My Little Red Tractor

What does a farmer do when it rains? Well, the good guy that I married over 26 years ago finally gave in and brought over my belated Mother's Day gift, as pictured below.  I have loved this tractor ever since I saw it in one of the sheds a few years ago and have begged him to please bring it home.  It will grace our yard as my newest yard art. 

My Mother's Day present

Joe prides himself in finding me unusual gifts and this was one of the best ones, except for my work bench that he got me one Christmas.  So I'm thinking it is really good to be me!

Spring Seeding - A View From The Seat of a Tractor

Garbanzo & wheat planting down at the Tammany Farm last week-  Come take a peek at what the farmers are up to.  Below is a video clip  narrated by Farmer Joe from the inside of his tractor cab.  Long hours are spent inside the tractor during spring and fall work.



 

Seeding garbanzo beans into a "no till" field

Being "no till" farmers we will seed directly into last year's wheat stubble, as shown in the picture above.

A view of the garb seed being planted into the ground


++++++++++++++++++++++++
Wheat Seeding Views

The ammonia truck is filling the tanks on the tractor while the  nurse truck
as seen in the back of the picture is filling the air cart with wheat seed & fertilizer

 The nurse truck has two compartments in the truck which holds both wheat seed and dry fertilizer.

Farmer Jay overseeing the filling of the air cart with seed



A view as wheat seed is being filled into the air cart



The view is of the dry fertilizer that was also filled into the air cart

Even though we were not completely done seeding down at the Tammany Farm, (the ground was still too wet in some areas of the field) the decision was made to move the 37 miles up to the Genesee Farm to begin seeding wheat and garbs

Getting ready to move to Genesee

This is what moving equipment from one area to another looks like when we have to move it via the highway and  it isn't too bad if it is a 4 lane road.  But often times it is a 2 lane road so if you are reading this, remember farm equipment is not built for speed, and to please be patient when you encounter a farm vehicle on the road. :)

As always, hope you enjoyed the blog. Also remember to take a peek at the rest of the pages on the blog. Please email me if you have questions at idahofarmwife@gmail.com.  Also remember to check out http://www.farmnerinc.net/ for other farm blogs and good Ag info. =)

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there, whether we live on the farm or urban areas, we all have so much to give and contribute in our own unique ways. 

A CraZy Week on the Anderson Farm

It’s been quite a week on the Anderson Farm, from getting spring wheat seeded into the ground to hosting a dinner for Congressman Labrador. Not a typical spring for us, either weather-wise or social wise.

The weather cooperated enough for us to get our Spring wheat planted down at the Tammany Farm. That brought big smiles to the farmers and they moved the grain seeding drill up to the Genesee Farm for Farmer Jay to begin seeding spring wheat up here once the ground dries out enough. Farmer Joe has been seeding garbanzo beans (chickpeas) down at the Tammany Farm, weather permitting. The weather has given us anything from sun to snow all in a week and it has been crazy, not to mention worrisome as our window of planting time is getting smaller as each day passes.

LtoR, Raul Labrador, me, Joe

On Thursday, April 28 we hosted a meet and greet for Congressman Raul Labrador and several area farmers. So the week for me was busy getting ready for the event, as we have never been asked to host this kind of thing before, but hey, we were game and enjoy entertaining. If it's one thing I know, farmers like beef and good home cooked food, so our menu consisted of BBQ Beef Sandwiches, Cowboy Beans, Lentil Chili, Garbanzo/Zucchini Salad and Potato Salad and these recipes will be posted under the “Recipes page”. The desserts were, a pecan tart, chocolate tart, chocolate covered strawberries peanut butter cookies and those recipes will be on the OMG Delicious page of the blog.

Lto R, Joe, back to the camera, Raul, Farmer Jay and neighbor Dan
visiting before dinner was served

While chatting with guests, I didn’t realize Congressman Raul Labrador had arrived and when walking into the kitchen, there he was visiting with Joe.

Daughter, Kaitlyn who helped with the event by
taking pictures and helping with hostess duties

Raul speaking to our guests, it was an honor to have him
in our home, and he has my vote!

Raul was very down to earth and for lack of a better term, “so real” and sincere. After dinner, he gave a brief overview of his time on Capitol Hill and took time to answer our questions. Raul thought the new incoming freshman legislators had a very good grasp and understanding on the true pulse of America. He said many in the Capitol seem to have lost touch with reality and truly do not see how the downturn in the economy is affecting people. There is hope as the freshman representatives are businessman/women, some with no prior political experience, and that many have experienced firsthand the ups and downs of the economy. For example one legislator had lost his car dealership with the GM downsizing of its dealerships, one was a pizza parlor owner and one a funeral director, all real people who understand and connect with Middle America. Finally! Maybe they will get the message the American people are sending and help get us on the right path.

