Just finished some dormant seeding of native grasses on some CRP that needed mid contract management.
Seeded the higher ground to some short species and the lower ground to some taller ones. The field was initially seeded to alfalfa/brome and has become thistle/brome.
This spring we burned it off and sprayed round-up when it greened back up. With the nasty spring we had here I wasn’t able to get it seeded then so I got an extension. Sprayed again and did a light disking late summer. Sprayed again just before frost and I don’t think anything survived the ordeal.
Got it seeded yesterday with a Vicon seeder I bought and drug it in. We got some snow on it today so things will look good this next summer. If the thistles don’t show up I will add some forbs to the stand. If they rear their ugly heads I will hit it with 2,4-D a couple times, add the forbs in the fall.
So to my point. Whenever you hear of farmers not caring about the natural habitat know that the cost share for this is about $60/ acre. I have more than that in chemicals. Add the prescribed burn, disking, seed and seeding I will have nearly $200/acre in it. Not counting my time.
I’m a full time farmer, never charge for hunting and never will. You can hunt our ground if I get to tag along and you have a good dog. To be honest we don’t do it for the ditch chickens, we like the habitat for the song birds and insects. But, hunting pheasants is a very good pastime, my hat is off to those of you do devote the resources to do it right.
I have also broken tile and created two ponds, one maybe five acres and one maybe an acre in the spring. Several broods of ducks used them this summer. These acres are not in any program.
Now, I’m at a point in my life where I can afford to do such things. Many farmers are not, they need to scratch for every dime. I was a participant in that rodeo during the 1980s. It’s not fun looking forward to a year where the best you can do is hope to not lose so much money the banker pulls the plug. I remember coming home from my off farm job hoping there wasn’t a message on the machine from the banker wanting me to call him. Many times there was. Many have landlords that they pay unprofitable rents to, if they can cover their variable costs they need to stay in the game to be there when times are better.
Anyway, thanks for reading this far. I’m not pointing to anything in particular but I get a little miffed when folks lament habitat destruction. Yes, sometimes it is unnecessary but remember there may be a young farmer with their back against the wall.
Oh, and it will get worse if things stay on this course.
Carry on.
Seeded the higher ground to some short species and the lower ground to some taller ones. The field was initially seeded to alfalfa/brome and has become thistle/brome.
This spring we burned it off and sprayed round-up when it greened back up. With the nasty spring we had here I wasn’t able to get it seeded then so I got an extension. Sprayed again and did a light disking late summer. Sprayed again just before frost and I don’t think anything survived the ordeal.
Got it seeded yesterday with a Vicon seeder I bought and drug it in. We got some snow on it today so things will look good this next summer. If the thistles don’t show up I will add some forbs to the stand. If they rear their ugly heads I will hit it with 2,4-D a couple times, add the forbs in the fall.
So to my point. Whenever you hear of farmers not caring about the natural habitat know that the cost share for this is about $60/ acre. I have more than that in chemicals. Add the prescribed burn, disking, seed and seeding I will have nearly $200/acre in it. Not counting my time.
I’m a full time farmer, never charge for hunting and never will. You can hunt our ground if I get to tag along and you have a good dog. To be honest we don’t do it for the ditch chickens, we like the habitat for the song birds and insects. But, hunting pheasants is a very good pastime, my hat is off to those of you do devote the resources to do it right.
I have also broken tile and created two ponds, one maybe five acres and one maybe an acre in the spring. Several broods of ducks used them this summer. These acres are not in any program.
Now, I’m at a point in my life where I can afford to do such things. Many farmers are not, they need to scratch for every dime. I was a participant in that rodeo during the 1980s. It’s not fun looking forward to a year where the best you can do is hope to not lose so much money the banker pulls the plug. I remember coming home from my off farm job hoping there wasn’t a message on the machine from the banker wanting me to call him. Many times there was. Many have landlords that they pay unprofitable rents to, if they can cover their variable costs they need to stay in the game to be there when times are better.
Anyway, thanks for reading this far. I’m not pointing to anything in particular but I get a little miffed when folks lament habitat destruction. Yes, sometimes it is unnecessary but remember there may be a young farmer with their back against the wall.
Oh, and it will get worse if things stay on this course.
Carry on.