Grain Farming Success

[leechlake]

Back when I was new to farming I had a phrase I said all the time, "a watched crop never grows."   It's funny that you forget even the most tried and true wisdom.  My oats are "hatching" and I'm cautiously optimistic they will grow to be adult oats.  I think adult oats are called Buck Oats.  It's hard to tell at this point what gender each oat is and there are enough that doing a count would take a long time anyway.  Another bonus is that some of the wildflowers I planted on the border are coming up also.  One negative is that some weeds are in my flock of oats.  They are like wolves to me and I will kill them.  Each one of those weeds days are numbered once it quits raining.

I should have seen/saw the sign when that Successful Farming magazine came in the mail about a month ago.    LPS if you need any tips ask away.  Don't ask Dotch.  Dotch isn't an oat farmer.  There is a huge difference in growing oats and reading about growing oats, it's a lifestyle to me.

 

[Dotch]

Now, now, more correctly I am a recently temporarily retired oats farmer.  I did have oats last year as a cover crop for the hay I seeded at the neighbor's as part of an erosion control/save the sheep farmer deal. He got his arse eaten out by the county for some erosion issues and he wondered if I'd seed it down. So I did. It was unworked corn stalks so I had him disk it a couple times, fertilized the living snot out of it, had him disk it a couple more times, then I seeded it with a Brillion seeder. I swapped 8 round bales of oat hay off the ground for some alfalfa my baling guy had and then we took a 2nd cutting in August where we wound up with 5 1500 lb. round bales of some nice alfalfa mixed grass hay off the 3 acres. Looks like it wintered pretty well although I had some folks worried that the 2 dozen deer they'd seen grazing in it had hurt it. Was out in it last week and they were partially right: There were deer turds everywhere and you could see where they'd munched but they didn't faze it. No plans to get back into oat farming just yet as I'm still trying to decide what to do with all the money I made off it last year. Stocks, bonds, municipal funds, another Studebaker?  At least it looks pretty and that's what it's really all about: Style points! 

 

 

[Boar]

bboy LL, Your quite thhe agronamist. if i were you id try and expand yuour opperation alittle, tryu planting eggs, yuo can raise the chhickens to maturity withh ground oat flour.

[leechlake]

Boar that's a pretty good idea.  Dotch, way to rain on a guys parade.  Next time I have a kid fishing with me that catches a 20 inch walleye and is all excited I will take my photo album out and show him 30 inchers to set him straight.  

In my book you are either farming oats or not.  Doing it on the neighbors land doesn't count either.  You're an oatwannabee.  

[delcecchi]

Ll, you are going to need an additional mailbox if you are a real farmer now. 

[Dotch]

Gosh, I didn't mean to LL...like he!! I didn't! I'm "that guy"... 

 

[RebelSS]

27 minutes ago, delcecchi said:

Ll, you are going to need an additional mailbox if you are a real farmer now. 

And a nice tractor like "real farmers".

[leechlake]

I just had a flashback...when I was about 4 I had a green pedal John Deere tractor.  Top speed may have been 1/4 mile and hour.  I've been farming for 44 years!!! 

[Dotch]

Do you know why John Deere's are painted green? So they can hide in the grass when the big red ones go by! 

[bobberineyes]

Atta boy LL,  oats is just a stepping stone.  Having a lab with lots of energy to hook up one those disc thingys behind will help get things rolling.  Chickens, great idea boar, I think the long term goal here would be pig farming for the town of Medina.  The fragrance of nature is the best.

[RebelSS]

Hope the Norski's drive those red one's better than they do those F-16's.  

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/norwegian-f-16-mistakenly-fires-own-control-tower-n561686

[LindellProStaf]

Hey I am in a northerly climate so not ready to seed the oats yet.  Next weekend.  BUT I WILL buy some Medina pork.  Great idea.  Those hog panels are not that expensive LL.  You could make Medina famous.  It would make Edina jealous.  Something like you know why we put an M in our part of Edina.  The M means we have "MORE" pork.  Or we like our pork done "MEDIUM".   or we like "MORE SAUCE" on our bbq.  So I like "M"edina better than just plain ol Edina since they don't have quality pork.   You sir are the man.   

