Planting season begins...

Sunrise FS spreading our Ammonium Sulfate

Mom's journey ends...

On Wednesday evening, with family gathered around her, Mom passed away from her 76 day battle with a brain tumor. She departed this world in comfort and peace and she now looks down on us from the heavens above. Mom was a great lady with an enchanting smile and a personality to match. She will be sorely missed. Thank you to all who have prayed for her and our family these last few months. Her visitation will be Sunday at the First United Methodist Church on the corner of Koke Mill and Wabash in Springfield, IL from 3 to 7 pm. Memorial services to be held on Monday at the church at 10:30 am. To view the slide show that will be shown during her services, visit - http://obits.dignitymemorial.com/dignity-memorial/obituary.aspx?n=Maralee-Johnson&lc=4061&pid=156630298&mid=5041217&locale=en-US and click on the "view photo gallery" below her picture. Love you Mom!

We have not yet planted any corn, but it does appear will we start this week. Above is a picture taken on April 9th, 1981 of our tractor and corn planter. Apparently, 31 years ago April 9th was too early to get started planting...

Below is a picture of ESN "Smart Nitrogen" prills that we have recently spread. We are splitting a few fields to see if the ESN could possibly take the place of side-dressed nitrogen. The ESN is not supposed to begin breaking down until the soil temperatures reach 60 degrees and then breaks down layer by layer giving the corn a continuous source of additional nitrogen through late spring/early summer.

Spring is here...

Despite the fact that is it only the middle of March, it seems as though spring has arrived. We have begun working some of our continuous corn acres, but have yet to put any seed in the planter and head to the field. The soil temperature is already as warm now as it was last year when we started planting corn on April 6th. We are trying to be patient and wait until early April to begin planting. I have seen a few mobile phone photos of planters running in Christian County to our Southeast and a few in the Pleasant Hill bottoms in Pike County. We are making final adjustments and improvements on the planters and we even are getting the lawn mowers out and serviced. I anticipate a few local planters starting next week and the last week of March should be a busy week if the current weather forecast of warmer than anticipated weather continues. We are still very dry and hoping that this weekend's 60% chance of rain will equate into a good and soaking rain. Seed corn is still being delivered as well as our spring herbicides. The chickweed and henbit already have established themselves quite well in the strip-till fields and few others. Our plan is to spray them with 2,4-D soon while they are growing good and not too big. Spring is here...ready or not!

Owen taking his first tractor ride of the spring.

A view out the back window of the Quadtrac working ground.


Bob running the Turbo Disk over fall chiseled corn stalks.

Owen & Max taking a ride in their John Deere Gator. Spring fever hit them early this year...