Cedar Lodge Farms photo/video thread

[farmerknowsbest]

Hi there,

I am new to this forum and am really enjoying going through the threads on the site. Keep up the good work.

My name is Warren, I am just in the last week of classes before finishing up University studying Agricultural Economics. Once done, I will be farming full time on our 3000ac farm in South Eastern Ontario, Canada. We primarily grow corn, however, also have a sizable acreage of soybeans. We grow a bit of wheat to supply our beef feedlot with straw as well. We are a family run operation that also employs 3 full time guys and a variety of part time and seasonal employees for the busy seasons.

I have been keeping a photoblog for the last 3 years now and have close to 10000 photos and hundreds of video clips of our operation. I try to be as detailed with the blog as I can, while still explaining things in basic easy to understand terms for those that don't have the ag background I do. I update it as often as I have relevant information to do so with and have gotten many positive reviews of it. I hope you enjoy it as well.

http://www.cedarlodgefarms.com

That is our farms website where I compile all the photos and videos in a blog format. The site is very dialup friendly, so don't let a slow internet connection discourage you from checking us out. All the photos are in thumbnail form on the site, but with a simple click of your mouse they can be blown up (on a different tab/page) for you to view them in full size.

I take great pride in our farm and love to talk about it, so please, don't be afraid to ask questions, or make comments and commentaries on what we are doing and why we are doing it.

I'll introduce you to our fleet.

To make it suspenseful I'll start at the bottom and work up in hp.

The smallest, our lawn mower. A Kubota LG1860 Diesel. I think it has 18hp. I got just a bit too close to the wet field and slipped off the edge. Oh well. :D See dirtman, you're not the only one that likes the mud. HEHE.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2008/July/2nd/IMG_5955.jpg

35hp Kubota L175 This tractor is only used for one thing on the farm, moving bales inside of dairy barns for storage where we could otherwise not get them.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2007/July/IMG_2512.jpg

45hp White 1270. This tractor is our main utility tractor. It is great for moving wagons around the yard, doing light duty pto work and is great for haying.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/Planting/Picture080.jpg

60hp White 2-60 This is our oldest tractor and with over 25000 hours it looks it! This tractor doesn't get a lot of work anymore. It is basically a yard tractor now doing light duty pto work. In the spring it does get some use pulling fertilizer wagons around.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2008/May/3rd/IMG_5158.jpg

70hp JD 6110. This is our main feedlot tractor. It cleans the barns once a week as well is used in basically all parts of filling silo. The tractor is used quite often in the yard with the loader if something needs to be used. It is a very versatile tractor.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2008/May/11th/IMG_5348.jpg

95hp JD 6200. This is our main tractor. There is rarely a day that goes by that this tractor does not move. It is small enough to be considered a utility tractor but has enough hp to tackle larger jobs as well. It is used in almost every job from planting to harvest.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2008/September/4th/IMG_6703.jpg

130hp TV-140 This is probably the most unique tractor we own. It is a bi-directional tractor, meaning, the operators station can be turned 180 degrees and the tractor drives just as easily in either direction. It is used as a heavy loader most of the time. It was purchased to pick stones ahead of the planters with a stone bucket.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2008/May/14th/IMG_5402.jpg

135hp NH TS130A This tractor was purchased in the spring of 2008 and has really grown on us. It is a 2wd but it does pull exceptionally well with the duals on. This is one of our planter tractors and pulls the 8 row corn planter all spring. Bales hay and teams wagons of grain in the fall.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2008/May/3rd/IMG_5142.jpg

180-250hp NH T7060 Also bought in the spring of 2008. This tractor is the lighter of the 2 and is used for seeding, NH3, and teaming wagons. The tractor has the 50kph transmission and flies on the road as a result. A lot of hp with an excellent cab layout. Easily the best tractor on the market in its weight class! There is a reason it was the 2008 Tractor of the year.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2008/May/26th/IMG_5509.jpg

180-250hp NH T7060 Yes we have 2 of them. This one is 1.4 tonnes heavier than its twin. This tractor is a work horse. A tillage tractor. Built to get that power to the ground. It pulls a 32ft field cultivator in the spring, and a 6 furrow plow in the fall. Fills all the silos and relaxes the rest of the time. :D The reason for the wide spread of hp is because of the computer. 180 at the pto, 250 on the dyno at max torque with the computer run power boost.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/April/4th/IMG_8095.jpg

230hp JD 8200 This tractor was recently retired from the tillage jobs when the T7060 was purchased. Now it is a planter tractor. This year it ran the 16 row corn planter, put on NH3 and pulled a 28ft end dump trailer all fall. It is getting old so it was time to give it lighter duty jobs.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2008/May/6th/IMG_5231.jpg

230hp JD 8440 This tractor is an interesting one. It is ugly, hard to drive, but just won't quit. We run it on singles all the time. It doesn't get a lot of tillage work. It is hooked to a manure spreader almost all year long but does run the grain cart in the fall to keep the combine moving.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2008/May/8th/IMG_5255.jpg

On to the big girl

400hp Caseih 9250 The workhorse of the farm. The bulk of the tillage work is done by this tractor. It pulls a 54ft field cultivator in the spring, and a 8furrow mold board plow in the fall. It has been a great tractor and is scheduled to be re-painted this summer. It will likely be demoted in the next few years from something bigger and newer. An Steiger 485HD perhaps.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2008/October/8th/IMG_6996.jpg

That is it for the tractors.

Sprayer: Eagle 8100 with 80ft boom and 850gal tank.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2008/June/12th/IMG_5687.jpg

Forage harvester: 32 year old JD 5440. It is getting tired, will likely be replaced soon.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2008/September/4th/IMG_6715.jpg

Combine: 2003 Caseih 2388. 30ft flex head and 8 row corn head
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2008/October/13th/IMG_7033.jpg

A recent addition to the farm is the land clearing one. Land is getting to be very expensive in this area and farms don't come up for sale very often. So if we can't expand outwards we need to expand from within.

CX210 excavator
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2008/September/IMG_6907.jpg

D5M XL This is a new addition to the farm in the last month. We have a pin on rake for it to help speed up getting the cleared land ready to plant as fast as possible. Every farm needs a dozer right?
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/March/17th%20dozer%20buying/IMG_8004.jpg

We also have a semi to haul our own grain to the end user. Volvo Autocar with a Custom 40ft end dump.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2008/November/3rd/IMG_7170.jpg

The truck hauls to and from our commercial grain elevator.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/Corn%202006/IMG_0961.jpg


Also, as well as the website, this is my youtube channel.
http://www.youtube.com/user/Farmerknowsbest

Thanks for taking the time to look over this thread. I hope you'll do the same with the website and photoblogs.

Warren

[ksss]

Nice spread. I don't think a 9250 makes 400 hp. Unless you guys turned it up. I think the 9280 was right around 400 hp.

Since the blue tractors are essentially the same as red tractors except for the Super Steer option, not really needed on a large tillage tractor, why buy it in blue when so on the farm is red?

[farmerknowsbest]

Nice spread. I don't think a 9250 makes 400 hp. Unless you guys turned it up. I think the 9280 was right around 400 hp.

Since the blue tractors are essentially the same as red tractors except for the Super Steer option, not really needed on a large tillage tractor, why buy it in blue when so on the farm is red?


It is cranked up to put out 400hp. Stock it was about 300.

Why not New Holland. They are the most under rated equipment company out there right now. We looked at Fendt, Deere, Caseih, AGCO, and New Holland. New Holland gave us the best deal and in my opinion had the best tractors in the class we were looking. Not only that, at the moment as far as service goes our New Holland dealer can't be touched. Caseih is next best and JD is by far and away the worst.

Thanks for the comment.

Warren

[ksss]

It is cranked up to put out 400hp. Stock it was about 300.

Why not New Holland. They are the most under rated equipment company out there right now. We looked at Fendt, Deere, Caseih, AGCO, and New Holland. New Holland gave us the best deal and in my opinion had the best tractors in the class we were looking. Not only that, at the moment as far as service goes our New Holland dealer can't be touched. Caseih is next best and JD is by far and away the worst.

Thanks for the comment.

Warren

I agree that the NH tractors are good, they are nearly identical to the CASEIH minus some cab changes and the super steer option I mentioned. If your NH dealer is that good, that explains the decision.

[5.0]

Love that White 1270. My grandparents farm ran Whites and a NH combine back in the day. I would like to pick one up one day... Thanks for posting the pics!

[farmerknowsbest]

Love that White 1270. My grandparents farm ran Whites and a NH combine back in the day. I would like to pick one up one day... Thanks for posting the pics!

Yea it is a great little tractor. It wasn't much use pulling the heavy modern wagons until we dualed it up and added a lot of ballast to it. Now it can pull the 10 tonnes of fertilizer in the soft worked fields no problem.

I just want to reiterate. There are 1000's more photos at http://www.cedarlodgefarms.com

Thanks

Here are a few more pics for you from 2007 that aren't up on the site yet.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2007/September/IMG_3058.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2007/September/IMG_3030.jpg


Warren

[bobcat_ron]

All those pics made me feel right at home with my contingent of farming customers, well except for the grain equipment.

