Sidedressing corn with anhydrous ammonia

What a great past week of weather!  We are excited to have all soybeans planted as of May 11th!  Currently we are sidedressing corn and preparing to spray the growing corn crop.  I’ve included a few pictures of our sidedressing operation in action… this year we are using a 60 foot wide applicator for 28% liquid fertilizer and a 40 foot wide apanhydrous ammonia.  The fertilizer test plot was finished on Saturday, and we look forward to tracking the progress.  The 30 acre plot is divided into 3 sections… fall anhydrous ammonia application, spring applied 28% and spring applied anhydrous.

Working in corn planted April 10th

Applying 28% with the 24-row applicator

This corn was planted on April 3rd

Site preparation for the fuel site

The weather has continued to remain unseasonably warm, and last week provided an excellent opportunity to begin a few key field operations…. spraying a herbicide “burndown” on acres going to nongmo soybeans and a preplant “weed and feed” (herbicide with 28% liquid fertilizer) on corn acres, working a little ground and planting some corn.  We also hauled rock for the liquid fertilizer and fuel sites, installed a hose reel on the sprayer nurse trailer, used our new laser to improve surface drainage on a few farms, delivered some older, unused machinery to sell at an upcoming auction and installed conduit on our liquid fertilizer complex for water drainage.  The forecast for the following week looks favorable, and we hope to continue spraying to kill the weeds that are rapidly growing in the fields.  A crane is scheduled to arrive on Tuesday to move our starter fertilizer tank into the containment structure and set the bulk diesel tank on the new pad.

Concrete for the fuel pad

3" hose reel

Dennis spraying preplant "weed and feed" on corn acres

Calibrating the starter fertilizer rate... target rate is 6.5 gallons/acre

Using an old mower and belt to "simulate planting speed," the buckets beneath each row catch the starter fertlizer. The product in each bucket is then measured for confirmation.

Planting corn!

Craig spreading rock around the liquid fertilizer containment

The sump hoses pump water out of the containment into the pvc conduit that discharges the water

Blake delivering seed... boxes are rolled to the back of the semi-trailer and picked up with our forklift.

We took delivery of two tanks and the second installment of seed today.  Our new starter liquid fertilizer and diesel fuel tanks were delivered this morning… although the projects have been organized separately over the past few months, both tank manufacturing companies delivered within an hour of each other!  Great timing!  The site preparation and concrete pad for the diesel fuel tank should be complete by the end of the week, and we anticipate a crane arriving to set each tank in a couple weeks.  Blake also delivered our Dekalb seed today, and we hope to have the balance of the corn delivered in the coming week.  Other current farm activities include hauling rock for the new fuel site and preparing equipment.  Beautiful weather!

Seed is arriving!

Duane covering roof vent hole on new starter tank

Starter tank arriving and being maneuvered next to the containment

Raising tank off the trailer

Diesel fuel tank arriving from Mt. Vernon

A crane will move this 10,000 gallon diesel fuel tank once the concrete pad has been poured.

Repairing a tile hole behind Duane's... with the dog supervising.

conditions also allowed us to complete our RTK guidance lines for spring applications.  Blake removed the antenna, receiver and display monitor from the planting tractor and installed it in our Kubota RTV.  By driving around field and waterway borders, he saved the guidance points… which can be used year-after-year and are repeatable within 3 inches.  We anticipate better future application of products.  The first delivery of seed corn arrived today… Spring is rapidly approaching!

Tile materials and tools

Water running through the tile system

Replacement section of tile

Blake and Toby (his dog) saving guidance lines in fields

Guidance equipment

Blake driving field border

1st batch of seed has arrived

Little red grain truck

 Great weather has continued to be a theme, and we have taken advantage with outdoor activities.  Our little red grain truck has been transformed into the starter fertilizer nurse truck for spring, which involves inserting a 1,600 gallon tank, pump and hose system into the back of the truck.  We store the nurse system on an old rack wagon tucked in the corner of a shed through the

starter fertilizer nurse system... out of storage

winter.  We will begin shuffling equipment out of the shed tommorrow to prepare for seed delivery.  We anticipate our first delivery next week.  The decision to take delivery of all our seed prior to planting has paid dividends the past 3 years.  The flexibility has been key with the weather’s unpredictability. 