As the evening concluded, someone said something to the effect of "farming is the American dream and we are living it".   It is "the why" that we do what we do day in and day out.  Yes we struggle with high costs of production, hindering EPA and other regulations and environmentalists, but in the end it all comes down to fact that we love what we do.  We are 4th or 5th generation farmers, we are committeed  to feeding our country and we want to hand this legacy down to our children.

As always, thanks for stopping by and email me at idahofarmwife@gmail.com if you have questions. Or leave a comment on the page too.   All my best, Gayle

Race Against Nature, Seeding Wheat

Our first day of seeding spring wheat was Friday, April 22, and the farmers, Joe and Jay along with our hired man, Cody were glad to finally be able to get started.  The weather has been a cold, snowy/rain mix and has delayed the process.  We start down at the Tammany Farm which is 37 miles South of our Genesee farm and the weather is milder so we can get into the fields about 2 weeks sooner.   So far we have seeded approximately 650 acres into spring wheat with about 300 acres left to go.  The rain forecast for today (Monday, April 25) is threatening but has not arrived yet, so Farmer Jay is seeding as I write.  We need to get the Tammany farm seeded in order to move up to the Genesee farm and finish spring wheat up here, which is another 560 acres.  We have a short window of time in order to get our crops planted and the time is now through early May, so our guys worked on Easter due to the looming inclement weather.  This year looks to be a race against nature and the guys are putting in long days. 

Farmer Jay has been the one in the tractor seeding the wheat, with hired-man, Cody being the support team by bringing seed and fertilizer to Jay.  The hydro-ammonia (NH3) is 82% nitrogen, the most concentrated form of nitrogen.  This is the building block of protein for the wheat.   Farmer Joe was also on the tractor, but he was spraying the fields for weeds and would keep the ammonia truck filled up for Cody.  

Filling the ammonia from the storage unit into the mobile truck for Cody requires extreme caution and lots of training.  So until Cody has taken a safety course and the farmers feel he is ready to handle this job, Joe will stop what he is doing in the field to fill the ammonia truck so Cody can keep Jay in the tractor and seeding wheat.  A real team effort goes into getting the crops in the field.    This is our job, we love what we do, even when the weather stresses us out. 

Joe filling the ammonia truck from the bulk ammonia storage tank,
Notice the safety goggles, safety measures are important 

As always, thank you for reading this. Email me at Idahofarmwife@gmail.com if you have questions.  Later on the week, we are hosting Congressman Raul Labrador along with several other wheat farmers for a dinner at our home.  So watch for that blog too!  In fact, I'm off to start grocery shopping as I have a huge menu planned. Gayle   =)

Ready, set, go! Spring work is beginning!

Remember what it was like to wait for Christmas to open presents and thinking that day would NEVER come??! Well, its been a little like that around here waiting for Spring to arrive and some mornings it has even looked a little like Christmas with snow on the ground. This Spring has been an exercise in patience and knowing that one day soon, it will be time to finally get in the fields....and today was that day! So with a big smile and packing his lunchbox, Farmer Joe got to go outside and play on his tractor. 

The video explains what the farmer got to do today, and he was a very happy camper.

Just like preparing your garden for the new growing season, we need to prepare our fields and rid them of the weeds.

  

GPS receiver and display unit.

The above GPS receiver shows the field that is in the process of being sprayed and the yellow color is where the farmer has been and the green part shows what is left to spray.  That way we don't overlap the same area and it helps keep our cost down as well as not using more product than necessary.  Another example of being "sustainable in our day-to-day" work.

The mixing cone holds the bulk glyphosate (generic Roundup) before being
inducted into the spray solution

Another view of the mixing tank  being filled

Rear view of the sprayer from the back of the cab

 As always, thanks for stopping in to read the blog and if you have questions, please feel free to email me at idahofarmwife@gmail.com .  Stay tuned for more farm adventures as this is just the beginning. =)

Wheat Lab

Vic explaining about a variety of wheat that was being
 grown in one of the greenhouse rooms

Almost  2 weeks ago, I was able to tour both the WSU Wheat Research Lab and the Wheat Quality Lab.  So come along and I'll show you ( in pictures), what I got to see and try to explain what I learned.  Farmers in this area are extremely fortunate in that we have not one, but two land grant universities six miles apart from each other, with the Washington State University in Pullman, WA and the University of Idaho in Moscow, ID and both have Ag research facilities.  This is good for us as you will see.

The wheat greenhouse lab is a secure facility and entry was gained via card entry.  My guides were Vic DeMacon, Senior Scientific Assistant and Gail Jacobson, Wheat Analyst (and also my neighbor).  The greenhouse facility was a vast area with many greenhouse rooms to accommodate various research mainly for wheat.

