Well, whats happening on the farm at the moment?
For those of us without livestock, things are actually slowing down. Our crops are sprayed and fertilised. Basically, we have done as much as we can – we now have to wait to see what the rest of the season holds. In our area we have a saying that goes like this – ‘Its all about Parkes Show.’
Parkes show is held in the last week of August and you can find its website here Parkes Show Website.
But for us farmers, it holds a special significance. Parkes show is right in the middle of the yield setting window of our crops. It is at this time, any lack of moisture can have significant negative affects on yields. But any decent rain event can put a smile of a farmer’s face that can’t be wiped off. And I have seen it all during the show – deluges of rain at one extreme to hot windy dust filled days at the other. Fortunes have been made or lost – thats farming.
And this year is no different. We have good potential, but that moisture will run out without followup as the crops are starting to bulk up – the larger the plant, the more moisture it needs. By the time we get to mid-late september, rain is good, but it won’t have the same benefit as if it fell in mid-late August. When we get to October – it may as well stay dry for the rest of the year, so we can get harvest off without weather damage. So that will be in the minds of most farmers in our area at the moment.
We have also heard many confirmed reports of significant frost damage – some local, but most west of us. Canola crops that will be cut for hay as very little seed has formed because of frost. So the only way to even try and cover costs is to cut it and sell it for hay. There has also been significant stem frost in cereals across those areas as well. Stem frost is where a bead of moisture forms in a ring on the stem around the node where a leaf branches off. When the water freezes (you need very cold conditions for this), it crushes the xylem in the stem which transports moisture from the roots to the leaves – killing off the upper portion of the plant like it was ring barked. So I feel for those farmers who are seeing this in the crops.
However, on Loloma, we have been spending our new ‘free time’ cleaning out our grain shed.
| Here are a few shots showing the end of the grain cleanup process. We are very happy with the shed for storing grain. Being sealed, it has kept the grain in great condition throughout the year, with our customers commenting on the high grain quality this late in the year. Poor Dan has done more vacuuming this week than he has ever done in his life previously 🙂 . | ||
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So we are looking forward to our Parkes show next week, even though our work on the farm will have to continue. The show is a good time to catch up with farmers you may not have seen for a while. Its a great event which occurs each year due to the efforts of volunteers from the community and its a good community out here. And we wish all the best for the local Jam makers, bakers, egg collectors, grain, wool, sheep and cattle exhibitors competing for prizes at the show, including the desired ‘Best in Show’ ribbon for their category.
You just can’t beat a country show!
Cheers,
Neil