I think hand weeding a field is called roguing for weeds, and I'm doing that using my Amish Hoe.Other stuff...coffee time...a trip to the mennonite machine shop...swapping the fluids on the new tractor...2nd cut baling went well....cutting the sourghum-sudan cover crop. There are three lines from Mary Oliver's poem "Sometimes" that really stand out.

Find your place in the world. Dig in, and take responsibility from there. - Gary Snyder

Please contact me with your own stories.
[email protected]

I think a chisel plow does a nice job of opening compacted soil. It does so by stirring, without inverting the earth like a moldboard plow. I have a notion that this better maintains soil structure, and that fungal associations will be more easily reestablished in the pending cover crop. Just my opinion here, though.Unfortunately, an old wire fence was unearthed. It had been buried in a roll in one spot and needs to be cleaned up. It is brittle and will be a hazard for tractor tires even with a careful clean up. Also, an extensive root network along the west fenceline was a challenge for the chisel plow. I was very fortunate to hear about a Ford 9600 tractor that is for sale locally. This is literally exactly the tractor that I was looking for ideally. At 135 pto horsepower, it is a beast for this farm and will keep limit the strain on my present Ford 7700 tractor. It is also time for 2nd cut hay...today will be a very, very long one!


Find your place in the world. Dig in, and take responsibility from there. - Gary Snyder

Please contact me with your own stories.
[email protected]

With wheat harvest finished, it's time to reflect...but not for long because the wheat stubble is growing weeds and a cover crop needs to go in shortly. I decide to "double disc" the hard, dry ground.

Find your place in the world. Dig in, and take responsibility from there. - Gary Snyder

Please contact me with your own stories.
[email protected]

This is what it sounds like while harvesting wheat with a White 8700 combine.

Find your place in the world. Dig in, and take responsibility from there. - Gary Snyder

Please contact me with your own stories.
[email protected]

Are you curious about how the combine worked?

Find your place in the world. Dig in, and take responsibility from there. - Gary Snyder

Please contact me with your own stories.
[email protected]

Today's the day! Tom rambles on about his old farm equipment, specifically the various machines needed today and their cost. Then he does a deep dive into combine settings....a very deep dive. With all of this old equipment in operation he talks about a stoics' mindset when farming. Next episode...post harvest discussion.

Find your place in the world. Dig in, and take responsibility from there. - Gary Snyder

Please contact me with your own stories.
[email protected]

The sound of birds and insects. Daybreak as I check on the cows and move them to another paddock. A lot has happened since the last episode of this audio journal, and most of it has been quite good fortunately. With wheat harvest imminent, I reflect on the success or otherwise of the farm in terms of its' different parts. Hay production, winter wheat, soybeans, and the cattle. As a former teacher, I couldn't resist assigning a grade to each...LOL. Why am I still grading things in my retirement?

Find your place in the world. Dig in, and take responsibility from there. - Gary Snyder

Please contact me with your own stories.
[email protected]

I found a comfortable spot to sit/ lie down on a hillside near the river, with a view of the grazing cattle, the river, and the small field I call the bowl. Oakley came with me as well as a barn cat who probably thinks he is also a dog and should come on long walks.  It was nice of my friends to turn up in the rain for the EFAO field tour last week. I was expecting about six people but there were maybe twenty. I didn't know what people would be interested in, so I did a two hour show and tell. Looking back, I think I should have mentioned organic weed control with more clarity, so I make an attempt in this episode. While recording, a fawn emerged from the woods along the river. Sunset. Peace. I am grateful.

Find your place in the world. Dig in, and take responsibility from there. - Gary Snyder

Please contact me with your own stories.
[email protected]

Having heard a calf bawling in the distance, I decided to see if it was one of mine. It seemed like a good time to record a farm update. It was nice to hear the sound of the river, plus the grassland and forest birds. It really was a beautiful morning!

Find your place in the world. Dig in, and take responsibility from there. - Gary Snyder

Please contact me with your own stories.
[email protected]

This episode was recorded at about 6 am across the river, as I checked in on the cattle after their recent move. It is nice to hear the birds in this nice little clearing at the edge of the water. Soybeans are planted and the electric fences are all up and in decent shape. I'm also thinking ahead to planting cover crops, fixing equipment, planting cover crops, and haying season coming up.
I'm so tired! LOL

Find your place in the world. Dig in, and take responsibility from there. - Gary Snyder

Please contact me with your own stories.
[email protected]