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| We moved 15 miles yesterday and the same variety is totally different on some better ground.
In a word, this years crop is "variable."
Jim, it's amazing to me the amount of "investment" that Agriculture has made to do what we do.. I watched a crew of class 7 or 8 machines (green) go by the other day with their 35' platforms in tow.. talk about "fogging up the countryside"... also the grain carts that can load out a semi in five minutes.. AND the high horsepower tractors.. with a pulling chain.. "just in case." And there's a significant amount of bushels at risk before the next rains as you note... a "green crop of grass" underneath... Some days it's a struggle as everyone fights the mud.. fights the markets.. and mother nature... slowly.. yesterday though.. here.. it looked like we were starting to win the war on Harvest.. I pulled over though as the Neighbor went by with the big 4-wheeler and chain.."can't wave.. IN A HURRY!!!" ;-)
Wow.. if you fall in about 18".. the next 2' to the water table goes pretty quick... ;-) About 30 minutes later.. they were "fogging" away again... This crop is making us "earn it."
I hope everyone has a good and SAFE harvest... looks like another good day for it.
Ray, yes we have storage available. The Coop was very foresightful in adding significant storage this year. We could store the entire crop "on farm" if we needed to. I sold the March 11 earlier for some bushels that (I believe I'll raise...??) on the tail end after storing on farm.
We started out in wheat that given today's input costs and today's prices "wouldn't pay the bills." The earlier dry spell combined with disease pressure probably put this full season variety at a disadvantage. We continue to see no-till fall crops expand here.. and given the poor economics of wheat production.. expect that to continue next year.
"So far" those who husband their inputs and combine a good crop insurance plan with marketing that is built around the good carries in the market... appear to be doing well. I'm not sure when the next upsurge in prices are coming... and I don't like having to secure a market out 18 months ahead of harvest... but... that is how we have responded to the circumstances here... A short crop really nails that program.. and crop insurance then becomes vital.. I hope people don't need to relearn that lesson this year (myself included..)
We are blessed to be able to bring in a good crop... even if the costs/returns make it a challenge... I would not trade what I like to do... (although if you'd asked me that after pulling the combine out of the mud for the 2nd time the other day...????)
Pops ran the machine all day yesterday.. as he has down for the past 50 some years.. even when I relieved him last night.. I pulled up just after dusk to finish the semi.. and he was perched up on top of the trailer dangling is feet over the edge.. watching the show... just like my 13 year old... Not something a near 80 year old man should be doing I suppose... but I couldn't blame him I guess...
Happy Father's day dad... Thanks for all you have done.
Last night was a pretty good sunset... dark red... with the fog of wheat harvesting in the air as several machines were "getting after it" and trucks running down the roads... Wheat Harvest in Kansas... as it should be!
How's everything in Iowa Ray? You guys dried out yet?
Edited by JonSCKs 6/20/2010 09:21
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Have we seen the lows?
