that were running the auger were not working. It was just one thing after another.
Tuesday they finished all my dad's fields! Yea!
We rent some ground from Tim's mom and we are also in a 50/50 with someone on some more ground. It was time to start the harvest at these fields. We hire a friend of Tim's to combine those fields because it was closer for the them. Everything went well on Wednesday evening combining the small field at his mom's. Thursday while driving the combine to another field a wheel fell off of the combine. Scott (the owner of the combine) was so lucky he kept it under control. The road was shut down for several hours until everything could be moved. Needless to say the combine is out of commission. My dad who happen to be on the phone at the time with Scott, calls his combine man and he comes to our rescue. Now dad's combine operator is combining and Scott's crew is hauling what a combination, but it works. Now the Ethanol plant we are hauling to is getting to much corn and shut down on Friday at noon and then again this past Saturday at noon. So hopefully Monday we can be done and then begins the prep work for next year.
You might wonder what I do if I am not hauling grain and I am definitely not working on broken equipment? I am the taxi driver. I take them to the fields or pick them up when they get the equipment to the field. I am also the lunch lady. On the weekends I make sure they have one hot lunch but most of the time it is just sandwiches because they eat on the go. No stopping! A farmer starts when it is day light and they go til dark. I also usually have dinner ready as well if I am not working. I am also the photography, I love to document everything with a picture. I have so many pictures of tractors, cows, chickens it is a little ridiculous.
So you see it takes a small army to farm, a army that loves to be outside, that can work on anything that can basically take anything that is dished out and still laugh about because at the end it all gets done!
Two weeks ago Andy exploded a battery when he put the cables from the battery charger on the tractor wrong. He was lucky he was in the tractor and not standing by it or we would be talking about a hospital visit. The next day he had a flat tire on the tractor he was using, lesson learned for him: You have to change the tire not just put air in it. This past Sunday the poor kid hit (just grazed no damage) my dad's new tractor. My dad's first brand new tractor in lord knows how long and Andy had to be the one to hit it. Of course he will never live it down even though there was no damage.
We have had grain bin dryers that didn't work. The bin repair people worked on one four days in a row with the same problem. As soon as they leave it would break again. Then the grain bin at our house broke. Tim would come home from work and have to work on the bin.
Then, we are not done yet...The combine broke down. That was a two day fix. This was all happening while the weather was beautiful and you kept hearing the local weather people telling farmers to wait until it rains to get the crops out because of it being dry and the potential for field fires. Now what is wrong with that advice? These people obviously have never farmed. You can not combine crops in the rain. Fires are a hazard that farmers deal with much like the weather, there is no control. Just be prepared! And my dad was, he made sure there was a fire extinguisher in the combine and a disc hooked up to a tractor. I stayed home the days they combined beans at my house, just incase.
One weekend the joke was anything Tim touched he broke. None of which was his doing and thank goodness he could fix it but hoses were coming off the tractors, the 4-wheeler froze up, the tractors that were running the auger were not working. It was just one thing after another.
Tuesday they finished all my dad's fields! Yea!
We rent some ground from Tim's mom and we are also in a 50/50 with someone on some more ground. It was time to start the harvest at these fields. We hire a friend of Tim's to combine those fields because it was closer for the them. Everything went well on Wednesday evening combining the small field at his mom's. Thursday while driving the combine to another field a wheel fell off of the combine. Scott (the owner of the combine) was so lucky he kept it under control. The road was shut down for several hours until everything could be moved. Needless to say the combine is out of commission. My dad who happen to be on the phone at the time with Scott, calls his combine man and he comes to our rescue. Now dad's combine operator is combining and Scott's crew is hauling what a combination, but it works. Now the Ethanol plant we are hauling to is getting to much corn and shut down on Friday at noon and then again this past Saturday at noon. So hopefully Monday we can be done and then begins the prep work for next year.
You might wonder what I do if I am not hauling grain and I am definitely not working on broken equipment? I am the taxi driver. I take them to the fields or pick them up when they get the equipment to the field. I am also the lunch lady. On the weekends I make sure they have one hot lunch but most of the time it is just sandwiches because they eat on the go. No stopping! A farmer starts when it is day light and they go til dark. I also usually have dinner ready as well if I am not working. I am also the photography, I love to document everything with a picture. I have so many pictures of tractors, cows, chickens it is a little ridiculous.
So you see it takes a small army to farm, a army that loves to be outside, that can work on anything that can basically take anything that is dished out and still laugh about because at the end it all gets done!
Monday, October 3, 2011
Oh Chicken Poo!
Did you know that the average chicken poops 30 lbs per year? Why are you asking is this something you need to know? You don't! But I was wondering as Tim and I cleaned out the chicken house this weekend. We got to talking and couldn't remember when the last time we cleaned it out. That is bad! I am sure it was sometime this past summer we just couldn't remember when. We have 40 chickens that is 1200 lbs of poo! I swear it was all in the chicken house and why? These birds get to go outside whenever they want why not do their duty outside?