[farmerknowsbest]

All those pics made me feel right at home with my contingent of farming customers, well except for the grain equipment.

Well you'd do alright around here. We are a very intensive dairy producing area. Though the farms are getting bigger and fewer.

Thanks for the support on youtube Ron.

Warren

[stuvecorp]

Takes a lot of stuff to farm. I like the big Case and the Versatile. I have to ask, on the excavator and dozer is it really cheaper to own than hire? Just wondering.

[Dirtman2007]

Well you'd do alright around here. We are a very intensive dairy producing area. Though the farms are getting bigger and fewer.

Thanks for the support on youtube Ron.

Warren

Well good to see you on here now warren, nice pics too.

If Ron trys to offer any candy to you, you must turn it down. He likes to pass out his happy pills to new members LOL

later man, I'll talk to you later on haha!

[farmerknowsbest]

Takes a lot of stuff to farm. I like the big Case and the Versatile. I have to ask, on the excavator and dozer is it really cheaper to own than hire? Just wondering.

Yea, we did the math on it, and with the price of land, being able to do the job when the conditions are right instead of when the contractor can come and having the option to do projects yourself that you wouldn't consider before is great. We have about 500ac to clear that will give us excellent land. There is more than that even with more marginal land. You start talking areas that big and it is pretty easy to make the machinery pay we feel.

Not only that, but when we go to buy or rent farms in the future, it opens up a lot of land that perhaps might have been passed on due to field size etc. A lot of farmers around here have excavators to make renting cheaper. For say 40$/ac less on rent a certain dollar value of land improvement has to be done and it is possible if you have your own equipment.

Warren

[stuvecorp]

I can see it from your point but I would love to have customers that you could sit down and plan with. I know I could give them better rates and come up with solutions and they could spend time doing what they do. It is crazy here how chopped up the fields are, or a nice field with a tree and two rock piles in the middle.

[farmerknowsbest]

I can see it from your point but I would love to have customers that you could sit down and plan with. I know I could give them better rates and come up with solutions and they could spend time doing what they do. It is crazy here how chopped up the fields are, or a nice field with a tree and two rock piles in the middle.

That's exactly it. As equipment gets bigger so do the fields need to. We are considering upgrading to a 24 row corn planter (60ft wide) and the small fields just don't cut it anymore. I'd much rather have the small fields being 20ac and the big fields several hundred acres. Everything is much more efficient that way.

Warren

[iluvscag]

If this is the same Farmerknowsbest from Triple T. Please don't feed these guys your words of almighty farming god wisdom as you do over there. It is why some of the members have quit posting, afraid of getting bashed by your "Godly like Knowledge" of all Tractor and Combine brands and your "humble 3000 acres.

[farmerknowsbest]

If this is the same Farmerknowsbest from Triple T. Please don't feed these guys your words of almighty farming god wisdom as you do over there. It is why some of the members have quit posting, afraid of getting bashed by your "Godly like Knowledge" of all Tractor and Combine brands and your "humble 3000 acres.

Thanks for coming out Garrett. Always nice to hear from a fan. I appreciate your reply.

Warren

[stuvecorp]

This place can eat it's young so shouldn't worry to much.:)

[farmerknowsbest]

This place can eat it's young so shouldn't worry to much.:)

Thanks for the tip, though I'm not overly worried about the ramblings of Mr. Frerker.

Warren

[Junior M]

This place can eat it's young so shouldn't worry to much.:)
You got that right, now lets see some more Case, I need something to make fun of.. :laugh:

You got a nice place, could you get some more pics of that bi-directional tractor, I've only been able to look at one and I was pretty young, so I dont remember much..

[farmerknowsbest]

You got that right, now lets see some more Case, I need something to make fun of.. :laugh:

You got a nice place, could you get some more pics of that bi-directional tractor, I've only been able to look at one and I was pretty young, so I dont remember much..

Have a look around the website, there are plenty more photos of all our equipment.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/February/26th/IMG_7911.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2008/May/26th/IMG_5503.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2008/April/29th/IMG_5086.jpg

To see more of the excavator have a look at these 2 links.

http://www.cedarlodgefarms.com/july08.html

http://www.cedarlodgefarms.com/september08.html

Warren

[bobcat_ron]

The bi-directional Ford's are dinosaurs here, I have yet to see one even in hillbilly prairie (Chilliwack) and Ford/New Holland has some major representation there.

[iluvscag]

Thanks for coming out Garrett. Always nice to hear from a fan. I appreciate your reply.

Warren
Definately not a fan but nice try though. I some how wonder how someone can work so hard but have so many pictures? Hmm...fascinating. And yes there are many "fans like me"

[Junior M]

Definately not a fan but nice try though. I some how wonder how someone can work so hard but have so many pictures? Hmm...fascinating. And yes there are many "fans like me"
lots of guys on here work there ass off yet have alot of pics, I am one of them, not as many as others, but for the jobs I get I've got alot of pics, hell, I've got tons of pics of jobs I dont even have yet.

[iluvscag]

If you would be on the other site you would know what I'm talking about. Always piping in his opinon on something that it is not needed on.

[farmerknowsbest]

Definately not a fan but nice try though. I some how wonder how someone can work so hard but have so many pictures? Hmm...fascinating. And yes there are many "fans like me"

Just efficient I guess.

Now, I'm going to have to ask that you stop spamming this thread. If you want to make a comment or ask a question related to the content posted here that is fine, but the personal attacks are not welcome. I'm not sure what your problem is and I don't really care, just take your issues elsewhere.

Thanks

Warren

[iluvscag]

No problem, Im not personally attacking you but informing others to put there knee boots on because its about to get deep. Thank you there will be no more comments.

[farmerknowsbest]

The bi-directional Ford's are dinosaurs here, I have yet to see one even in hillbilly prairie (Chilliwack) and Ford/New Holland has some major representation there.

They are not the most popular tractors in this area either. Having said that, several of the large dairy's do own one for loading TMR's. We really like ours because of the excellent view while using the stone bucket. Also the loader can lift so much it really does make an excellent loader tractor in wide open spaces. In tight spots however it can be a bit difficult to maneuver at times.

Warren

[farmerknowsbest]

Thank you there will be no more comments.

Well I'm sure everyone will appreciate that.

Warren

[BigDigger]

Farmerknowsbest Welcome. You are new here we will give you the benefit of the doubt so don't worry. What was said earlier about this site eating it's own young, that's only partly true, it will eat others too:hammerhead:. I am sure you will do fine, you've made a good start. Hell I am still on probation around here;)

No one will be worried about you here because if you get too mouthy you best get your tin foil hat and asbestos underwear, or in Bobcat Ron's case Fire ******ant G-String....:blob2: There will be no mercy.

Everyone keeps every one else in check here.....it's the circle of life.

Cheers:drinkup:

[farmerknowsbest]

Farmerknowsbest Welcome. You are new here we will give you the benefit of the doubt so don't worry. What was said earlier about this site eating it's own young, that's only partly true, it will eat others too:hammerhead:. I am sure you will do fine, you've made a good start. Hell I am still on probation around here;)

No one will be worried about you here because if you get too mouthy you best get your tin foil hat and asbestos underwear, or in Bobcat Ron's case Fire ******ant G-String....:blob2: There will be no mercy.

Everyone keeps every one else in check here.....it's the circle of life.

Cheers:drinkup:

Thanks for the welcome, and that is the way it is supposed to be. Everyone keeps everyone in check. I like that.

Don't tell me Ron gets into it on here too!?!?! Poor guy, so misunderstood. :D

Now, to reward you for the nice response, here are a few of my favs from 2008.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2008/May/3rd/IMG_5152.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2008/June/15th/IMG_5759.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2008/June/30th/IMG_5902.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2008/May/16th/IMG_5415.jpg

Well that is enough for now.. You want to see more, go to the website in my sig, updated regularly with photos I take WHILE working.

Warren

[bobcat_ron]

I love farmers.

[farmerknowsbest]

Well I'm going to post some more pics, and my OPINION on the machine in them. Hope that is ok with you Scaggyboy.

Have any of you seen a piece of equipment like this? It is a land leveler in its simplest form. It is made by Lasole Inc from Ste-Helene Quebec. They developed it with a sod farmer to quickly made a perfectly smooth seedbed with as few passes as possible. See in growing sod, you don't need 100% laser leveled fields, they just need to be smooth. This is also the case in most crops grown in north America.

We purchased a 36ft Lasole double plane with hydraulic angle adjust this summer. We rented a 36ft one the year before from a local farmer to try it out, and after the great success we had no-tilling the beans into the perfect seedbed this spring we had to buy one for our selves.

We still mold board plow almost all of our land except what is going into soybeans. As a result, the fields do get pretty rough over the decades as more and more dead furrows appear. This tool is perfect at filling those ditches left form years of plowing back in to make a smooth seedbed.

