Only in Iowa...

Can you wake up to this...

Unpack your winter snow gear so you can enjoy this...

Then watch the afternoon sun melt everything from the morning, so by early evening you can do this...

And then from the sounds of it, do it all over again tomorrow!

Man I love Iowa, but this is why Iowa's weather sometimes gets a bad rap.  Two pluses came from today:  first, Audrey got to experience her first snow and Klayton enjoyed playing and jumping in the snow, and second, we were still able to combine corn today.  Two negatives from today:  first, we now have some corn that was snowed on after it was planted and snowed on before it was harvested, and second, we still have soybeans left to harvest.  Corn is more "hardy" than soybeans.  Soybeans need, shall we say, ideal conditions to harvest well or nicely, and I don't think having snow on them equals "ideal"...

Oh well, life and harvest goes on and you have to go with the flow, especially when it comes to weather in Iowa.  Like the old weather saying goes, "Whether it's cold or whether it's hot, we shall have weather, whether or not."

What are some weather sayings you have heard?

Rain, Rain Go Away, Come Again When We're Done Planting

Last year I talked about the drought many times and even this year I've continued to talk about the drought.  Well, I don't think anyone in our area, and actually throughout the state of Iowa, is concerned about being in a drought anymore...  Let's just say we've gotten our fair share of rain lately!

Here is last week's Drought Monitor map for the state of Iowa
(I guess whoever is incharge of updating is still on their Memorial Day vacation
because it wasn't updated this morning)
I have circled the county where we live and farm.
As of last week we still lived in an "Abnormally Dry" area

On Saturday we received around 2 inches of rain and then overnight into Sunday we received an additional 4 inches of rain!  Normally on the Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend My Farmer, LP and I go to church and then go to a Memorial Day service at the cemetery - not this year...  Instead we were busy making sure everything was alright at our current house, our new home and at our hog site.  

We've gotten pretty accustom to water in our basement at our current house if it rains a lot.  The key is, if water reaches the apple tree, there is water in our basement.  Water was at the apple tree probably by 5am on Sunday...  

On Sunday water was ponded past our apple tree.
Today though can see how far the water has retreated since then
but you can still see how wet it is.

Our sump pump has been working nonstop since Sunday at our current house and finally today it is taking a breather and only pumps every so often.  I think I might actually be able to do some laundry today because now the laundry washer's water will have somewhere to go!

Our new house only had a little bit of water in the basement thankfully and our hog buildings were fine.  We were a little worried the hog barns were going to get water into them on Sunday morning but the rain stopped just in time that we didn't have to stress about that.

But stress is still high as we have large ponds in all of our fields.  Not only are we worrying about drowning out the corn that is planted in some of those fields, we are also worrying about the corn and soybeans we still have to plant!  And it doesn't look like this week there will be a good chance of getting field work done with a chance of rain every day.  Because the season is starting to go late, we are starting to talk about switching some of our intended corn fields into soybeans fields and have also talked with our crop insurance agent about preventive planting acres.

This is a view to the east from our acreage where you can see several "ponds".
On Sunday these were one giant "lake"!

I guess the only thing that needs to happen this week, so we can get our minds off of all of this, is to have a baby!  Every morning My Farmer talks to MP through my stomach telling him or her that it would be a good time to arrive!

Have you been dealing with flood conditions where you live?  Do you have any questions about planting this spring?

Farm Friday

Welcome to the first Farm Friday of the year!  Throughout the growing season I'll be giving a couple Farm Friday updates a month.

Tis the season for spring planting of our corn and soybean crops.  Planting has been a little late this year due to cool and wet conditions, and delayed even because of a late snow storm.  But the weather window finally flew open this week and we were able to get a lot of corn planted, along with tillage work and herbicide application, before a rain storm popped up last night.

My Farmer planting corn

This week was just what we were looking for to get a lot of ground covered.  Sunny skies and windy conditions allowed for quick drying and a warm up of the soil.  The rain we got last night will probably keep us out of the field for a day, but hey - that means the lawn can get mowed right!

