Until a buddy showed me the 1080p resolution amazing quality footage he took early one morning in his farm. This bad boy was about $1400 out of the box and it’s a breeze to run.
Who needs an airplane to come take arial photos of your farm? Buy a drone. Never again will you have to curse yourself years later as you walk by it every day wondering why that day you decided to leave the 1/2 ton parked at a stupid angle semetrically to the rest of the yard. (Yes there is a time and place to sweat the small stuff and this is it).
Want to check the back corner of the field or the herd to just see how they are doing without spooking them? Buy a drone. I’m a bit shocked at my own interest in these things all of a sudden.

Ok, back to the task at hand…. Peas are dry and rain is a comin!

Last weekends rains dropped over 5″ of rain on the farm and we weren’t looking for that sort of moisture this late in the season. Its tough to even say that out loud when so many others need the moisture. Between the rain and wind the great stand of peas has substanitally fallen. The cnary seed is now tangled from its strong pre-gale force storm stand and the canola has a definate lean to it.

We’re facing more rain this week, but I’ll take the rain when you compare it to the hail parts of Alberta received last night. Lets just get through this crop year. Harvest should be earlier than usual if the heat returns. Bring it on.

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year…” tune keeps going through my head. Sorry for the delay in posting anything not sure where the summer has gone. After seeding we got a week before spraying started and soon our moisture concerns went from worries of too much to when will we get a little shower to help germinate all the seeds. We had ample moisture to get the crops started but always nice to have a rain to “freshen” things up. ‎ That rain didn’t come until well into June. 

Spraying was a treat this year, crops looked great and we have 4000 acres sprayed without a sprayer track. I can’t remember the last time this was the case. 2011 was the first year with a high clearance sprayer and it was every year since then and even before then that we had heavy June rains that drowned out sloughs and it was quicker/easier to just go through them than around so we had ruts over most of our land to fix up in the fall, not to mention bounce over during harvest. 

Despite the delayed rain our crops are looking amazing, hence my opening comment. Last night Marie and I were out scouting and I’m getting very excited for this year’s harvest. The weather conditions have been very favorable for crop development. A little late in the timing of the rains but with the abundance of soil moisture from the last years our crops were able to send roots down and utilize the moisture. 

We have sprayed a bit of fungicides but very glad with the weather conditions we did not do every acre like some years. Peas are a must as they are very susceptible as is barley so those acres got sprayed. Our soft white wheat is also very disease prone so we sprayed it right at the heading stage to help protect the kernels. As a trial, we also sprayed one quarter (160ac) of hard red wheat and 80 ac of canola just to see if it makes a difference so we will know for next year. 

Our pea crop looks absolutely amazing. I’ve never seen a crop like this. They are waste high, which is very unusual for peas and loaded with pods that have up to 10 seeds in some. It will be like Christmas morning for a 6 year old when I finally get to put the header into that crop, fingers crossed nothing  ‎adversely happens between now and then.  

So far no insect problems have been detected. We were scouting for aphids in our canary seed and there are some but very few, nothing that would warrant spraying, so that is a relief. Canary seed is chest high and headed out very nice. Marie says she can already feel the itch from it, oh it’s not that bad I keep telling her. Â

Our canola is up to my neck in most spots with a lot of pods. Logan and I went into our 46h75 Clearfield canola and it looks to have the best yield potential. We took some pods that looked longer than we are used to and they measured 3.5 inches long which is pretty impressive. We just might have a new variety to put in the mix in future years. 

I love this time of the year and could spend all my time driving around looking at the crops, especially when there is something to look at. I try and limit it to evenings when I’m tired from the hot day working on various projects like getting equipment ready for harvest, picking rocks and working spots that were left from the road builders and building some bins for us to store our crops in. 

Updates will be more regular now I promise so make sure you check back regularly to see how 2015 is shaping up for us.

A canola field thats filling in nicely, taken a few days ago.

Peas are starting to bloom, canola is about to bolt and birds around the globe are starting to lick their beaks in anticipation for the canary seed.

All happened so quickly it seems. And a few timely rains are helping the crop along nicely. I feel bad even saying that as neighbours 50 miles away (south) haven’t seen a drop and their crops are approaching dire status. Market bumps are also referencing these dry spots and reseeding areas.

Lance’s happy place in June. Well, its mine too, but he gets more seat time thats for sure. And with the crops growing as they are, we’re looking at more windshield time in the near future.

I heard the song “Papa Loves Momma” the other day and the verse “it was bound to happen, and when night it did…” kept going over in my mind after this mornings episode. I was just nicely getting going. Had set up yet another trial of a slow release product added to our fertilizer and was just documenting it in my book so I knew what side of the flag was what 4-5 months from now when the tractor started laboring and spinning. I looked up wasn’t a big deal just going through a little ditch that was probably wet a bit but the tractor would be on hard dry ground in no time. Looked back and the air cart wheel sunk away to the axle. I didn’t dare stop now just prayed it would “pop” back up. We’ll believe me it didn’t pop up but came up and then I though about my liquid caddy. It was quite full and had to come through there. The tractor now on hard dry ground is still snorting and spinning and getting worse. I figured the caddy was sunk so I clutched and stopped. 