I have also heard that they are great for doing some preliminary tillage after land is cleared. We'll have to see if that is the case.

The plane in transport mode. It can be set up like this to be towed behind a pickup truck.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2008/October/8th/IMG_6993.jpg

The hitch rest up on top and is locked on with a few pins.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2008/October/8th/IMG_6994.jpg

The black hitch mounts on the 3pt of the tractor. 2 chains attach the beam to the hitch. By extending the hydraulic cylinder on the hitch the angle and aggressiveness of the beam can be adjusted from in the cab.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2008/October/13th/IMG_7040.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2008/October/13th/IMG_7037.jpg

When not being pulled by a pickup truck, this is how it is towed. You lower the hitch down and pull it that way. Also this makes it really easy to hook up by yourself as it is just the 3pt you have to worry about.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2008/October/17th/IMG_7051.jpg

Here are a few pics of it in operation
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2008/October/18th/IMG_7073.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2008/October/18th/IMG_7071.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2008/October/18th/IMG_7070.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2008/October/18th/IMG_7068.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2008/October/18th/IMG_7065.jpg

Here is a video to see how it works
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtz9o_Ukl-Y

[Dirtman2007]

Thats's pretty cool. Does it bring all those rocks up to the surface so you can pick them up? How well does it work in the real rocky fields you showed me pictures of?

[bobcat_ron]

That's a nifty idea!

[farmerknowsbest]

Thats's pretty cool. Does it bring all those rocks up to the surface so you can pick them up? How well does it work in the real rocky fields you showed me pictures of?

Actually quite the contrary! Because of the cascade of soil on the leading edge of the blade all of the small stones are buried, or at least pushed down to flush with the soil surface. The big stones will roll in front of the blade until the simply slide off the end sitting nicely up on top. Very simple to find and pick them after. Because all of the small stones are under or at least flush, soybeans is an excellent crop to follow with as when harvesting it the head on the combine is only about 2 inches off the ground.

Warren

[Votum Gardens LLC]

Hmmm, I swear I've seen a lot of these pictures so far. How you doing Warren? Long time no see. I would have thought you were done with college by now.

Phill

[BigDigger]

Thanks for the welcome, and that is the way it is supposed to be. Everyone keeps everyone in check. I like that.

Don't tell me Ron gets into it on here too!?!?! Poor guy, so misunderstood. :D

Now, to reward you for the nice response, here are a few of my favs from 2008.


Warren


:waving:If you want to reward me you will send me Cash......I like that even better than pics....

[farmerknowsbest]

Hmmm, I swear I've seen a lot of these pictures so far. How you doing Warren? Long time no see. I would have thought you were done with college by now.

Phill

Hello Phill, where do I know you from?

Warren

[farmerknowsbest]

:waving:If you want to reward me you will send me Cash......I like that even better than pics....

HAHA, I'm a farmer not a contractor, we don't have any money to give away. :D:D:D:drinkup:

[Duffster]

You have quite a fan club Warren:rolleyes:

[farmerknowsbest]

Well, to the astonishment of all, I found myself in our 9250 cultivating corn ground today!!! WHAAAAAAAA? It is only April 15th, it is so early!!!

It even worked up nicely. Dust was flying. Ground is cold as as a refrigerator, but it is dry! Well, no, we are not crazy, we are not working corn ground yet. It is dry enough to get back into a half taken out fence line to get it ready for planting so I needed a smooth driveway to get the dump trucks across to haul away the many loads of stones.

However, had we wanted to put in wheat, we could be rolling anytime on the tiled ground. Saw a few others out today working ground for wheat.

Warren

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/April/15th/IMG_8149.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/April/15th/IMG_8146.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/April/15th/IMG_8147.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/April/15th/IMG_8148.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/April/15th/IMG_8150.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/April/15th/IMG_8153.jpg

Some of you might recall this fenceline was taken out before the quick attach was put on and before the rake was built, so I went over a big chunk of it this afternoon to rake out the rest of the roots and stones.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/April/15th/IMG_8155.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/April/15th/IMG_8154.jpg

Speaking of stones, there are a lot of piles to gather up tomorrow.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/April/15th/IMG_8152.jpg

[stuvecorp]

I like that rake on the X. Nice Red tractors.Thumbs Up

[Votum Gardens LLC]

Hello Phill, where do I know you from?

Warren

From TTT usually on the Real Toy Talk forums. Remember when my wife wanted everybodys opinion on whether she should disc a field with my 5240 or my 1206? Don't get to go there that often anymore, to busy running the farm and nursery divisions of the business.

[farmerknowsbest]

From TTT usually on the Real Toy Talk forums. Remember when my wife wanted everybodys opinion on whether she should disc a field with my 5240 or my 1206? Don't get to go there that often anymore, to busy running the farm and nursery divisions of the business.

OHHHHHHH, riiiiiiiight. Yes yes yes. Well it is nice to hear from you again.

[KrayzKajun]

very cool pics!!!

[YellowDogSVC]

looks like a lot of hard work and a lot of maintenance! Thanks for the pics. Lots of nice looking iron. I always liked the D5m. I used to rent one and I did a lot of road work with it.

[farmerknowsbest]

It is getting dry and the going has been good, too bad I have to go back to Montreal and do school work again. Oh well.

Got the first load of fertilizer today
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/April/16th/IMG_8156.jpg

The excavator got the first fuel out of the new tanks today. Got them wired up this morning.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/April/16th/IMG_8158.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/April/16th/IMG_8159.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/April/16th/IMG_8160.jpg

There is a bit of a hollow in the fenceline that I'm going to fill with stones to bring it up to grade.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/April/16th/IMG_8161.jpg

Got the dry parts of the fence line raked. Then stripped an area of top soil to dig the hole for all the stones I've separated.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/April/16th/IMG_8162.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/April/16th/IMG_8163.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/April/16th/IMG_8164.jpg

Apparently there is about 4ft of blue crushed stone about 4 ft down. It isn't clean, but it is certainly a highly compatible base for a driveway or building!
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/April/16th/IMG_8165.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/April/16th/IMG_8166.jpg

For some reason I always have to climb down in the hole
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/April/16th/IMG_8167.jpg

And up the pile. :D
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/April/16th/IMG_8169.jpg

Got the dump truck out to the field and began loading out the stones
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/April/16th/IMG_8173.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/April/16th/IMG_8172.jpg

Went pretty quick, got 3 loads off the 500ft of fence line. I really need a skeleton bucket for this, don't really like using the rake. Talked to our local bucket manufacturer today about building a 60" skeleton bucket for us.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/April/16th/IMG_8174.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/April/16th/IMG_8176.jpg

Pulled the stones down into the hole
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/April/16th/IMG_8178.jpg

Came within 1ft of my goal for the hole. I wanted the highest stone to be 4ft below grade and it is 5ft. Reason for 4ft is so that when we tile the fenceline there will be no worry of either getting caught on the stones or pulling them up again.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/April/16th/IMG_8179.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/April/16th/IMG_8180.jpg

All done, time to go home
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/April/16th/IMG_8181-1.jpg

[stuvecorp]

How many hours do put on the excavator a year? People don't want the rocks?

[farmerknowsbest]

How many hours do put on the excavator a year? People don't want the rocks?

Don't know, haven't owned it a full year yet. :D In the 1/3rd of a year we ran it last year we did almost 200hours. Since we are coming up on our busy season, it will get minimal use in the month of May and early June (planting the crops and tending to them). However, from mid June to September weather permitting both the X and blade will be running every day. September on we are getting busy again harvesting. Winter I think will be hit and miss depending on what conditions in the bush are like.

No there is no market for stones here. Plus, by burying them it is going to fill in that hollow and we won't have drainage problems in the future.

Warren

[ksss]

Warren, "stones" that size are rocks, some maybe boulders.:laugh:

[Junior M]

Warren, "stones" that size are rocks, some maybe boulders.:laugh:
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Hey, you missed one, that big powertan colored rock, shoulda buried that one to.. :laugh:

[farmerknowsbest]

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Hey, you missed one, that big powertan colored rock, shoulda buried that one to.. :laugh:

Hmmmmmmn. I don't think I like your tone. HEHEHE.

[bobcat_ron]

Have you ever thought of using the excavator to load silage for feed?

[farmerknowsbest]

Have you ever thought of using the excavator to load silage for feed?

Ugh, nope. Though that is probably because all of our feed for the cattle is in tower silos. :D:D:D

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2008/September/4th/IMG_6710.jpg

[farmerknowsbest]

I like that rake on the X. Nice Red tractors.Thumbs Up

I rather like the rake also. It built very well and works equally so.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2008/September/30th/IMG_6941.jpg

[farmerknowsbest]

looks like a lot of hard work and a lot of maintenance! Thanks for the pics. Lots of nice looking iron. I always liked the D5m. I used to rent one and I did a lot of road work with it.

