The Official Farming Thread...

[JimBear]

June 2008 was horrible for all of Iowa north of Interstate 80, actually everyone north of Hwy 34. Those along the Mississippi from Dubuque IA/Galena ILon down got slammed also because of it. When you get down the Mississippi to the little town of Gulf Port IL (across from Burlington IA) it destroyed what is as left after 1993. The Mississippi levee broke there twice in 2008. I saw flood waters up to the second story windows just south of Hwy 34 on the Carman blacktop. At one point you could not cross Iowa from Hwy 20 at Dubuque to Hwy 34 at Burlington. All the Cedar River and Iowa River bridges (or approaches) were washed out. Interstate 80 at Tipton was under water. Iowa City and Cedar Rapids were torn up.

It was a helluva rough time for many.

I vaguely recall that, is that when Iowa City & Cedar Rapids flooded ?

An auction site south of Des Moines was selling field rocks for .$40 a pound.

There were some monstrous rock piles in NW North Dakota & Western Montana

 

[Bill G]

I believe this was Cedar Rapids.

 

[Bill G]

In 2008 I had eye surgeries that went horribly wrong and had to go to University Hospitals in Iowa City 3-4 days a week. Luckily it was July and the water had dropped but I saw a lot of damage with businesses that never reopened.

 

[jblnut]

I bet they were tough to load

They came in with a Cat 349 with a thumb. It picked them up like they were pebbles. Neat to watch.

 

[Bill G]

They came in with a Cat 349 with a thumb. It picked them up like they were pebbles. Neat to watch.

An excavator with thumb is a great tool. In the summer of 2022 my son had a dead 5' Oak taken down in his yard. He called and wanted to know if I wanted the wood. Of course I said yes. Well I went over on a Friday night and got one load but had tractor troubles ending up with me walking about 4 miles home. I got the tractor home and squared away Saturday morning and was going back after more when he called and said just come over and leave the tractor at home. I got over there and he had the Kenworth dump truck and excavator sitting there. He loaded the truck while I drank iced tea. That was the way to get firewood.

 

[Mastermind]

70 acres of pasture split between three areas.....all surrounded by woods. Big storms last night. One tree on my fences. I feel blessed.

 

[jblnut]

Back in Big John to finish till the stuff we picked the last few days.


44-1/2’ at a time at 7mph really gets stuff done in a hurry !! Planning to plant soybeans here tomorrow.

 

[Bill G]

I see dust........not here though

 

[Mastermind]

I see dust........not here though

Or here.

 

[JimBear]

Non here either in the fields, just on the gravel roads

 

[Bill G]

One of my son's works for Kent Feeds at their research farm. We were headed to the Husqvarna dealer tonight to drop off a 395 and drove by one of their "hay" fields. It is at the plant about 15 miles from the farm it was nothing but sporadic weeds. Sickest poo I have seen in years. I said "well it looks you can go like hell through that and it will not take many semis to haul it back" it is pure sand and everything around is irrigated so it is crap but in their defense the location does not lend itself to irrigation do to the position of neighboring businesses

 

[jblnut]

As I made my way across the field I noticed a rock that appeared to be moving …..


It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a snapper turtle this large around here !! He was an easy 18” across and had a foot long tail. I got out and tried to make friends but he was in a hurry and ran off.

 

[JimBear]

As I made my way across the field I noticed a rock that appeared to be moving …..
View attachment 419118

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a snapper turtle this large around here !! He was an easy 18” across and had a foot long tail. I got out and tried to make friends but he was in a hurry and ran off.
View attachment 419119

You didn’t offer to share your dinner with it ? They really like fingers & toes…

It wouldn’t of made it to the other side of the field if I would of seen it.

You are a good soul for letting it carry on.

 

[jakethesnake]

As I made my way across the field I noticed a rock that appeared to be moving …..
View attachment 419118

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a snapper turtle this large around here !! He was an easy 18” across and had a foot long tail. I got out and tried to make friends but he was in a hurry and ran off.
View attachment 419119

They’re not really friendly around here either

 

[Bill G]

You didn’t offer to share your dinner with it ? They really like fingers & toes…

It wouldn’t of made it to the other side of the field if I would of seen it.

You are a good soul for letting it carry on.

About 35 years ago we were doing a lot of dozing in one of our fields right on the top edge of the Mississippi River bluff. We kept finding snapping turtles everywhere. I have no idea what they were doing up there but I just moved them out of the way. I know some have turtle trouble but I find no harm in them.

 

[Bill G]

They’re not really friendly around here either

Well I am about the slowest person in the world but I can still outfox a turtle.

I will say when you catch a snapper on a bank line they really do not like having the hook took out of their mouth.

 

[jblnut]

Planting beans !! Now we’re farming. Everything up to this point was just playing with big kid sandbox toys

 

[Bill G]

Planting beans !! Now we’re farming. Everything up to this point was just playing with big kid sandbox toys
View attachment 419148

You done with corn already?

 

[jakethesnake]

Planting beans !! Now we’re farming. Everything up to this point was just playing with big kid sandbox toys
View attachment 419148

30”?

 

[jblnut]

You done with corn already?

Not even started with corn yet. I have some longer beans this year and I wanted to get them in first. Plus these fields are ready and the corn fields are still a little tacky. Pops is all sorts of flustered doing beans first

30”?

Yes. We used to drill them in on 12” spacing and had a ton of white mold issues. Switching to 30” rows helped quite a bit and we gained a bit of yield while planting less/acre. We plant around 120k shooting for 110k standing. We’ve also started putting Cruisermax and HeadsUp on the beans and that has made a huge difference as well.