Planter Clinics

I am heading west to speak at two planter clinics today and tomorrow in Jennings County, Indiana. I hope I am up to speed but I don't think I quite am. The jet lag has me a bit befuddled. We just left Honolulu 5 AM Monday our time. Arthritis has been nagging terribly the past few months although I have tried many things to cope with it.

The young lady in charge was able to procure a Martin row unit for me to speak from, one I am very familiar with. I know it's going to look a whole lot different from the farmer's planter in the two shops compared to the new Deere planter sitting outside at both farms. This should be interesting.

I have done this many times since I first learned of it in 1995 when I was ready to quit notill. The spring was so wet I felt I had to wait too long to make the typical planter setup work properly. I had starting surfing the Internet in January so I put my delemma on Crop Scouting on Agriculture.com. Paul Reed in Iowa answered my post and told me to take the notill coulter off. I thought how in the world are you supposed to plant without a notill coulter! I did it and raised a good crop by not having to wait for the soil to dry out and the rest is history as they say.

It is amazing to find farmers today where I was in 1995. Even if the farmers planter doesn't have a notill coulter on it, I bet you a dollar the double disk openers and gauge wheel tire assemblies are worn out.

I have written about it here many times and I should link you back to original articles. I am in the process of updating many older blogs so I can print books I can leave to the grandchildren.

Maybe then they will know a little more about Papaw Winkle when they are older.

Today I need to focus on helping farmers to get their planters ready for April and how to make no-till work better.

Ed