Finished product... field ready!

  We also tackled a grain bin project last week.  The bin (one we use for drying corn) has a liner on the inside which allows air to flow between the bin wall and grain.  To ensure that the air flow isn’t restricted for fall 2012, we removed the liner and cleaned between it and the wall.  We also took up the bin’s floor and cleaned out any ground-up corn that had sifted through the aeration gaps in the floor.  The bin floor sits 17″ higher than the concrete to allow air to move up through the grain in the bin.  We are also installing a 3rd centrifical fan to the bin for additional drying capacity.  Generally, this bin will dry corn from 25-17% moisture.  We have booked a portion of our LP needs for fall drying, and we hope our “spring cleaning” will allow for more efficient use of the propane!

Scaffolding erected inside a bin to remove the liner

  Dennis is currently in the shop conducting ”pre-plant” maintanence on the corn planter, but took a break to attend the Farm Machinery Show in Louisville over the weekend.  We have ordered tanks for our starter fertilizer and bulk fuel projects… currently lining out details prior to delivery. 

Exciting time on the farm… Spring is just around the corner!

Concrete forms for new centrifical fan on grain bin

Final product

Sweeping corn bin

The last two weeks have provided great weather for delivering corn.  We anticipate finishing up this round of corn hauling next week, then hope to haul some rock to driveways and bin sites.  Heavy equipment and the seasons have ground down some of the rock, and hauling in new has become an annual event.  Some of the spring equipment has been moved into the shop… Spring is just around the corner! 

Scooping corn

Logan working the food drive

 for Ag Producers.  The two-year program allows producers to improve their managment skills and broaden their network of peers across the country.  The program http://tepap.tamu.edu/  is administered by Texas A&M… I’ve also included the topics covered this year  http://tepap.tamu.edu/2012%20Unit%20II%20schedule.pdf  . 

Grant greeting shoppers.

  Logan and I also had the opportunity to participate in a “restock the local food pantries” event at Kroger in Decatur.  Organized by Big Brothers and Big Sisters, volunteers   Altogether, the three locations collected over 1,870 food items and around $220 in monetary donations.

Trucks in line waiting to unload.

Since my update earlier this month, we have continued hauling corn to ADM’s processing plant in Decatur.  The lack of truck traffic has allowed us to move corn at a “record pace,” and we are entering 2012 well ahead of schedule.  Last year, we experienced 3 hour waiting periods to unload a truck, and currently the “wait time” is around an hour.  With the ability to dump 60-70 semi’s per hour, the processing plant can receive a lot of corn in one day.  I’ve include a picture of semi’s parked waiting to be unloaded.  I’m still amazed that the weather has been unseasonably warm, and we have yet to experience the snow and ice that usually accompanies winter!

Blake backing semi under the loadout at Cribbet's grain system.

  All of the 28% liquid fertilizer has been delivered, and we are excited to have product in our tanks.  As the first truck was unloading solution, Dennis convinced the driver to pose for a picture beside his truck… odds are he thought we were crazy, but he played along!  Most of the 28% will be broadcast pre-plant this spring, but around 1/4 will be applied

Hoses running from each tank... then to the pump.

post-plant in a sidedress application.  I’m unsure when our new 24-row liquid applicator will arrive, but our fertilizer dealer said that they are unable to place any new orders for 2012… sold out until ’13.  Glad we ordered ours during the fall!   I’ve included a few pictures of the pump and hoses running between the tanks.    

Pump

Unloading 28%.

Tile machine in action

I’ve included a few pictures from our Christian County tile project… a joint project completed on a landlord and one of our farms.  Tile is a great investment, and we are excited that Ruot Contracting was able to finish the project before the weather turned less favorable.  We have hauled a portion of our Asgrow seedbean contract and are currently delivering corn to ADM in Decatur.  With rain in the forecast for later in the week, we plan to resume spraying a fall burndown on corn stalks tomorrow.

Tile machine II

Tile being strung out across the field

Neil discussing the project with Denny Ruot.