My Farmer and LP hopping into the tractor to plant some corn

Do you have questions about corn and soybean planting?

Also, wanted to share some posts from last year for all the farmer's wives and farmers out there:

• Rules of a Farm Wife (Spring Edition)  (This is my list of a few simple rules to make life easier during busy times of the year in the field.)
• Rules of a Farmer (How to Have a Happy Farm Wife) (This is My Farmer's response to the above post.)

May Snow!

You know how they say "April Showers Bring May Flowers" so what does "May Snow Bring..."?

That's right - May Snow!  You have no idea how many times I've thought about writing about the weather this year!  We've had unseasonable highs, unseasonable lows, dry times, wet times and of course snowy times.

Who would have thought we would have been doing this just a couple days ago?

Planting Corn

So as My Farmer and I woke up this morning what were we thinking?  I think My Farmer was in shock that it actually snowed and that it is suppose to continue snowing all day today.  And I am thinking - well, at least it is moisture!  We have been in a drought for the past year and I figure you've got to look at the good side of this May snow and say - moisture is moisture!

What does this mean for the corn we've already planted?  Well, we'll see in a few weeks...  It either means the seed will not germinate properly due to the cold conditions and we'll have to replant due to low stand counts, or it means the seed was not harmed and we'll be happy we got a couple fields planted early.

I guess this is why they say that "Farming is a Gamble" - there are some things you can control, and others, like weather that you can not.

Ice, Rain and Snow Oh My!

Ironically my last blog post was about how beautiful winter is in Iowa.  Now, for the last few days we've been having the exact weather that people dread during winter...

It all started with an ice storm on Sunday and Monday, along with heavy fog all day Monday.

Look how weighed down one of our lilac bushes is due to the ice
and how low the neighboring trees branches are hanging to the ground

Ice was coating everything - trees, bushes, grass, vehicles, the house, etc.
See how foggy it is, at the bottom of the photo you can kind of see the ground through the fog

Thunderstorms and rain Monday night and Tuesday.

The thunderstorm and rain left everything very wet

We usually have puddles like this in April, not January...

And now this morning we wake up to snow, with wind to pick up later today.

Our dog Bailey taking a mid-morning nap in the snow
I don't know why,
but she'd rather sleep in the flower box next the the house, rather  than her doghouse

Bailey back on duty protecting the farm, she'd never want us to see her sleeping on the job!

I guess the only type of weather we're missing now is sunshine!  I just have to laugh and smile and say, this is winter in Iowa!  I'm just happy that we've been getting precipitation!  After the 2012 drought, I'm concerned with what sub-soil moisture we have left and what conditions our 2013 crops will have to try to grow in.  So bring on the moisture, in whatever form it comes!

Hope you all are taking care in whatever weather conditions come your way!

Farm Friday (Monday Edition...)

My Farm Friday post is coming a little later this week, or should I say last week, because My Farmer and I were at the Iowa Farm Bureau's state Young Farmer Advisory Committee's meeting all weekend.  This was our last meeting on the state board; we finished our three-year term at the meeting.

IFBF State Board Member Carlton Kjos presenting My Farmer and I
a clock as a gift of appreciation for our  service

We had a great time serving on the state Young Farmer committee!  We made a lot of great friends, made memories traveling to different conferences, and learned a lot about Farm Bureau while on the committee.

"Retiring" committee members - the Hall's, My Farmer & I, and the Dreher's

Our time on the state committee may be over but My Farmer and I still have many more years as Young Farmers ahead of us!  We are excited to move onto different commitments within Farm Bureau and we wish the best to the new board members.

The new North Central Iowa representatives, the Muff's, with Us
They'll do a great job representing our district

Now that I explained why my Farm Friday post is late, I better post my crop report.  This week on the farm we have been keeping busy with hauling corn to an area ethanol plant and with spraying our soybeans with fungicide and Round-Up.  My "backyard" is in a big need for a drink of water!  I hope we get some rain and soon!

The corn is continuing to pollinate.