Well hopefully the D5M serves us as well as the CX210 has so far. Will certainly make things go a lot faster in the future.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/April/4th/IMG_8097-1.jpg

This time of year maintenance is basically all we are doing. Completely rebuilding the corn planters and field cultivators replacing all the wearing parts. Spring is coming fast and there is much to do yet before we can plant.

thanks

[bobcat_ron]

What's up with the clearing rake on the D5M? Aren't the teeth supposed to be pointing down?

[farmerknowsbest]

What's up with the clearing rake on the D5M? Aren't the teeth supposed to be pointing down?

No worries. That was the day we dropped the dozer and rake off to be attached. It was just leaning against the blade. The teeth will be pointed down next time you see it. :D:D:D :drinkup::drinkup::drinkup::drinkup:

[bobcat_ron]

No worries. That was the day we dropped the dozer and rake off to be attached. It was just leaning against the blade. The teeth will be pointed down next time you see it. :D:D:D :drinkup::drinkup::drinkup::drinkup:

Oh thank God, I thought some one really screwed up.

[farmerknowsbest]

Oh thank God, I thought some one really screwed up.

Nope, no one has screwed up yet. HEHE.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/April/4th/IMG_8099-1.jpg

I really hope it is finished soon, getting the itch to get into the field. :D

[KrayzKajun]

Awesome pics!!!

[stuvecorp]

I rather like the rake also. It built very well and works equally so.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2008/September/30th/IMG_6941.jpg

How much was that rake, if you don't mind? I have seen some where they have two big prongs and then a rake attaches to it to get more like your rake.

[farmerknowsbest]

How much was that rake, if you don't mind? I have seen some where they have two big prongs and then a rake attaches to it to get more like your rake.

7500CAD's. It is all 2" T1 steel and designed very well. I'm extremely pleased with it. Works very well and with the 10" spacing on the teeth leaves next to nothing behind.

[93Chevy]

I really enjoyed looking at your pictures. Hope to see more soon.

[farmerknowsbest]

I really enjoyed looking at your pictures. Hope to see more soon.

Ok

Hi there,

I went south of Montreal this afternoon to see a friends operation. Apparently I've driven past his farm several times and didn't know it on the way to a farm we sell edible soybeans to sometimes.

He was out spreading manure with their Massey and Houle tanker so I tagged along to do some documenting.

I gotta say, that tractor does look pretty cool!
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/Road%20Trip/April%2019th%202009/IMG_8224.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/Road%20Trip/April%2019th%202009/IMG_8226.jpg

He's getting somewhere I guess
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/Road%20Trip/April%2019th%202009/IMG_8225.jpg

Their 4055 was on the pit pump
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/Road%20Trip/April%2019th%202009/IMG_8227.jpg

This is the clean side, Nick has the other side right coated with manure. HAHA Nice looking tractor.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/Road%20Trip/April%2019th%202009/IMG_8239.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/Road%20Trip/April%2019th%202009/IMG_8240.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/Road%20Trip/April%2019th%202009/IMG_8241.jpg

Did some topdressing
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/Road%20Trip/April%2019th%202009/IMG_8235.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/Road%20Trip/April%2019th%202009/IMG_8236.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/Road%20Trip/April%2019th%202009/IMG_8237.jpg

And some incorporating
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/Road%20Trip/April%2019th%202009/IMG_8254.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/Road%20Trip/April%2019th%202009/IMG_8252.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/Road%20Trip/April%2019th%202009/IMG_8256.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/Road%20Trip/April%2019th%202009/IMG_8257.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/Road%20Trip/April%2019th%202009/IMG_8258.jpg

A nice looking combo
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/Road%20Trip/April%2019th%202009/IMG_8264.jpg

Renault tractor
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/Road%20Trip/April%2019th%202009/IMG_8265.jpg

Kubota
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/Road%20Trip/April%2019th%202009/IMG_8266.jpg

From a side road
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/Road%20Trip/April%2019th%202009/IMG_8267.jpg

[bobcat_ron]

Quite the farm layout there, I like it.

[farmerknowsbest]

Quite the farm layout there, I like it.

Yea, everything is nice and tidy the way it should be. Lots of nice laneways everywhere. Of course, I'd have nice gravel paths too if my farm had a 200ft deep gravel pit on it too. :D

[Shane472]

Where in Eastern Ontario are you from? I'm from the area but am in Toronto for school now.

[farmerknowsbest]

Where in Eastern Ontario are you from? I'm from the area but am in Toronto for school now.

Outside of Morrisburg

[JosephLawnCare]

Nice thread! That quit the farming setup you have there. Do you have any exmarks?

[farmerknowsbest]

Nice thread! That quit the farming setup you have there. Do you have any exmarks?

Ummmn, exmarks? Best I can tell is Exmark is a mower manufacturer. If that is what you are referring to, then no, our riding mower is a Kubota and our push mower is a Toro.

[farmerknowsbest]

http://www.cedarlodgefarms.com/april09.html

I've updated the site again. More pics, more explanations. Looks like we are going to have some great weather over the weekend. Hopefully can get some corn in the ground by Sunday if not earlier.

Warren

[farmerknowsbest]

Last day of plowing video...this one should get a good debate going.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuQWAS8Yfsc

[farmerknowsbest]

Hi there,

Well, rained last night so that put a halt on corn planting. What to do what to do. Well we managed, though there was a lot of standing around talking about what to do. LOL.

Nurse wagon is ready to go, sprayer is home and a few things done to it. Planters were looked over, flat tire on 8200 fixed, many parts ordered and picked up.

Well that shot the morning. Rest of the day I crawled up the road about a mile and had at a nipple sticking out into a field. Was a house there at one point, hence the stone foundation. All the rocks will be sifted this summer (when skeleton bucket is built) and hauled home to finally make a proper farm yard.

Tomorrow when I feel like it will probably dig a drainage ditch in another field to get rid of a pond that has formed over about 3/4 of it. Might dig out a few bolders in the field around the grain elevator too. We'll see. Might sleep instead. HAHA.

Pic?

Oh yea, new camera.

Panasonic DMC-ZS3.

8200 with flat tire on dual
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/May/1st/P1020007.jpg

Fixing a few things on cultivator
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/May/1st/P1020008.jpg

Pretty flowers. They are gone now, but will always be remembered
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/May/1st/P1020010.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/May/1st/P1020011.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/May/1st/P1020013.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/May/1st/P1020014.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/May/1st/P1020016.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/May/1st/P1020019.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/May/1st/P1020020.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/May/1st/P1020023.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/May/1st/P1020024.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/May/1st/P1020025.jpg

I find that about every hour I have to get out of the hoe and walk around or else I get very restless in the cab and begin making errors. Also helps to get a different view of what you are doing to gauge what is left.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/May/1st/P1020026.jpg

Someone once lived there!
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/May/1st/P1020027.jpg

Holy crap, SUN!!!
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/May/1st/P1020028.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/May/1st/P1020029.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/May/1st/P1020031.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/May/1st/P1020033.jpg

All done
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/May/1st/P1020034.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/May/1st/P1020035.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/May/1st/P1020036.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/May/1st/P1020037.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/May/1st/P1020039.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/May/1st/P1020040.jpg

[Duffster]

Keep the pics coming Farmer

[farmerknowsbest]

Keep the pics coming Farmer

What about video? HEHE

Clearing trees from outside. Sorry about the wind...but...it was windy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Vi_MRSfgq0

At the end of the day.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfpSZl_Kp1I


POV is still uploading.

[bobcat_ron]

That thumb would drive me nuts after a minute, always having the stick all the way out to make it grab something close to the ground. Any plans for a hydraulic upgrade?

[farmerknowsbest]

That thumb would drive me nuts after a minute, always having the stick all the way out to make it grab something close to the ground. Any plans for a hydraulic upgrade?

Hi Ron.

Well with the rake, the way the teeth curl you can pick something up pretty well anywhere except right up close. With the bucket however it is a different story.

I really want a hydraulic thumb, it would be great, most of the time I don't actually need a thumb with the rake we have, it is designed really well. However having the ability to swing it out of the way when not needed and where you need it when you need it is very appealing.

This machine has the valvue for aux hydraulics but doesn't have the pipes. We looked into it, would be about 15k to add a hydraulic thumb to the machine by the time it is all said and done. Of course it wouldn't stop there, I'd be wanting a tilting cleanup bucket and a rotary mower. HEHE It is something I want, but there are other things on the farm I want more. :D Newer sprayer for one.

Warren

[bobcat_ron]

Those thumb packages aren't cheap, hell even a simple bucket's price tags are too high.

[farmerknowsbest]

Here is the video from the cab. Hope you enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbOmHjJ4IEw

Warren

[farmerknowsbest]

Those thumb packages aren't cheap, hell even a simple bucket's price tags are too high.

I hear that, well, you can buy a cheap bucket, but then you'll be buying another cheap bucket in 2 years when that bucket fails.

I'm pricing out a skeleton bucket right now. Be interesting to see what a bucket full of holes is worth. HAHA.

Warren

[Junior M]

Whats the word with the dozer?

[Dirtman2007]

Looking good Warren. Now its time for a fire!