So I got online to find out that chickens poo before they fly and when they get scared. They do not poo when they are sleeping. SO, they can not fly in the chicken house (there is nests and roosts) so they must be getting scared! I have noticed a lot of feathers lately thought maybe they just drop them because of the weather change, but I haven't found any dead chickens.
We leave the dogs out in the summer so they can chase away critters. We hear them bark during the night but I never see anything. We once set up a live trap after losing 26 guineas and caught a rim horn owl. He was a pretty owl but he wasn't a nice owl. I got to look at him all day as we tried to decide what to do with him. (It is against the law to shoot them) We called the DNR and they said we should release him at least 15 miles away.
So getting back to poo. I found out that breeder hen litter goes for $19.67 per ton. We would only be about 800 lbs shy of making $20. (Tim is laughing right now because I am always trying to find ways to make money on the farm from the most random things). Next problem who would buy it? I can not see charging for poo!
Did you also know that one chicken lays 260 eggs a year. Forty chickens minus 5 roosters and we SHOULD have about 9100 eggs a year, that is 758 dozen eggs to sell. Notice the should! We seem to be a "do not get rid of" farm. We have some old chickens. Chickens only lay eggs for about two years and their meat is only good for three years. We have some chickens that bless their little hearts have stayed around for about six years now. What are we suppose to do with them? Tim has had to shoot roosters (we have had a few that would try to fight us) but I do not think my hunter can shoot a hen especially when they come wobbling toward us at feeding time and can not wait for the bread crumbs or the sweet corn we are giving as treats.
I remember when I was a kid my family and my Grandma would dress about 100 chickens. That would mean that Grandma would pull their necks (us kids would love to watch them flapping around, it was our job to get them from under the vehicles). They would then put them in hot water and pull off the feathers. My Grandma would then chop off their heads and feet. We would clean some more then my dad would cut into pieces and we would put into freezer bags. Easy! (of course we kids didn't do any of the work).
Now it is our turn and I do not think I have the stomach for it. There are no lockers around that do this anymore (I have checked!) So what do we do? If anyone has any ideas or would like to help and do not mind doing most of the work if my stomach gets to me, let us know? We need to do something soon. We have more egg customers than eggs right now and I can not get more chickens until we do something with the old.
And I thought this farming stuff would be easy!
So I got online to find out that chickens poo before they fly and when they get scared. They do not poo when they are sleeping. SO, they can not fly in the chicken house (there is nests and roosts) so they must be getting scared! I have noticed a lot of feathers lately thought maybe they just drop them because of the weather change, but I haven't found any dead chickens.
We leave the dogs out in the summer so they can chase away critters. We hear them bark during the night but I never see anything. We once set up a live trap after losing 26 guineas and caught a rim horn owl. He was a pretty owl but he wasn't a nice owl. I got to look at him all day as we tried to decide what to do with him. (It is against the law to shoot them) We called the DNR and they said we should release him at least 15 miles away.
So getting back to poo. I found out that breeder hen litter goes for $19.67 per ton. We would only be about 800 lbs shy of making $20. (Tim is laughing right now because I am always trying to find ways to make money on the farm from the most random things). Next problem who would buy it? I can not see charging for poo!
Did you also know that one chicken lays 260 eggs a year. Forty chickens minus 5 roosters and we SHOULD have about 9100 eggs a year, that is 758 dozen eggs to sell. Notice the should! We seem to be a "do not get rid of" farm. We have some old chickens. Chickens only lay eggs for about two years and their meat is only good for three years. We have some chickens that bless their little hearts have stayed around for about six years now. What are we suppose to do with them? Tim has had to shoot roosters (we have had a few that would try to fight us) but I do not think my hunter can shoot a hen especially when they come wobbling toward us at feeding time and can not wait for the bread crumbs or the sweet corn we are giving as treats.
I remember when I was a kid my family and my Grandma would dress about 100 chickens. That would mean that Grandma would pull their necks (us kids would love to watch them flapping around, it was our job to get them from under the vehicles). They would then put them in hot water and pull off the feathers. My Grandma would then chop off their heads and feet. We would clean some more then my dad would cut into pieces and we would put into freezer bags. Easy! (of course we kids didn't do any of the work).
Now it is our turn and I do not think I have the stomach for it. There are no lockers around that do this anymore (I have checked!) So what do we do? If anyone has any ideas or would like to help and do not mind doing most of the work if my stomach gets to me, let us know? We need to do something soon. We have more egg customers than eggs right now and I can not get more chickens until we do something with the old.
And I thought this farming stuff would be easy!
Aren't they cute!
That was our Owl friend. We moved him to
Webster City.
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