Road Trip!

I was reading the New Ag Talk Cafe this morning and came across a thread about a young man taking a road trip with his dad. Road trips with my dad might be as far as the feed mill in town, or once a year to the county fair and the Ohio State Fair!

I wonder what my boys remember of their "road trips?" I took them as far and as much as I could because I love to travel and I loved being with my kids. Road trips led to "Field Trips" as a teacher and parent. I love field trips too!

His story made me think of my many road trips and field trips, especially the last 20 years. Iowa over 10 times, every state and most National Parks was a blast! Right now would be a great time to go see that tall corn(via email this morning) in central Illinois and eastern Iowa. Work and gas prices are good excuses not to go but it sure would be fun!

It looks like most of our corn is going to make it. It's amazing what these "fancy" seed treatments do on good seed lots these days but it is really amazing to see what trichaderma fungi eat in this cool mud! I had enough soil moisture and temperature at the right time to colonize these fungi and when the chemical treatment runs out about now, that fungus will sit on the root hairs just gobbling up all that pythium, fusarium and rhizoctonia that could kill my crop!

A good friend is visiting this weekend from Iowa so I won't venture too far. Just scouting my fields each day keeps me pretty busy as well as gardening, mowing, telephone, email and NewAgTalk. I might get some of each done!

There are too many eroded fields here again. I have been reading about erosion and residue anywhere it has rained much and desperation wherever it hasn't.

"Sounds like here. You painted the picture properly.

Yes the notill washed but there are tilled fields here with the topsoil GONE.

Wonder why the rivers are so BROWN?

"$800 an acre to grow corn" down the Mississippi!"

That's not a good trip for our soil! What do you think my friend is holding in his hand? It will keep the soil from washing!
Ed