3.25.12 – Field Activities

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