Chasing The Wind

One of my favorite readings is the book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible. It is a book of wisdom to me.

Solomon was the richest, wisest man that ever lived and learned the folly of our seeking wealth for wisdom and happiness.

This has been so evident this year as farmers raced to plant and harvest in a strong agricultural marketplace while the economies around us crumble. It feels like we chased the wind all year, literally and figuratively.

I knew there was some preventive planting west of me where it rained hard on even wetter soils but yesterday I saw thousands of acres of radishes and peas planted on those old Clermont Silt Loams! What a crop and what a stink it is going to be when those things die in a few weeks.

I teased some of the farmers about the stench they are going to have to explain and their answer was nothing seems to make the neighbors happy so we guess this is just one more thing we will have to go through. One said he gets a visit from the Ohio Department of Agriculture every time he does and operation on his farm behind a certain house.

I could smell the gases from the radishes as they are approaching maturity and going to seed just before they will freeze and die. When they die though there will be a few days of really smelly gas emitting from those fields. Grandpa said if you run out of manure, and no one had enough to ever cover all their ground, then plant a green manure crop!

That's what these guys did and I think they have set themselves up for some great notill crops next year. I would notill corn on every acre of radish and peas but soybeans would do fine too if it gets late for corn. This year it never got late and even corn planted in July made great silage. Who would have guessed?

Today I am reminded to do my chores and make my visits without chasing the wind. I have a good message to discuss on resistant weeds that is timely and profitable for both parties. This is another way HyMark Consulting can serve its clients and friends.

It is easy to get caught up chasing the wind, just like Sable chases her tail some days but today I won't do that and enjoy the friends I get to visit with.

Ed