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This Week in Ag #69
As we celebrate National Dairy Month, my thoughts are with Jack & Frances Watt, my old neighbors (when you live in the country, a “neighbor” can reside within at least 5 miles of you) who were dairy farmers. They were among the hardest working, kindest people I’ve ever known. Vacations were a foreign concept to
Rooted in Hope: The Unshakable Optimism of Farmers
Rooted in Hope: The Unshakable Optimism of Farmers Farmers are eternal optimists. They have to be. Their entire existence is based on the hope that the seeds they sow in the spring will bear fruit come fall. Last month, farmer sentiment rose another 11 points, based on the Purdue Ag Economy Barometer. It’s now about as high as it’s been in a decade (save for 2020-21, when commodity prices hit record highs).
How Deep Should You Plant?
This time every year, hemming and hawing would rage on at the Nichols Farm. Dad and Uncle Gary would not only agonize over when to plant, but how deep to drop the seeds. From “It’s been awfully dry, we better wait for a rain” to “It still feels a little wet, maybe we should run the field cultivator over it again” (gulp) to my annual favorite: “But If we get a beatin’ rain, those tops will turn into a layer of concrete.” Prompting, “Then we’ll have to rotary hoe.” Ah yes, the rotary hoe. A toolbar affixed with several blades resembling weapons thrown by Ninjas: rotating steel wheels featuring curved teeth. It’s used to break up crusted soils (and in some cases to incorporate herbicide) formed by those beatin’ rains.

