Saturday, May 15, 2010

Helping the Neighbor



Shown above is Joe in his tractor on a side hill.   The recent rainy weeks have kept many of the other farmers out of their fields.  While we finished seeding before the rain, many did not and it's critical in getting the crops in the fields.  So Joe is helping out a neighbor to get his soft white wheat in the field. 
This is what a freshly seeded field looks like when you plant it with a special "no till drill"implement.  Notice the wheat straw from last years harvest, the wheat stubble will help catch rain water as well help reduce erosion  when it does rain and the stubble also helps keep moisture in the ground for the crops (think of using compost material in your gardens to reduce weeds and lock in moisture) but only a much larger scale.  Plus by not plowing in the fall and by seeding directly into last year's stubble, it saves fossil fuel and is better for the soil health.