If you look closely, you can see the tassel pollen on the silks of the ear of corn

Here is a look at how the ear of corn currently looks.  It is beginning to show the kernels which is known as blistering or R2.

My "hog's backyard" of soybeans is now up to my chest!  (I'm only 5'2" though...)

The soybeans are now at R3, meaning they are beginning to set pods.  Temperature or moisture stress during this stage can affect yield through total pod numbers, bean number per pod, and/or seed size.  So this means our soybeans need a good rainfall and nice temperatures, which today is suppose to get in the high 90's with no rain - not what we want!

How is the weather in your area?  Are you too going through the current drought that is across 2/3 of the United States?

Farm Friday

This week on the farm we have been busy hauling corn to the ethanol plant.  We also have been busy making sure our hogs stay cool during these high temperatures and triple digit heat indexes.  The pigs in our building currently are around 100 pounds, this means we like to keep their houses at 68 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit.  When the outside temperature is higher than our ideal conditions we have misters or sprinklers automatically turn on to help keep the pigs comfortable.  When hogs are at market weight between 260 and 280 pounds, we like to keep their houses between 60 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit.

Wouldn't you like to be in 60 and 70 degree temperatures your entire life???

As for "my backyard" this week, at the beginning of the week the corn started tasseling, which is the last stage in the vegetative growth cycle known as VT.

Corn Tassel

And now by the end of the week, the corn has begun silking, which is the first stage in the reproductive growth cycle known as R1.  At this stage pollination begins when pollen grains from the tassels contact the new and moist silks.  When scouting this field I came out with pollen grains all over me.  I'm happy that temperatures are forecasted to be cooler and that we have a chance of rain next week, because the largest yield reduction due to stress happens at this stage.

Corn Ears Silking

Here is an ear of corn that I shucked.  You can see the kernels beginning to form and the silks. 

Now onto my "hog's backyard":

The soybeans started their reproductive stages last week by beginning to flower.  This week they are at R2, which means they are at full bloom and have flowers within the top two nodules of the plant.

Do you have any questions about corn or soybean development?  Be sure to leave comments and/or questions in the comment section below.

Back in the Field!

After being out of the field for almost a week due to rain and wet conditions in the field, we officially got back into the field last night!  My Farmer, LP and I did some spring tillage and I couldn't help but take some photos as the sun set on us.

The forecast looks good this week to get more field work and planting done.  We are about half-way done planting corn as of today.  It'll be interesting to see how much me progress this week.  Be sure to check out my blog on Friday for my Farm Friday update!

If you look closely you can see both My Farmer and LP's  shadows in the tractor.

Six More Weeks of Winter

From Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania to North Central Iowa, it looks like there will be six more weeks of winter.

If you look closely you can see LP's shadow

Six more weeks of winter doesn't seem bad to me.  In reality I feel like we haven't even really had that much of a winter so far.  As you can tell in the photo we have parts of our lawn with no snow anymore.  Now there are only piles of snow here and there and in the ditches.

Crazy January Weather!

There's no doubt that this winter so far has been unseasonably warm.  Temperatures today at home reached the mid-50s.  It was so nice out that LP, our dog Bailey and I got the stroller out and took a walk down our gravel road!

Now I have to admit, the walk today was great.  But I am missing "normal" January weather!  I love winter - the snow, bundling up, the cold air and sledding with my church youth group.  Some may think I'm crazy for missing it, but I am missing winter!

Also, all I can think is what does this unseasonably warm weather now mean for the rest of winter and into spring.  The rest of the winter could be very cold; Iowa weather history indicates that a warm December and January are often followed by a colder than average February and March.  As for this spring, the farmer in me is wondering if Elwynn Taylor's drought is actually going to happen.  We already had a dry fall, if we have a dry winter, does that mean we will be in severe drought conditions for spring planting?

I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens.  Until I get my beloved winter back, I guess I'll just have to go with the flow and enjoy the beautiful weather like I did today by going on a walk and grilling tonight for supper.

(I am happy to report for all my winter lovers out there - there is a chance of snow for tomorrow!  I am getting very excited and am hoping that I can dust off my sled soon!)