Down On The Farm

Bob Evans had a snappy song to advertize his sausauge and his restaurant, "Bob Evan's, down on the farm." I enjoyed some of that this morning.

Yesterday the family enjoyed some down on the farm. We all got together to celebrate Saint Patrick's Day again with green clothes, green food and the question, are we Irish? Much of the family has a little Irish in them.

Rollan Lehman asked if Saint Patrick used the 3 leaf shamrock to represent the trinity, why we do we recognize the four leaf clover as being lucky and the the three leaf not? Good question, I don't know the answer.

I do know that Eric's new Can Am extended four wheeler is the nicest one I ever drove. The long wheel base gives great stability and a smooth ride and it turns pretty well for a longer wheelbase. Who would think you need 82 hp to power a four wheeler? I think that is as much horsepower as my little Chevette Isuzu diesel engine had! It's farm ready and will tow 1300 lbs, as much as my little Dakota will safely!

The rides revealed a lot of flaws in the field. My fields are more beat up than I thought. There is more washing of soil and residue since harvest than I thought. The wheat, barley and rye is spotty, heavy in some spots and non existant in others.

I need to get on my burn down chemical as soon as it is dry enough. We are saturated after the past two rains. My plan is 20 gallons were acre of acid water containing 8 ounces of Gramoxone or diquat, 4 ounces of Sencor or Metribuzin and maybe some atrazine and or simazine per acre.

I wish had some shamrocks or clover out there to build some nitrogen but my program has not encouraged that. Like Robert Schuller's empire, it can be built over decades and gone overnight. I used to listen to that man!

It was good to have a meal with family and play with the kids. They sure have fun "down on the farm." I could justify this place and all the work for no other reason but it is our home, business, and God' gift to us.

"God's farm, temporary caretakers."

Ed Winkle