I hear you on sitting in the machine, about 3-4 solid hours is the longest I can stay in the machine without at least getting out and standing on the track. you legs go numb!

[farmerknowsbest]

Whats the word with the dozer?

Well we've been told oh next week 3 times now. So I gave up on talking to the owner, so I asked his wife...apparently she is the boss. HAHA. She said yea my husband doesn't do the scheduling I do. So she said next week so I think it will be done next week. Which is good, I'm getting impatient. Of course next week I won't have any time to do anything with it as we will be planting acre after acre of corn. Oh well.

Warren

[farmerknowsbest]

Looking good Warren. Now its time for a fire!

I hear you on sitting in the machine, about 3-4 solid hours is the longest I can stay in the machine without at least getting out and standing on the track. you legs go numb!

No time now, probably in a month when the cropping season is over. Or if we get a rainy patch where it is too wet to crop but dry enough to get to the piles.

We'll see. I'd love to set some of these things on fire and sit back and watch. Fire is really beautiful.

Warren

[Junior M]

Looking good Warren. Now its time for a fire!

I hear you on sitting in the machine, about 3-4 solid hours is the longest I can stay in the machine without at least getting out and standing on the track. you legs go numb!
I can sit in a machine till my back hurts, which gets shorter as the day goes on, I do like to stop and atleast look at what I've done every once and a while and see where I can improve and think about what I am doing and how I am doing it, kind of keeping a game plan in mind, you seem to get in more of a mess with no plan than to get going with a plan and it not work out..

But it seems like yall just have short attention spans.. :drinkup: :laugh: We know Chris does, he's from the south! :laugh:

[Dirtman2007]

I can sit in a machine till my back hurts, which gets shorter as the day goes on, I do like to stop and atleast look at what I've done every once and a while and see where I can improve and think about what I am doing and how I am doing it, kind of keeping a game plan in mind, you seem to get in more of a mess with no plan than to get going with a plan and it not work out..

But it seems like yall just have short attention spans.. :drinkup: :laugh: We know Chris does, he's from the south! :laugh:

I can look at all the work i've done from the cab, I risk maxing a flip flop out if I get out and the muds over 1/2" deep, that could be a disaster.

yeah I lack the attention span sometimes, but as long as it looks like l'm getting work done I'm good:laugh:

[Junior M]

I can look at all the work i've done from the cab, I risk maxing a flip flop out if I get out and the muds over 1/2" deep, that could be a disaster.

yeah I lack the attention span sometimes, but as long as it looks like l'm getting work done I'm good:laugh:
I dont usually get out and walk around, usually just stand on the track or bucket, or most the time I get out of a machine from sitting down to go sit down on the track? ;)

You risk maxing out a flipflop in dry dirt! :laugh:

When are you going to get back in the mud? I am tired of all this unstuck machine crap!

[farmerknowsbest]

Hi there,

Well it rained almost 2 inches (lots of hail too!!!) over the weekend so we won't be moving for a day or two but spite all that we are half done planting corn in South Eastern Ontario.

Questions and comments welcome.

If you haven't already, please bookmark our site and check back often.

Thanks

Warren

http://www.cedarlodgefarms.com/may09.html

[farmerknowsbest]

Hi there,

Was delivered today. Really wish we could plant, but it is so freaking wet there is no hope. Haven't planted, except for 40ac today, in 8 days.

Warren

The new team
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/May/16th/P1030194.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/May/16th/P1030195.jpg

Lifts pretty high
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/May/16th/P1030196.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/May/16th/P1030197.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/May/16th/P1030198.jpg

6 way blade doing its thing
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/May/16th/P1030199.jpg

With the blade up you can't see a great deal out the front.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/May/16th/P1030200.jpg

The mounts. 2 pins hold the rake onto the blade. This allows it to pivot and the blade can still be used to "back blade"
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/May/16th/P1030205.jpg

[bobcat_ron]

Wow, that's some serious weight up front now, make sure you use the best grease you can on the PAT pins!

[Scag48]

Yeah, what Ron said. Good looking rake but damn that thing has to be heavy. Clean looking 5M, how many hours? Tough to beat those dozers for what they are, I almost prefer the M's over the N's.

[bobcatexc]

I almost prefer the M's over the N's.

Your about nuts if you like finger tip controls slammin you all day, I'd much rather have a 6N than a M. I do realize they didn't change the 5N to differential steer.

[farmerknowsbest]

Hi there,

Well my chisel plow turned out to be a great purchase. I'm really glad I got it at an auction last fall. No one wanted it as it is quite frankly too small to get anything substantial done. But I don't want it to work fields, I wanted it to work fencerows and bush. For that it is plenty wide enough.

Really need to put the big tires back on this tractor and space them out again. What a wild ride at 60" centers. T7060 could probably pull at least one twice as wide by how easy this one pulled.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/June/28th/P1030587.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/June/28th/P1030586.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/June/28th/P1030585.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/June/28th/P1030584.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/June/28th/P1030583.jpg

This was the first of what I've cleared this year I've tried to clean up. I don't want to use the excavator for much of this as that is what the dozer was bought for, I tried initially with the dozer to rake up the sticks and roots what were left behind, but that didn't work well. The compacted soil (from tracking over it so many times in the rain clearing) just balled up in front of the rake and the dozer just pushed the roots dirt and all. The chisel on the other hand worked extremely well. Broke though the compaction with ease and brought up all the sticks roots and even a missed stump to the top. I think once the sun and wind dry out the soil the dozer and rake will be easily and quickly be able to gather up the wood and get it off the fenceline in a hurry.

Warren

[Scag48]

Your about nuts if you like finger tip controls slammin you all day, I'd much rather have a 6N than a M. I do realize they didn't change the 5N to differential steer.

I don't mind FTC on the 5's, but I do love diff steer. I guess I meant I'd prefer the M's for an owner/operator situation, they're relatively cheap and reliable dozers. The N's on the used market still fetch a decent amount.

[farmerknowsbest]

Finally found the time to update the May 2009 page of the website. Hope you enjoy the photos and video. Comment and question as you like.

Warren

http://www.cedarlodgefarms.com/may09.html

[farmerknowsbest]

Hi there,

As promised, the June update is ready much sooner than the May one was.

Here is the link. Please take the time to look around the site and comment on what you have seen. I'm still open for suggestions on how to improve the site. Is there something in particular you'd like to see more of? If so leave a comment. As always, please check out the youtube account and subscribe if you haven't already. Also I'd appreciate you supporting the site through the youtube partnership programs ads. Every click counts.

http://www.cedarlodgefarms.com/june09.html

Here is a taste of what is inside.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/June/7th/P1030418.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/June/8th/P1030434.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/June/12th/P1030462.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/June/22nd/P1030514.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/June/28th/P1030584.jpg

Keep checking up on the site for July updates coming soon.

Thanks for the support.

Warren

[bobcat_ron]

Whoa!
Ammonia injection system?

[farmerknowsbest]

Whoa!
Ammonia injection system?

Yes Ron. It is anhydrous ammonia. (NH3) It is by far the cheapest form of nitrogen fertilizer. The only thing about it is it is rather dangerous stuff.

The material changes form several times. It is stored under 110-125psi in the tank as a liquid. It expands to a gas to flow out of the tank though the hose. It enters a heat exchanger on the toolbar and it changed back to a liquid to be metered, then back into the heat exchanger to turn back into a gas and into the ground it goes. The gas expands rapidly in the soil and clings to the moisture. Here it bonds with the soil particles and is available to the corn.

Warren

[farmerknowsbest]

Hi there,

The July 2009 photoblog page is up and ready to be viewed. Was a pretty long month that brought about a lot of challenges for no matter what we did.


http://www.cedarlodgefarms.com/july09.html

A sneak peak of what's inside.

Re-Spraying corn
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/july/1st/P1030614.jpg

Shipping the last of 2008's crop
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/july/13th/P1030658.jpg

Clearing land in the mud!
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/july/14th/P1030671.jpg

Aphids!
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/july/15th/P1030679.jpg

And more!
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/july/31st/P1030972.jpg

Thanks for looking, comments and questions are welcome and encouraged.

Warren

7216

[bobcat_ron]

That is a serious Aphid problem.

[oakhillslandscaping]

YIKEs! but ive seen worse aphid infestation then that in my old green house best solution is lady bugs or veggie or olive oil

[farmerknowsbest]

YIKEs! but ive seen worse aphid infestation then that in my old green house best solution is lady bugs or veggie or olive oil

I bet you have, seems in a green house you only deal in extremes!

In the field, the economic thresh hold for spraying soybean aphids is 250/plant. As you can see there were over 100 on each trifoliate. Over 1000/plant. Definitely needed to be sprayed.

I've heard that regular dish soap and water works quite well for household plants as well.

Warren

[farmerknowsbest]

Oh hi there,

We've been looking for a long time and finally found one that meets and exceeds our needs.

It is a 1994 Metacor Int 50ton tri-axle hydraulic detachable neck float. Air ride with 60" spread and a rear axle lift. The deck is 24ft long with full outriggers along the outsides. Also this is a NON ground bearing float. This was very important for us.