It was sunk but the air drill front castor was gone in the gumbo muck and the Packers full as well. It had fallen into the air cart holes and was not coming up. What do I do when I panic? I radio Lane, no answer. Call his cell, no answer. Luckily Marie was ‎home today and she answered my call of distress. Soon Lane was on the radio and headed home instead of spraying. They brought blocks, shovels and chains. Lane and I shoveled muck that would not fall off your spade while Marie dug with her hands around the Packers. We decided to bring the liquid trailer across the field and pumped out the caddy and still unhook it from the air drill. We put blocks under wheels and then slowly drove ahead. It came out rather easy which was a relief. Then pull out caddy separately and rehook it up. Then pump liquid back on. The whole ordeal took about 2 hrs which means it’s gonna be a late night for yours truly. That’s what you get for not taking it off Autosteer and steer around the ditch rather than running with a wheel right down the middle. Lesson learned and nothing got broke so that was good. But I’m more cautious now. 

Why those ‎lyrics are associated with getting stuck is because I have seeded nearly 12,000 acres (3yrs) with this drill and tractor and have yet to be stuck, until today, so “it was bound to happen and today it did…”

My morning sunrise 

My sunset 

What an incredible week we have had. Sunday started out rotten with my liquid fertilizer actually gelling because it was so cold. You couldn’t wear enough clothes to stay warm with the bone chillin’ wind. The week progressed and so did seeding. We finished up the wheat and went back to canola with the change of crops came a change of clothes. Lane traded in his toque for short pants (that’s what an old neighbor used to call shorts).  Yes I think this is the first spring ever I have seen him working in shorts. Actually to be fair this is the first year in a long time where the temperature warrants shorts, and even 3 days in a row. I’m sorry no picture as he has been running around too fast for me to catch a shot. Spraying, harrowing, delivering seed and fertilizer and then leveling ruts when he has time. So no time for him to stop for a pose. 

Seeding conditions really couldn’t be better. Top is dry, moisture down below and lots of heat to get things growing fast. Our preseeding spray will work well and give the crop a chance to get ahead of the weeds that always eventually come. Fingers (and toes) are crossed we don’t make a bunch of in crop sprayer ruts. Please please no more ruts! 

As Lane reported we got rid of a rock pile today,it not without their challenges of getting stuck twice with the rock truck. They came with a big heavy disc and cut up their ruts but left it all lumpy, so right after school Josh came out in “the oven” as Lane called the 1370 as the air conditioning never stays charged up because of the infrequent use of the tractor. He used our disc and cut up the clumps and I’m seeding over it and you would never know the mess was there just a few hours ago. It is very nice not having another obstacle in the field. I sent this picture to Marie and ‎said to show the boys that Parker Schnabel was here from the History Channel’s hit (in our house anyways) “Gold Rush ”
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We are nearing in on the end. 3 more qtrs of canola after tonight and 50 acres of barley.   Wrap up will be a little slower as we don’t want extra fertilizer or seed so seeding until running out and then go for more if needed. Will keep you posted on how it’s coming.‎
‎This is what my day started out with.

This is the end of my day.

Construction company asked if they could have a rock pile. Every farm kid in the land knows that if someone comes asking for rocks, you give them every last one! They may have overloaded the first load, or as Harvey the contractor said as his track hoe prodded him out of his sunken state “yeah he maybe had a little bit too big of a jag on for the first load”.  Luckily I was filling liquid fertilizer onto the drill so no rubber necking required. It was 150′ away.

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Last Thursday, David and Janelle from Farm Credit Canada came out to the farm to get some film and pictures of our operation ‎during seeding. They want to make an educational video to be used internally to show all their staff the hands on tasks of planting a crop. David and Janelle got the first taste of seeding with an early morning departure from Regina. They arrived at 7:30 so that means they left before 5:30 because they also had with them some Tim Horton treats for us. 

It worked out great because we were just moving to “Moores” and starting some barley so I was setting the drill and calibrating it which they were able to capture on video. As I was going through my setting routine and unexpected visit from Matt Beal occurred. He was “in the area” so thought he would stop by and see the operation in action. It was great to see him and make a round in the tractor that he found for us. We met Matt through his wife who works at FCC with Lane. He is a great resource for us to ask questions. You see he is a mechanic and what farm can’t use a mechanic on their speed dial. He worked at Markusson in Regina until last summer when he decided to take a promotion and became a territory service manager for Claas, still yellow just a different shade. He has for the past 4 or so years been coming out to the farm and helping us get our combines in tip top shape each year before harvest. We always look forward to spending a day in the shop with Matt, and hope he does too!  

