Planting 2015

       Luke is off and running to start planning for the 2015 growing season. Due to the warm weather this spring and the dry ground conditions planting started about as soon as the men could get into the field according to crop insurance requirements. They got in about 5 good days of digging and planting and then we got a small shot of rain and then some cooler weather so they are taking a little break for a few days but hope to be back at it soon.

          Luke has formed a fascination with tractors lately and gets so excited to see the big tractors. We have to keep an eye on him at all times while the machines are in the yard.

       Quick smile in front of the track tractor while bringing dad some water for his long hours behind the wheel.

       Luke loves being behind the wheel and even these big machines don't intimidate him.

     Rose is happy to be in the passenger seat and let her brother do the "driving".

        Luke then has to go check out the men filling the seed tender wagon with more corn seed for the planter. This job also takes a lot of big strong machines and muscles.

       Once out in the field it was time to fill up the water tanks on the front of the tractor with a chemical that will prevent weed growth. The chemical is applied while the field is being dug with precision application so that only the amount needed is used and not sprayed were it is not needed.

        Simon our oldest is starting to learn some of the skills needed to work these big tractors and dig the fields. There are many buttons and switches that one needs to remember in order to get everything working properly. I think it may be a few years away but I do think the job of digging the fields will be in Simon's future.

         These large diggers can work up a large amount of land in one pass. It is important for seed growth that the soil is loosened and free of large chunks of soil. Digging the field well is just as important as planting the seed in the ground for a good crop in the fall.

      The picture of spring with the trees budding and the digger working the field.

    After the field is prepared by the big digger is it is time for the planter to enter the field and place the seed in the ground. This might sound like an easy thing to do but there is a lot of technology and precision that is used with the seed placement. The planter controls the spacing and depth on the seed depending on the soil type. The planter also has automatic row shut off technology so that when it comes to the end of the field it never overlaps plants with the headlands--the rows that go around the field. Farming is a whole lot more that just throwing seeds in the ground.

     And the sight Paul and I are proud of is seeing our new truck we earned through Farm Bureau Excellence in Ag competition sitting next to the field as it is being planted. I think it looks at home here. Being part of agriculture has been good to us and we feel so blessed to be able to say that we are farmers and do what we love everyday.