The trailer was re-painted before we were able to look at it. This made dad and I rather nervous so we took it in for a safety to see what it needs. Coincidentally nothing. All brakes work, all tires pass. The frame is in excellent shape. Only needs one marker light. It pulls very well on the road and actually turns tighter than we though for a 53ft trailer.

It will be nice to be able to move the hoe and dozer by ourselves. Also this trailer will be set up with a 3000 and 2500 gal water tanks as well as the fill equipment for the sprayer. That full plus the sprayer is about 400ac on a single fill. I don't get very many days that are bigger than that so it will work quite well.

Any questions just ask.

Warren

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/P1040280.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/P1040279.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/P1040328.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/P1040341.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/P1040340.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/August/P1040271.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/August/P1040272.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/August/P1040276.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/August/P1040277.jpg

[Junior M]

is that yalls autocar?

[farmerknowsbest]

is that yalls autocar?

Yes it is Junior.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2008/November/3rd/IMG_7170.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2008/November/21st/6a2ab00c.jpg

[bobcat_ron]

That's a great looking trailer, I hate the rims/axle mounts, but whatever.
There are some steals here in BC on 50 ton low beds, if you don't mind paying more for cartage.

[farmerknowsbest]

That's a great looking trailer, I hate the rims/axle mounts, but whatever.
There are some steals here in BC on 50 ton low beds, if you don't mind paying more for cartage.

Yea I agree about the rims. The whole rear end of the trailer doesn't look that good. Oh well, beats the float we had before...cough...none. :D

Define a steal. I think we got a pretty good deal on this trailer. Plus it was only 30km away so that's a big plus.

Warren

[Construct'O]

You will have to watch where you go as far as humps in the road or fields,it sets low,low too the ground.

You need to be low ,but yours looks overly low to me.What year is the lowboy ,by the rims(dayton ?????) it must have some age.

Good luck

[Dirtman2007]

You will have to watch where you go as far as humps in the road or fields,it sets low,low too the ground.

You need to be low ,but yours looks overly low to me.What year is the lowboy ,by the rims(dayton ?????) it must have some age.

Good luck

Yeah they set them low here too, our driver keeps his about 4-6" off the ground when he drives.

I will always remember oneday, he pulled out of a development loaded and the trailer bottomed out on the road. The truck came to immediate stop and the truck got stuck! Had to get out and raise the trailer.

[farmerknowsbest]

Well in several of the photos there is no air supplied to the trailer, so that would contribute some to how low it sits. When everything is inflated it is about 6" of clearance. You can also lift the entire deck another 8-10 inches with the neck to get out of a sticky situation.

[farmerknowsbest]

You will have to watch where you go as far as humps in the road or fields,it sets low,low too the ground.

You need to be low ,but yours looks overly low to me.What year is the lowboy ,by the rims(dayton ?????) it must have some age.

Good luck

I said it above, it is a 1994.

[farmerknowsbest]

Hi there,

Yes it's late, Yes the first few days are missing...not sure what happened to those photos, but it is ready to view.

http://www.cedarlodgefarms.com/August09.html

A few to tease you into clicking.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/August/7th/P1040002.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/August/18th/P1040271.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/August/18th/P1040269.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/August/15th/P1040251.jpg

What with this being ThanksGiving weekend I'll try and get September ready to show for next week.

Enjoy the Turkey my fellow Canadians!

Warren

[Junior M]

What with this being ThanksGiving weekend I'll try and get September ready to show for next week.

Enjoy the Turkey my fellow Canadians!


;) ;) :confused:

Yall Canadians are weird.. ;) :laugh:

[farmerknowsbest]

;) ;) :confused:

Yall Canadians are weird.. ;) :laugh:

You're just jealous you don't get turkey today!

Warren

9246

[stuvecorp]

You're just jealous you don't get turkey today!

Warren

9246

As long as you eat lots of cranberries, I'm happy.

[bobcat_ron]

The ultimate game of road chicken, a big ass combine head.

[farmerknowsbest]

The ultimate game of road chicken, a big ass combine head.

That's how we roll! LOL

Warren

[Junior M]

You're just jealous you don't get turkey today!

Warren

9246
Nope, we're having deer steaks.. :p :cool2:

[farmerknowsbest]

Hi there,

Finally getting around to updating the very behind website for the farm. In this update you'll see second cut haying, and soil work for a new farm entrance. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to ask in this thread or in a pm. Thank you for your participation and continued viewership of our website.

Please remember that all photos on the site are thumbnails and load very quickly even in the slowest dialup. To view full sized photos simply click on the photos.

If you see any problems with the site please report them as I seem to miss little things while editing code.

Thanks again.

Warren

http://www.cedarlodgefarms.com/sept09.html

A few teasers.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/september/1st/P1040336.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/september/5th/P1040350.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/september/12th/P1040404.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/september/16th/P1040464.jpg

10487

[Junior M]

so how are you liking the dozer?

[Construct'O]

Warren the corn in the background looked a little short.Looked to have been planted late and wet????

Most of the crops here was average too above,but has been tough getting things done here the last couple year and by the way the winter is going will be another wet spring.Take care,nice pics:usflag:

[farmerknowsbest]

Warren the corn in the background looked a little short.Looked to have been planted late and wet????

Most of the crops here was average too above,but has been tough getting things done here the last couple year and by the way the winter is going will be another wet spring.Take care,nice pics:usflag:

It has been a challenging year. We actually were very early out of the gate with corn planting this year. Had 600ac planted before May 1st which is not normal for this area. It finally rained on May 5th and that knocked us out a week. Got 3 days May 13-15 and then knocked out until the 25th.

Remember the website is a blog. If you go back throughout the months you can see the crop start from seed to harvest.

Warren

[Construct'O]

Do you have much drainage tile on your farms?Which ,by your pics you have posted before would be challenging because of the rocky conditions.Tileplow,is the machine used mainly in your area,i would guess!

Because of the last two wet years here the increase of drainage tile installed has tripled.Been good for my busniess,plus the dozing that has come along with all the erosion problems:usflag:

[farmerknowsbest]

Do you have much drainage tile on your farms?Which ,by your pics you have posted before would be challenging because of the rocky conditions.Tileplow,is the machine used mainly in your area,i would guess!

Because of the last two wet years here the increase of drainage tile installed has tripled.Been good for my busniess,plus the dozing that has come along with all the erosion problems:usflag:

100% of our owned land is tiled and about 50% of our rented land is. It makes a huge difference in yields. We couldn't farm up here without it.

Warren :canadaflag:

[bobcat_ron]

Aaaaaaaaahhhh, makes me feel like it's Spring again.

[DirtMerchant]

This is super refreshing. I grew up on a farm on the left coast. 37 acres with another 25 rented to us. Small Dairy operation, and some angus. I miss it dearly. Good to see canadian operations still running strong, that aren't dairy.

[farmerknowsbest]

This is super refreshing. I grew up on a farm on the left coast. 37 acres with another 25 rented to us. Small Dairy operation, and some angus. I miss it dearly. Good to see canadian operations still running strong, that aren't dairy.

Thank you kindly.

Warren

[farmerknowsbest]

Aaaaaaaaahhhh, makes me feel like it's Spring again.

Oh I could sure go for some spring weather about now. Still 390ac of corn in the field to get off. Snow makes everything so much harder.

Warren

[farmerknowsbest]

Hi there,

Just finished updating the October 2009 page of the photoblog on my website.


http://www.cedarlodgefarms.com/October09.html

A lot to see in this update. Corn silage, soybeans and manure spreading pics and videos.

Warren

Teaser pics.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/October/6th/P1040640.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/October/19th/P1040708.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/October/23rd/P1040731.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/October/16th/P1040667.jpg

11114

[farmerknowsbest]

Hi there,

Finally finished corn harvest a little over a week ago. Did about 800ac in the snow this fall which was no fun at all. Glad to see it come to an end. Finally back into the excavator again to get some more land cleared. Didn't get a lot done this past year with all the rain and extremely drug out farming season so with the frost in the ground it is time to play catch up.

Moved the cx210 to another farm to clean up some ditch banks and knock down overhanging trees along field boundaries.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/February/8th/P1050006.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/February/8th/P1050007.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/February/8th/P1050008.jpg

Got to the farm we were headed to.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/February/8th/P1050009.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/February/8th/P1050010.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/February/8th/P1050011.jpg

First job was to push back the manure in the lagoon so it will settle away faster. Needs to be done a few times a winter. Historically a backhoe has done it, guess we can do it ourselves now.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/February/8th/P1050012.jpg

All done
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/February/8th/P1050013.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/February/8th/P1050018.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/February/8th/P1050017.jpg

Then started clearing trees off of ditches. The fencelines have already be cleared on this farm years ago, only trees left are along the drainage ditches.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/February/8th/P1050014.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/February/8th/P1050015.jpg

Got one of them done.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/February/8th/P1050016.jpg

Warren

12178

[hvy 1ton]

I forgot how awesome that autocar is. Looks like you had some fun cleaning up the ditches. The excavator rake still working good for you?