[Dotch]

I agree. Swine would be fine in Medine-a.

Speaking of northerly climates, back by popular request from Sweden...

 

[leechlake]

Ok. I ordered my first batch of ear tags. They let you pick the starting  number so I picked 500. I didn't want anyone thinking I was new to this livestock stuff.   Also these silos are expensive!  The windmill was too but I get some tax credit which I don't know how a tax credit will work since I'm going to lose my rear anyway.  I also got one of those cattle things you put on the ground. Supposedly they won't walk across it and it keeps them from escaping. I figured an Invisible Fence thing would work but the salesman said the bell gets in the way.  Makes sense. 

Better get to bed.  Farmers get up early. 

[delcecchi]

So you aren't doing the cash grain deal so you can winter in Texas and summer up north, just stopping by in the spring and fall to plant and harvest?

[leechlake]

Good point Del.  Texas?  I think you're trying to steer me away from California.  

[bobberineyes]

I believe del doesn't want you to catch him on his favorite beach cali..

[Dotch]

You must be thinking of those cattle guards LL. They are bomb! Since I made so much money planting oats last year, think I'll plant snacks this spring.

[leechlake]

I thought they were called cattle guards but didn't know.

Oats were involved with the first time a farmer told me he made a killing on farming.  We were deer hunting in SD and I was with my buddy's uncle waiting for everyone.  He was a good dude and we had bonded years before.  I may get the numbers wrong but he gambled on planting oats and his input costs were super low and oat prices went to $10 a bushel or something?  This was probably 8-10 years ago.  So Dotch you're not the only rich oat farmer, ironically the guy also had a small vending machine business and now I know where he got the inventory from to fill the machines.  He really did have that business and I know because his contribution for deer camp was outdated cinnamon rolls and stuff.  I'd bring a 10 pound prime rib and he'd bring bear bait stuff.  He was kind of cheap.  Great guy though. Rolls tasted fine too.

Edited April 27, 2016 by leechlake

[smurfy]

26 minutes ago, leechlake said:

I thought they were called cattle guards but didn't know.

Oats were involved with the first time a farmer told me he made a killing on farming.  We were deer hunting in SD and I was with my buddy's uncle waiting for everyone.  He was a good dude and we had bonded years before.  I may get the numbers wrong but he gambled on planting oats and his input costs were super low and oat prices went to $10 a bushel or something?  This was probably 8-10 years ago.  So Dotch you're not the only rich oat farmer, ironically the guy also had a small vending machine business and now I know where he got the inventory from to fill the machines.  He really did have that business and I know because his contribution for deer camp was outdated cinnamon rolls and stuff.  I'd bring a 10 pound prime rib and he'd bring bear bait stuff.  He was kind of cheap.  Great guy though. Rolls tasted fine too.

so boars your uncle??????????????

[Dotch]

Was kinda funny yesterday when you mentioned the oat farming thing. I happened to be wandering aimlessly burning free gas when I stopped to look at some stuff, then read your initial post not far from last year's oat project. Bopped down the road and was pleased with the progress the field had made since the rain so snapped a photo. I could've used some cinnamon rolls though.   

[delcecchi]

6 hours ago, leechlake said:

Good point Del.  Texas?  I think you're trying to steer me away from California.  

Nah, if you want to tow an extra 500 miles over two or three mountain ranges just to be near me, you are welcome. 

[Dotch]

Hear that guys? Party at Del's next winter! If we get our plane tickets bought now we can probably get by for cheap. 

[leechlake]

I'm in. We can get a 55 Gallon drum for sous vide steaks.  I'm not driving anywhere though.  Let's rent a jet

[LindellProStaf]

Hey that sounds fun.  Should we all bring tents and sleeping bags Del?  We will be just fine outside on the lawn.  Of course we will have to come in to use the bathroom and shower.  Do you have a big coffee maker?  Good idea LL on the barrel.  I have seen people simply use the 55 gallon drum and have the fire in them.  Looks classy to me.  Del's neighbors may want to join us for some fun and games.