A wheat plant is grown in flats



Vic among the wheat - check out the huge lights that simulate the sun.
The greenhouse lighting and heating are very expensive costs for the college

 The research that is currently being conducted is to develop a "Rust Resistant" type of wheat plant.  What I saw on my tour were various wheat plants that were being grown and specific DNA was being cross bred to create a better plant.  Some of the wheat plants had come from Minnesota and were being bred with regional plants. So in essence the wheat breeders were taking the best DNA from the plants and creating a new variety. The heads of the male and female plants were encased in protective covers.

I asked Vic how long it would take once the ideal plant was developed to reach the farmer and I was told it is an 8-10 year process.  Amazing.  Many plants are developed for specific areas here in the Pacific Northwest as our growing seasons are very different and range from a high moisture to low moisture depending on geographic area.  The process is time consuming and meticulous records are kept.

Vic explained that they can simulate winter temperatures for the winter wheat plants. (Quick refresher- winter wheat is planted in the fall and the plant makeup needs the cold winter weather as part of its growing process, if it doesn't go into a sort of hibernation during winter, the plant will not make a wheat head when   growing season comes around). 

This cold unit simulates winter season for the wheat plants

These are the plants inside the vernalization growth room

I left the greenhouse complex amazed at all the time, effort and knowledge that goes into the research necessary in order to get a better plant that will naturally defend itself from the rust disease.  To sum it up, when wheat breeders develop plants that can naturally resist diseases, it is a win - win situation for the farmer and the consumer.   So Vic if you are reading this, thank you for your time and as a farmer, thank you for the helping us to grow better crops. =)

Next I went onto tour the Wheat Quality Lab where wheat is measured and gaged by protein content and quality.  This is important as it makes a big difference in baking properties and quality for cakes, breads, noodles, crackers, etc.  I saw many scientific machines that weighed and measured protein in the wheat breeds.  Then after all the testing of the kernels were done, it was made into flour and the final baking test was done in the WSU test kitchen.  Although no baking was being done at the time I was touring, you could imagine the great smells that would come out of this room. 

The charts for different types of wheat grown



The results on the baked goods with different wheat



The cookie on the left is the optimum result and the wheat properties
and varieties make all the difference in the results

WSU has a "baking lab kitchen" in the research facility to test the varieties and
how they will perform when used in cookies or breads

Gail showing me some bread samples

The poster says it all, the gluten protein quality makes all the difference

Again all the testing and knowledge to get a product that will yield the optimum results for the consumer is an extensive process.  The research universities help you and I in ways we never even think of and as a result, we are very fortunate to live in this country.  Thank you Gail for setting up this tour and for all you do in your research, as we the consumer, appreciate your hard work.

As always, hope you enjoyed the tour and if you have questions, please email me at idahofarmwife@gmail.com.    We are gearing up for Spring work and I'll be documenting what we are doing - right now we are waiting on the weather to give the green light! =)

Crop Dusters and Fertilizer

When I can't be in the field to document what is happening on the farm, Farmer Joe's instructions are to capture on video or pictures what he is doing that day to be shared with you by way of this blog.  =)  So my sweet farmer was very pleased with himself because he remembered to take some video clips of the airplane that was flying nitrogen and sulphur fertilizer on our winter wheat fields.   This is to give the crop sort of a "shot in the arm booster" which I would compare it to getting my morning coffee!  The reason the dry fertilizer is being flown on by air is because the soil is too wet to be driven on with a ground rig.

New video clip (as of 4/8/2011) showing  the crop duster flying the dry fertilizer by our house.

The video below was taken of  the plane getting loaded at the crop duster's field strip.

Fertilizer being loaded onto the plane

While the farmer was taking these photos, I was touring the Washington State University Wheat Research Lab and Wheat Quality Lab taking photos to share what they do to help the farmers in the Northwest. Stay tuned for more on that as I have some good photos and a story to share.

Farmers Joe & Jay are getting excited to get into the field to start Spring work! For a farmer waiting to get into the field is probably a lot like a  football  fan eagerly awaiting the beginning of  football season. All the pre-game preparations, the anticipation for a great season, and hoping for a victory when the season has ended and the dust has settled.

So the pre-game activities on the farm have begun and we are putting the final touches of getting the equipment ready to head to down to the early fields on our Tammany farm, which is 37 miles away from our main shop and equates to about an hour drive at 60 mph, but flagging equipment is usually more like a  2 1/2 hour drive as the average speed is 15-20 mph as tractors aren't built for speed, so it is slow going.


Moving equipment requires planning and before we can head to the Tammany Farm, a flat tire is discovered and needs to be fixed.

Cody our hired man fixing a flat tire

Getting ready to roll 

With the beacon/flasher lights are secured on top of Joe's pick-up along with the oversize load sign, the farmers are off!