[farmerknowsbest]

I forgot how awesome that autocar is. Looks like you had some fun cleaning up the ditches. The excavator rake still working good for you?

Yea, the truck grows on me as time goes on. I thought it was kinda ugly at first.

I really like that rake. Works very well and has proven to be a good design. Wish the teeth were about 2 inches further spaced apart. 10 inch centers can be an issue when it gets wet.

Warren

[flairland]

Love the farm pics, it us refreshing. Did you ever get the rake for the dozer finished? Never saw completed pics of it - probably just missed it though.

[farmerknowsbest]

Love the farm pics, it us refreshing. Did you ever get the rake for the dozer finished? Never saw completed pics of it - probably just missed it though.

Thanks for the comment.

Yes the rake is finished. Still needs some tinkering. I want to weld shanks and put rock teeth on the tips angled forward at about a 45 to give a bit more depth and get the "rolling" action going easier.

Warren

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/June/11th/P1030457.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/June/15th/P1030475.jpg

[flairland]

Thats quite the mean looking machine. Havent done too much dozing, but I love doing it. Whats your position on the farm?

[farmerknowsbest]

Thats quite the mean looking machine. Havent done too much dozing, but I love doing it. Whats your position on the farm?

Position? Farms don't really have positions. I guess I would be considered a foreman.

Warren

[flairland]

Ok sorry, not what I meant. What are you paid to be there for? What do you do on a typical day?
Posted via Mobile Device

[farmerknowsbest]

Ok sorry, not what I meant. What are you paid to be there for? What do you do on a typical day?
Posted via Mobile Device

Ugh, think of any job conceivable to be done on a cash crop beef feedlot farm and I do it.

Today I fed cattle, put corn up, loaded trucks, fixed a motor, went and bought 3 belts, fixed a semi, bed down a barn and supervised the rest of the guys. Yesterday I was at a conference all day. The day before I ran an excavator and loaded trucks with corn. Different every day.

Warren

[Bleed Green]

Sounds like you get something different every day. Sure must never get boring, always something to do sounds like.

[farmerknowsbest]

Hi there,

Got the November photoblog done tonight. Lots of mud, wet corn and steam to be seen.

Any questions and comments are welcome and encouraged.

http://www.cedarlodgefarms.com/november09.html

Warren

Here are a few teasers to get you to click the link.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/November/11th/P1040794.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/November/P1040840.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2009/November/P1040854.jpg

13472

[Junior M]

Have I ever mentioned how much I'd love to move back to Ohio and work on a farm?!

that was kind of the plan for this summer and every summer after until I graduate.. But I needed a job bad so I got stuck with this transmission crap.. :wall

[PonyExpress94]

Thanks for the update Warren!!! Those New Holland Tractors are sweet. What was the cause of the knocking sound in the 9250 and is it repaired and back to work?

[Dan85]

Great update! I always enjoy seeing your pictures and reading your stories about the farm!

- Dan

[farmerknowsbest]

Thanks for the update Warren!!! Those New Holland Tractors are sweet. What was the cause of the knocking sound in the 9250 and is it repaired and back to work?

The cause of the noise and vibration was an injector stopped working. No damage to the engine. That being said, it broke on a Thursday and we didn't get the tractor back until the following Saturday.

Thanks for the response.

Warren

[farmerknowsbest]

Great update! I always enjoy seeing your pictures and reading your stories about the farm!

- Dan

Thanks for the positive feedback Dan!

Warren

[farmerknowsbest]

Hey there,

Well as some of you might already know, I got my ACZ license this month (semi and coach bus) and today was the first actual load I hauled. Besides a few jaunts around the area hauling sail boat fuel. Took the root rake for our dozer to the farm where it was needed. Not the biggest load, but it is my first. :)

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/April/P1050325.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/April/P1050326.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/April/P1050327.jpg

Unloaded it with the excavator
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/April/P1050328.jpg

Didn't get to use it just then, took the T7060 and 32ft and worked 70ac to be put into wheat likely Monday. The ground is nice and dry and worked up excellent!
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/April/P1050329.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/April/P1050330.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/April/P1050331.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/April/P1050332.jpg

Finished that in about 4 hours.

Then put the rake and dozer together.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/April/P1050334.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/April/P1050335.jpg

Imagine if that rake were on that stick!!!
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/April/P1050336.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/April/P1050337.jpg

Got it on and off I went to gather up the trees.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/April/P1050338.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/April/P1050339.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/April/P1050340.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/April/P1050341.jpg

Got them all gathered up.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/April/P1050342.jpg

Time to shake out the dirt and stack it all into a nice neat pile!
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/April/P1050343.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/April/P1050344.jpg

All done
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/April/P1050345.jpg

Isn't it pretty!
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/April/P1050346.jpg

Until next time.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/April/P1050347.jpg

[Scaping 4 Life]

2 mean machines, love this thread.

[Dirtman2007]

Looks like fun, now we need a match!

[stuvecorp]

Looks like fun, now we need a match!

Bar-B-Que!:laugh:

Warren, you ever do anything like rock raking/windrowing? It's pretty rocky here and am hoping the farmer will plant soybeans this year so next year I could 'harvest' lots of rock.

[Fortress]

What are your thoughts on your case? Would you get one again? How's it on fuel?


Share some thoughts, if you don't mind. And what was that dozer blade originally from?

[farmerknowsbest]

Bar-B-Que!:laugh:

Warren, you ever do anything like rock raking/windrowing? It's pretty rocky here and am hoping the farmer will plant soybeans this year so next year I could 'harvest' lots of rock.

Yes, we have a 14 ft stone rake and a high dump stone picker. Neither gets used much anymore. We have a LOT of stones in this area, we use a TV-140 with a stone bucket on to pick all of our land each spring.

Warren

[farmerknowsbest]

What are your thoughts on your case? Would you get one again? How's it on fuel?


Share some thoughts, if you don't mind. And what was that dozer blade originally from?

Welcome to Lawnsite Fortress!!! :drinkup::drinkup::drinkup:

We've had good luck with the Case. We purchased it used with a lot of hours on it, but it has treated us well so far. I'd buy another CX210. I wouldn't buy this machine again. I'd buy one with a hydraulic thumb next time. I'm rather partial to Case equipment as we can get ag service rates (1/2 regular rate) on it because of the farm. Cat does not offer that in our area.

The rake on the dozer was made by Rockland, it was originally for a wheel/track loader but has been modified to fit our needs. It was free with the dozer so why not. LOL

Warren

[T_S_S]

Warren I love the thread. I grew up on a farm and it was what i was suposed to be doing, until my parents got a divorce. If i had the money i would do it in a heart beat no questions asked. Farming is a tough life but it is also the most rewarding life. Unfortunetly its way to expensive to start farming now adays

[Jelinek61]

Great thread man, did that rockland root rake used to be for a loader and you guys converted it for the dozer?

[farmerknowsbest]

Hi there,

Well it isn't fully up to date but it is a lot closer than it was! The January to April pages are up and ready for your viewing pleasure. A lot to see so make sure to check out each page and read the descriptions. Please ask any questions or make any comments you like as I'd be happy to respond to them.

Follow this link to the 2010 page directory.
http://www.cedarlodgefarms.com/2010dir.html

Not convinced, well here are a few teasers to get you interested.

January
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/January/P1040913.jpg

February
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/February/P1040994.jpg

March
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/March/P1050291.jpg

April
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/April/P1050342.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/April/P1050452.jpg

Thanks for looking, I look forward to reading your comments.

Warren

16830

[Duffster]

That seems like alot of extra work just to load grain. Isn't the quality good enough to just load the truck straight out of the bim?

[farmerknowsbest]

That seems like alot of extra work just to load grain. Isn't the quality good enough to just load the truck straight out of the bim?

Well it isn't much extra work. I assume you mean unloading the bins into the wagons and then putting the grain into the overhead and then loading the truck. The idea is to get the truck loaded in 2 minutes and back in line at the ethanol plant as quickly as possible. It takes 45 minutes to load the truck with an auger. You have to remember, our truck carries 1600bu of corn each trip, many others over 2000bu, not the 850-1000 the US government allows your farmers to carry.

As for quality. No, not at all. We had a very early frost last year. Next to none of the corn black layered, it was a forced brown layer. Our average moisture at the combine was 29%. Highest was 42 and lowest (In February ONLY) 20%. A lot in the low 30's. Quality was all over the place but it did go up drastically in the bin.

Without blending corn out this fall we would have had no grade 2 corn. Once I got good at blending almost 60% of our corn went grade 2 and the rest grade 3. Just one of those years.

Corn was in the ground 2 weeks earlier this year so hopefully the harvest will be shifted that much as well.

Warren

[T_S_S]

Great pics warren, hows your corn and wheat looking so far this year? Wheat looks excellent in our area, the corn is a little behind due to all the rain this year , but a couple weeks of nice warm sunny weather should help things along.

