February 29

Today we add in that quarter of a day that didn't fit into the calendar every four years. There are plenty of stories and tales about February 29. What about all the babies born or funerals today? I have two friends who are celebrating their wedding anniversary. I wonder if they do anything special?

I met a funeral procession on SR 28 yesterday. Our line of traffic pulled off the road for the long procession like you are supposed to honor the dead. Many times you don't see that some places anymore we everyone scurrying on like it doesn't affect THEM. They aren't the one in the hearse, either.

I woke up to thunder and lightning at 5 AM. I am sure there are weather tales about leap year day. I was telling the two young men in the truck about how rare this weather is in my 62 years of life as we drove across the field to move piles of fence row wood.

Sprayers out yesterday applying 28 to wheat and early herbicide programs going to corn. That is quite unusual the last 14 months as it seems like it rained every other day like it is today. Other farmers were out working fence rows like we were and a few were getting out their last corn or soybeans in Ohio.

Monsanto is hosting one of their three Weed Resistance meetings in Ohio today. It will be interesting to see what they say that they didn't say or wasn't heard the last 15 years. I think too many farmers skipped residual chemicals and tried to use Round Up to control weeds that were too big. That's why we are having weed resistance meetings today.

It looks like Mitt Romney passed a hurdle, winning Arizona and his "home" state of Michigan yesterday. Mike Huckabee is bringing his show to Wilmington Saturday with Romney, Santorum and Gingrich.

For my farmer friends, we had a discussion on potassium thiosulfate insteas of ammonium thiosulfate for corn starter. There is lots of discussions about dry versus liquid fertilizer on Crop Talk as we get ready for 2012 planting.

Have a great day and I will chat with you tomorrow!

Ed Winkle