Back to the video, David and Janelle were very accommodating and did not get in my way at all. I tried to explain things as I went and so not sure what they caught on tape . We all snuggled into the cab and did some footage “in action” so see how that turns out. Janelle got the worst seat having to sit on the tool box so was a little stiff I suspect when it came time to get out. Shortly after dinner they had enough and we’re ready to depart but there was no way I was letting able bodied help leave without giving me a hand filling the air tank. David graciously agreed and even pulled out a brand spanking new pair of gloves. For a farmer the site of new gloves is like putting a bowl of ice cream in front of them and tell them they can’t touch it. I suspect maybe someone tipped him off that if you are going to see Lance be prepared to be put to work. You see last time that FCC was out with a film crew it came to my attention that one of the assistants had his 1A licence so by the end of the day I had him taking one of the semi’s home for me. So maybe David was warned and therefore took the advice and came prepared.

They left and I grabbed the Tim Bit box and went back to my day of putting in 300 acres of 2 row barley hopefully to make Malt quality so we can all enjoy a cold beer on a hot summer day!

Well yesterday the 17th of May marked our 1/2 way mark, we have started the down slope. The previous night they were calling for snow so I was determined to go as long as I could stay awake but by 11 plans had changed. I had some plugged liquid fertilizer screens and I wasn’t about to start cleaning them on the dark, a 90kph north freezing wind and temp of about -5 so called it a night. Came out in the morning and cleaned the filters and that seemed to fix the liquid flow problem. Two rounds later my air tank quit seeding so went and looked and a bearing was gone in the drive shaft. Took the unit to the yard for tear down. Turned out to be a very standard bearing which we had on hand do were able to get it back together and running within a couple hours. 

Wind was still crazy and really cold but we missed all the snow and rain that the south got so we’re thankful of that. Finished up the field at 6:30 pm and Marie ‎was making a turkey for supper as Carie and the kids (Lane’s family) were out for the weekend. We decided to stop for a wonderful supper and be thankful we are this far along at this time in May. The bonus of a turkey supper is turkey sandwiches for lunches this week. 

Well I think we are officially done with trying new toys on the farm. After our spending spree of 2013/14 we have put a spending freeze on capital purchases, so not sure why we have so many new pieces on the farm. I suspect the sales are a bit slow at the dealers so they are trying to get things out to the farms in hopes someone falls in love and adds it to their fleet. 

I’m seeding the field across the road from home (dubbed George’s because it was Uncle George’s originally) and it was a field we ran a high speed disc machine over in the fall to try it. The field is in great shape with no wet spots on it. I was thinking that was the key but when I get to the line and look at Randy’s  (the neighbor) ‎I see his looks dry as well and it wasn’t touched except with a harrow in the fall. So much for that theory. Interesting to see how it germinated compared to an unworked field right beside it (dubbed norman’s, you guessed it).We are, we’ll I am at least, all about trying different things to see if they pay. Maybe the accountant in me or my thirst for knowledge, but I need to prove to myself something is worth while before adopting it. For instance we are now treating all our canola with a product called Jumpstart, a phosphate enhancer. We tried it in trials for 4 years before getting conclusive results that indicated there was a net $ return by doing it.Hence why all the demo’s.  

We are getting into our groove it seems. I’m spending endless hours in the cab seeding and Lane running crazy between sprayer, harrows and trucks. Josh is helping out a lot as well treating seed and filling trucks and all the odd jobs around the yard that keep us rolling. We are pushed over the 1/3 mark and knocking on the 1/2 way mark. Our peas are likely just about out of the ground (which is not great with snow and freezing in the forcast). We have soft white wheat in and 4 quarters(160ac each) of barley. Josh came out this afternoon and in true Nascar pit stop fashion we switched over to canola and so far have 80 ac in as I write this. Lane had all the fertilizer blended and ready for me to load so that is how we got up and running so fast. Seeding conditions really couldn’t be better on this field for the canola. We have a dry surface with moisture just underneath making it an excellent seed bed to lay the seed into.  The forecast is for snow overnight and with this 90mph wind (that only southern Alberta is supposed to get) sure could blow something in. It is out of the Northeast so has cooled it off outside. In true Lance style I only put in 5 bags of seed in the protection of the yard and with the use of the the front end loader so now have to get my lovely wife to brave the wind and cold and come pick me up so I can hand bomb another 8 bags in to keep me running for the night. Someday I will learn or just get an air tank with those fancy new “bag lifts”, but still won’t protect me from the wind. Might go a little late tonight if they are forecasting snow so I can sleep in tomorrow, but my luck i’ll just have to get up and keep going, which would be okay too!