Hurry Up and Wait

Farming has been herky-jerky this spring. A few farmers planted in March, most tried in April but not all, and the crop is all over the place. We have wheat pollinated to just heading, corn that is about ready for side dressing and fields that haven't been touched. There are a few fields of beans up but serious soybean planted has not started here yet. I think the last two years have made local farmers very hesitant. It's been hurry up, then wait, and mostly wait.

I am an impatient person sometimes(most of the time), so I don't particularly care for "hurry up and wait." Part of me doesn't mind and part of me just wants to start a job and finish it. I suppose a lot of us are that way. We have adjusted to waiting in airports for long flights because the outcome has always been worth waiting for.

Cropping was that way last year, too. Waiting until the first of June worked out real well for everyone around here but this year isn't quite the same. "No two years are the same" has sure been true this year. In 2010 it worked out to plant before the all month May rains and this year it hasn't. Some have planted everything, most have planted something and some haven't planted a seed around here yet.

I guess that gives agronomists and consultants plenty to think about. Next Saturday is my seed inspection school and I already have wheat fields pollinated to go look at. Crop adjustors have already been in some fields where the corn didn't come up as expected and I have heard about and seen counts as low as 7,000 plants per acre. That's a replant in the middle of May in anyone's book.

This morning's sky reflected the hurry up and wait weather. We have a couple of nice days then a front moves through and it gets cool again. It got down in the 30's here in places and saw farmers talking about lows in the 20's in parts of Nebraska. That isn't any kind of crop growing weather.

So we take our lumps as they come and keep trying to make lemonade out of lemons.

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there. I imagine some of the dads and sons will be planting somewhere.

This quote from the Cafe sums up the frustration of balancing work and family, though I don't think any of us call the USDA family: "SO tonight, I was redoing the U-Joint job I just did on the 895 because I realized I had the joints out of phase and was getting a vibration when turning when the phone rings. I normally do not stop to answer it but due to several family health issues in the last week, I dropped what I was doing and picked it up.
On the other end was "Laquesha" with the USDA asking if I has recieved my rent survey. I just hung uo the phone and went back to work and no more than got my hands full of tools when the phone rang again.
Sure enough it was Laquesha saying "we must of got disconnected." As my blood began to boil, She asked if I had got my survey?
I replied "Yes".
"Have you filled it out and returned it?"
I replied "No but let me ask you, What is todays date?
She replied "May 10th"
"Do you know what farmers do on May 10th ?" I asked in my calmest voice. " they plant corn is what we do on May 10th, I am elbow deep in a tractor trying to fix it so I can do just that and I would think the USDA would have better things to do than bother farmers in the middle of the busy season about a survey that was voluntary."
She replied " i am just doing my job"
I replied "So am I" and hung up the phone.

She didn't call back a third time.
End Rant "

I think you moms will get a little more attention than that!

Ed