Channeling Longfellow

In every life a little rain must fall
Some days must be dark and dreary.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I'd like to hold Mr. Longfellow to that thought at the moment. We need some rain. We got a very brief shower last weekend. There wasn't enough to measure in our backyard rain gauge. Some places in Central Kansas got measurable precipitation. I'm glad for them - even if I'm a little jealous, too.

We are in a severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. On July 3, Governor Sam Brownback placed all 105 Kansas counties into a drought stage.  There are now 36 counties in Emergency, 55 in Warning and 14 in Watch.


Even though we got a little relief from the triple-digit temperatures this week, it didn't end the need for rain. The respite was short-lived. The 7-day forecast is back to 100-plus every day. (Of course, the Stafford County Fair starts this coming week, so it's inevitably hot!) Kansas Agricultural Statistics Service reported major declines in the condition of the state's spring-planted crops, including corn, soybeans and sorghum. The double-crop milo planted behind our house has come up, but it's not very big and it needs a rain to fill the heads. 

Randy and Jake started putting alfalfa down for the third cutting this week. However, Randy says there's not enough alfalfa to make a windrow at some locations, including the field south of our house.

It's made some really pretty blooms, but the substance just isn't there to make hay for our cattle.

Last fall, we sold off feeder calves and didn't carry them through the winter. What will happen this year? Randy hasn't decided yet. But, if the National Weather Service is right, it doesn't look particularly hopeful.

For more information from the National Weather Service, click here.

Isn't it strange that greetings cards and poets all equate rain as undesirable? They've never lived on a Kansas farm, I suppose. I'm praying for rain.

Double or Nothing

Double or nothing: I'm not much of a gambler. On second thought, maybe being a farmer's wife makes me one by association.

It remains to be seen whether our attempts to double-crop milo and sudan will pay off later this summer. Glancing at the field behind our house, it doesn't look like much more than a few stalks of wheat left behind during wheat harvest 2012.

But a closer look reveals some little green milo plants breaking through the wheat stubble residue. During the past couple of weeks, we've had 2.75" of rain, which has given the newly-planted crop a boost and has been a welcome change from last year's severe drought.

We'll see how the milo fares after several days of 100-degree-plus temperatures and no rain in the forecast this week. We're praying that this vivid reminder of last year's summer of record-busting, century-mark temperatures is just a memory - not a preview of things to come again this summer.

Double or nothing? It's not just a bet in Las Vegas.

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An update: I saw a couple of friends/family members post this video to Facebook today and just had to add it to my blog so you'd have to chance to watch it, too. I don't know the Peterson Brothers, but I'm a fan! These Kansas farmers rock ... or rap! Enjoy!

A Double Dip

When you're standing at the ice cream counter, choosing a double dip multiplies your tasty options. Double-cropping isn't nearly as tasty as a double dip of ice cream, but it does increase your opportunities.

Double-cropping is raising two crops on the same acreage. Yesterday, Randy planted milo on 40 acres of ground where we had just harvested wheat last Friday.  On Monday, he planted 56 acres of sudan grass on wheat stubble at another location.

Just like that double dip of ice cream, there are some things to consider. The double dip ice cream cone may not be the right choice for your waistline. Double-cropping is a gamble, too, especially if this summer is as dry as last year.

We bought a no-till planter a couple of years ago, so the guys just worked the wheat stubble once. They needed to disc the field because there were some weeds coming up. But leaving the majority of the residue will help the ground retain moisture and will reduce wind erosion. 

If it doesn't rain, the milo likely won't have enough moisture to produce grain. So the expenses for seed, fertilizer and herbicide won't be recovered with a crop.

You've heard the saying, "Location, location, location!" It applies to double-cropping, too. Even if the milo doesn't produce grain, Randy hopes it will grow enough to be able to use it for cattle grazing this fall. The milo field is just east of our house and the corrals we use for cattle, so it would be easy to use for grazing. He hopes to bale the sudan grass later this summer (if we get enough rain for it to come up). That location is close to another spot we use for cattle, making it more convenient and efficient to move bales.

At both locations where he double-cropped, it's time for the ground to be taken out of wheat production and to go to sorghum. We practice crop rotation on our farm, which essentially means that we produce one crop for several years - for example, wheat - then we alternate with a different crop - like milo. That helps to fight some of the weeds - like cheat and rye - that infiltrate the wheat crop after repeatedly going back to the same crop.

Randy added 15 pounds of nitrogen per acre of fertilizer as he planted the milo. He also had the Kanza Co-op spray herbicide and an additional 10 pounds of nitrogen/acre. Yes, I asked why, too. The planter only has the capacity to put down 15 pounds of nitrogen. Additionally, that fertilizer goes down right by the seed. The fertilizer spread by the co-op is a more general application, which will help establish the roots, too.

Will double-cropping double our harvest pleasure? Time will tell.