Memorial Day...

For the week we were able to plant 138 acres of corn where it was dry enough on Monday.  Bob also touched up 35 acres out of an 80 that needed replanting and spotting in due to poor or no stands of corn plants at all.  We have managed to plant all our intended corn acres with exception of the two farms that continue to be wet.  We have already decided to switch a field that had nitrogen applied last fall from corn to soybeans because it is just too wet.  I don't remember ever having to take preventive plant as part of our crop insurance, but this may be the year.  The drop dead date for corn in our area is June 5th which is right around the corner. 

On a brighter note, we did have areas that were dry enough to begin planting more of our soybeans, so we switched both planters over from the corn to soybeans settings.  We had a good two days of soybean planting and we were able to cover half of our intended acres.  

Rain set in on Saturday and has dropped sporadically all weekend.  Totals are now approximately an inch.  This slow rain will help our last planted corn emerge, but will also keep us out of the fields until early June.  When it dries out, we will try to wrap up our 2013 planting season, get our sprayers started on corn and begin mowing roadsides as the grass has a tremendous head start on us.  

Please remember to hang your flag out today as a sign of appreciation to all those who paid the ultimate price for our freedom.  

Owen & Max riding along in the tractor 

My co-pilots on Friday evening 

Command central - a look at all the monitors it takes to operate our planter 

Hauling seed beans back from our dealer 

Tom headed out to try out the new double basket crumbler

Bob greasing the Kinze planter 

A view out the back window of the tractor

Needed a little help getting out of this soft spot I found while planting soybeans Friday evening

David power washing on the planter