Week ending November 24th...

The last of the field work is close at hand.  We have wrapped up all our anhydrous ammonia applications and now only have some in-line ripping to finish on our Greenfield farms.  The weather has turned much colder and dry again.  What tiles were running are no longer.  Recent forecasts have put chances of rain in them and then removed them as the time has gotten closer.  Our hopes of going into winter with the soils fully charged are being dashed quickly; although we know we are better off than a lot of other farmers throughout the Midwest. 

The new rail spur being built on the South side of Jacksonville is going up fast.  This new facility will hold two million bushels of grain and has the capacity to dump 20,000 bushels per hour.  This is the third rail shuttle facility to be built in our area.  And rumour has it that a fourth will be built North of us in Menard County very soon.  Read more about the Bartlett expansion at http://www.bartlettandco.com/viewNews!details.do?newsArticle.id=76.

We continue to make 2013 seed and herbicide decisions as well as clean up fall equipment.  We hope to take in the Greater Peoria Farm Show this week too. 

 Loading the dry fertilizer into the strip-till bar 

Custom strip-tilling down in Loami 

The new railroad shuttle being built in South Jacksonville. 

Bartlett Grain expected to be online by July 2013.

The newer CaseIH tractors now take Urea to clean the exhaust so they meet the Tier 4 emissions requirements 

Owen getting in his last yard work of the year before the weather turned cold

Week ending November 4th...

Another busy week around the farm.  Earlier in the week I attended the Ag Engage seminar in Decatur.  Myself along with Wentworth Family Farms from Downs, IL were asked to present on "marketing our business."  We discussed blogging, having a website, farm resumes, etc.  It was a lot of fun and we got to see many friends we had not seen in a while.

Later in the week the anhydrous ammonia applications resumed.  With the forecast of heavy rains coming we decided to run three toolbars to try and get finished.  The rains arrived slightly ahead of schedule, but we are very close to wrapping it all up.  The rains dropped an even inch on us which should get the tiles running as we head into winter.  The forecast is for sunny weather for the next 10 days which should allow us to wrap up our fall work.  We continue to wash and put away the harvest equipment.  And meeting season has started as we continue to work on end of year financials and cropping plans for 2013. 

Ag Engage seminar in Decatur 

Getting an early start as the forecast was for 100% chances of rain 

Slip plating the inside of the big grain cart - hopefully, this will make higher moisture corn slide down into the auger hole easier

Early November update...

Since my last update we have wrapped up our primary tillage operations and begun applying anhydrous ammonia where we plan to grow corn next year.  Clean up of harvest equipment continues and cropping plans for next year along with seed selections are being made.  Recent rain showers have continued to replenish our soils from this summer's past drought.  We are very close to having the field tiles and creeks start to run again.  These frequent rains give us short windows to wrap up field work. 

Tomorrow is Election Day.  Please make sure if you are registered to vote, you exercise that opportunity; regardless of which party or candidate you vote for.  Many of our ancestors have died in order to give us that right of democracy. 

Waiting on the ground to dry 

Fixing cracks on the grain cart frame 

 Adding tile to the Elkhart farm

In-line deep ripping on the Elkhart farm 

Strip-tilling outside Ashland