A slow trip as tractors aren't built for speed

Once the farmers get to the field,  the next thing that is done is to check the fall seeded winter wheat roots for signs of disease.  Depending on what is found will determine what type of treatment is sprayed on the plants.

Jay checking the wheat

Inspecting the plant roots to assess for root disease

The weather is being somewhat uncooperative and we still need to spray out the weeds that have sprouted in the fields that will now be planted to spring wheat.  Currently it is 39 degrees and a forecast of rain- so sort of a wait and see game plan as the weatherman is a fierce opponent. So stay tuned for more game plans.

As always, if you have questions, please email me at idahofarmwife@gmail.com. All my best, Gayle

Farming - Through The Eyes of the Consumer

Farming looks idyllic and seems easy, but there is real precision, logic
and science behind everything we do 

Would you ask your plumber tax questions?  And believe his answers to be true because he observed how accountants went about their day and then considered himself to be knowledgeable on the subject?   No?  It’s the same concept that many of us in the Ag industry feel about the misrepresentation portrayed in the food movies and biased media.  Half truths, things taken out of context that are put out there as the real answers, but they are not.



What does taking a walk with a 5 year old and you, the American consumer, have in common? It’s about asking questions and getting the real answers. True facts to your questions, so let me explain….

The 5 yoa grand-angel. A day out in the field when harvesting wheat

Viewing an ordinary walk on our rural gravel road through the eyes of an energetic and curious 5 year old made me think about you, the average American consumer and how you view those of us who farm. Let me back up, yesterday Farmer Joe and I took our 5 year old grand-angel out for a walk (her idea) and as the pink coated, yellow booted short little blond was skipping down the road, throwing rocks in the ditches filled with water, and asking questions – it was viewing the same ordinary path that we walk a lot, but so differently viewed through the eyes of someone who was asking questions and wanting answers. So as the farmer and I answered questions about why water was running from the fields into the ditches and other curious, sometimes funny questions…. It made me think about the shopper, the ones who rely on us to get food on your table, who want to know about the hows and whys of the things farmers do.

Early Spring on the Palouse, the winter wheat fields
are starting to turn green

A close up of the wheat, note the wheat straw from
last year's harvest helps protect the crops

So my newest endeavor is to have you, the consumer, get the real answers to your questions from real farmers in all areas of Ag. I have been compiling the many blogs along with the industry councils and other good knowledgeable websites to do just that - give you a one stop shop and invite you into our daily farming lives. It is still a work in progress, but it is a beginning. So where do you find this site? The site is called, Farmer Inc., The Real Story, and the link is simply farminc.net. So we invite you to read about us and if you have questions, ask us, we know what we are talking about.


P.S. Yes, I will keep this blog site up, as it is about our wheat and garbanzo farm. Tomorrow I will be blogging about starting spring work and Farmer Joe has taken his camera along with him to begin documenting what he is doing. Later on in the week, I will be touring the Washington State University Wheat Research Lab to show you how universities help the farmers with developing better wheat varieties.  Then hopefully I will get to document wheat at the Port being loaded onto the barges that go to the foreign markets! Am I excited to share this with you? You bet! So stayed tuned, come back often and as always, if you have questions, email me at idahofarmwife@gmail.com. All my best, Gayle.



How Does a Farming Family Celebrate National Ag Day?

Today is Nat'l Ag Day.  So how does an all American Farm family celebrate?  We will gather to share a hearty meal using only foods grown on American farms and thanking the other farmers who grow what we don't grow. 

Look for the little Red, White & Blue
stickers on the produce

We are wheat and garbanzo farmers, so we have many other farmers to thank who produce the fruits and vegetables, the beef (& all animal ag), the dairy & poultry and yes, the cotton we wear.  It is a group effort that all of us in the Ag industry do and who are all committed to providing the best, most economical and safest food available anywhere. 

So come on take a peek at a normal family gathering on the Anderson Farm.

The table's all set and ready

Farmer Joe with grand angel, Natalie

We were celebrating Joe's birthday on Nat'l Ag Day

Kaitlyn our daughter getting some snug time in
with the newest  farmer-ette niece, Maggie



The girls hanging out sharing a laugh. L to R
Daughter Jen, Natalie, Kaitlyn and GG

No matter whose house I go to, it seems we all end up congregating in the kitchen.  For me, the kitchen is the heart of the house and my favorite place to be -other than in front of the fireplace on a cold day. 


GG and Brinley sharing some quiet time after dinner



This is what Daddies do after dinner



But everyone woke up for dessert! 


Enjoying good food and happy times with family are the stuff memories for this farm-wife are made of.   Happy National Ag Day from a very blessed and lucky farm-wife.  As always, thanks for stopping by and feel free to email me at idahofarmwife@gmail.com if you have any questions.