[farmerknowsbest]

Great pics warren, hows your corn and wheat looking so far this year? Wheat looks excellent in our area, the corn is a little behind due to all the rain this year , but a couple weeks of nice warm sunny weather should help things along.

Corn is growing. First planted should be tasselling by mid month. I'd imagine spring wheat harvest is about 2 weeks away as well. Beans are hurting a bit from the cold wet start they had but this past week with the warm weather and sun have really shot up a few trifoliates. Our wheat looks excellent, very thick and healthy, we'll see what we get for quality I guess. Would be nice to be able to sell wheat for something other than feed this decade. LOL

Warren

[farmerknowsbest]

Well it was another bad year for wheat. Surprise surprise. Yields were average, quality was excellent and fusarium was HIGH! Oh well, better luck next time I guess.

There was no aspect of harvest that went smoothly this year. Daily rains kept the moisture high, it never got below 18% until the day I said screw it and put it in the bin. I had no choice, heads were starting to sprout.

It didn't come at a great time. Mom and dad were gone on vacation, and I only had one employee to help but we managed. The grain cart came in handy.

We used 2 dump wagons, one on the 8200, and the other on the TS130a

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060250.jpg

Had the grain cart at the far end of the field as a full round couldn't be made.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060251.jpg

To make things more interesting in the rear half of the farm vetch and other broad leafs had escaped.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060252.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060253.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060255.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060257.jpg

Got to love that beautiful clean sample an axial flow will give you! If only the straw looked so good. :)
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060259.jpg

I like any photo with a downward angle on a tractor.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060260.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060261.jpg

It's going great its going great...POOF! There is a little too much oil in that tire track for my liking.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060263.jpg

Putting the wheat in the dryer bin. Won't dry it here but if worst comes to worst we should be able to hold it from spoiling with the heater.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060264.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060265.jpg

Day one all the grain was 18-16.5% moisture. No photos from day 2, more of the same, but it started at 15 and ended at 13%. We put all that in the overhead to save handling it twice. Plan is to dry the lower moisture grain then put up the high moisture and dry it down too.

As for the straw, it is wet out of the combine. In bad shape too. To get the wet heads to thresh I had to have the concaves set at 0.9 (anyone with a read combine will know that is TIGHT!), the rotor over 900rpm and the fan at 1200rpm. As a result, lets just say, the straw won't have to be chopped before being fed or bed with. HAHA. The end result was a very dense wet big windrow.

A few days later after reconfiguring the elevator for drying wheat we began. To my astonishment, the dryer started first shot. (this never happens) With wheat you want to use low heat, about 100F and only one burner. A corn dryer has high capacity in wheat. I couldn't have put much dryer grain through without overloading the blower system filling the bins.

Used the 8200 and dump trailer to transfer the wet wheat from the bin we put it in to the overhead.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060266.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060268.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060269.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060272.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060273.jpg

About 8 hours of drying later it was all done. A lot of work, BUT there is a silver lining. The wheat came off the field with about 7% fusarium. You're allowed 1.5% to make milling grade. I took a few corn samples in the storage bin after the dryer and cleaner. 1.9%!!!! Yes it is still over the limit. But we still have to ship it, handling it that little bit extra and it should make milling grade and big bucks! Like I told dad, even if we have to handle the grain 3 or 4 times recleaning it each time it easily pays for itself when you're facing a 175$/tonne discount for fusarium wheat.

That's it for wheat so far, I'll do another thread on the straw fiasco. Any comments or questions are welcome.

Warren

[farmerknowsbest]

so now that you've read that you know it was too wet to bale after the combine. Well that didn't change when it rained a day after finishing combining. Then it almost got dry. But then it rained 3.5 inches in about 2 hours. Now what. I had to cut high to get over the green weeds. The thick windrows have now been pushed down to the ground under the stubble and there is no chance of wind drying it. Sigh. Everyone was telling me I'd have to rake it. I knew that was end game if it came to that and suggested that if we have to rake it we may as well ted it and forget about it. But in the middle of the night I woke up and had a Eureka moment. I needed a windrow inverter. The pickup would be gentle and in theory I shouldn't lose anything. Well, a quit talk with my neighbour and I was in business.

Didn't have a clue how to run it, but after some trial and error away I went.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060284.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060285.jpg

SUCCESS! Look at that nice loose fluffy windrow on top of the straw.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060286.jpg

The aggressive pickup really shook the crap out of the straw.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060287.jpg

It needed some modifications though. The pickup was so aggressive that it was throwing the light straw over the draper and even some of it over the back shield. So I added a piece of plywood and the problem was solved.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060289.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060293.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060294.jpg

Ok, now had the 75 acres fluffed up and ready to bale, there was a great hot sunny windy day so it dried fast. Also because I'm a glutton for punishment I decided to mow down all of our hay acres. Seemed like a good idea at the time.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060295.jpg

Well, since Dad was gone and it was my call, I decided I didn't care at all to round bale the straw. Our baler doesn't like straw and I don't like round bales. Made a quick call to a good friend of mine with a big square baler and to my surprise he canceled on client and came right early in the morning to bale it. It may have been because I told him if he didn't come when I wanted I was going to call the next custom guy, and then the next one, and then the next one until someone came. Why anyone would have any loyalty to a custom operator is beyond me but most farmers are loyal.

T7040 and a BB940
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060298.jpg

Got going around 2pm.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060297.jpg

I borrowed two very nice big bale wagons from a friend to go with our 2 big wagons. Together they held over 100 bales. This was a big plus as I am by myself for a week. ( I really appreciate having employees after that week!!!)

I had never handled a big sqaure bale before, was a bit of a learning curve at where to set them on the wagons. :)
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060300.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060301.jpg

After trying one at a time for 3 bales, I said screw that and quickly got the hand at 2 at a time.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060303.jpg

One to make Dave laugh.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060304.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060305.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060306-1.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060308.jpg

Field was wet, that was a load for the 6200!!! Couldn't get above b3 in the wet sandy soil.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060309.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060310.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060312.jpg

Time to go home
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060313.jpg

I don't know if I ever mentioned anything about it, but a couple years ago we traded the little kubota tractor in on a skid steer.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060314.jpg

Time to fill the big bale shed!
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060315.jpg

Why get out each bale when you can just keep pushing into the barn? :)
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060317.jpg

Interesting thing about this bale shed. It is 8ft off the ground.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060321.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060318.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060322.jpg

Just a great photo
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060324.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060325.jpg

Well it was a lot of work and a challenge to say the least, but I managed to get all the straw baled and put away. The bales are all 7-11% moisture and 7ft long. They are for sale so come and get them!!!

Warren

[bobcat_ron]

Holy sh*t you have a strong floor in that barn!!!!!!

And I really missed the farm pictures.

[farmerknowsbest]

Holy sh*t you have a strong floor in that barn!!!!!!

And I really missed the farm pictures.

Well that is sort of by our own design. The barn originally was build with a 2*3 on end nailed together floor. Then we added the true 2*6's on the 45 degree angle. So now the floor is 5 inches thick of wood. We also added cedar posts every 4ft under the two main barn beams on the first floor to help carry the weight. The building rattles a bit when the skid steer turns, but it isn't going anywhere. Barns were build tough in those days!

Warren

[stuvecorp]

Thanks for the update Warren, I've never paid much attention to regular farming so it was interesting to hear about it.

[T_S_S]

Great thread Warren! Have you guys started on beans yet? Just getting started on some fields here but rain for the next 3 days might slow that down.

[Duffster]

Well it was another bad year for wheat. Surprise surprise. Yields were average, quality was excellent and fusarium was HIGH! Oh well, better luck next time I guess.

There was no aspect of harvest that went smoothly this year. Daily rains kept the moisture high, it never got below 18% until the day I said screw it and put it in the bin. I had no choice, heads were starting to sprout.

It didn't come at a great time. Mom and dad were gone on vacation, and I only had one employee to help but we managed. The grain cart came in handy.

We used 2 dump wagons, one on the 8200, and the other on the TS130a

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060250.jpg

Had the grain cart at the far end of the field as a full round couldn't be made.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060251.jpg

To make things more interesting in the rear half of the farm vetch and other broad leafs had escaped.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060252.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060253.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060255.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060257.jpg

Got to love that beautiful clean sample an axial flow will give you! If only the straw looked so good. :)
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060259.jpg

I like any photo with a downward angle on a tractor.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060260.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060261.jpg

It's going great its going great...POOF! There is a little too much oil in that tire track for my liking.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060263.jpg

Putting the wheat in the dryer bin. Won't dry it here but if worst comes to worst we should be able to hold it from spoiling with the heater.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060264.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060265.jpg

Day one all the grain was 18-16.5% moisture. No photos from day 2, more of the same, but it started at 15 and ended at 13%. We put all that in the overhead to save handling it twice. Plan is to dry the lower moisture grain then put up the high moisture and dry it down too.

As for the straw, it is wet out of the combine. In bad shape too. To get the wet heads to thresh I had to have the concaves set at 0.9 (anyone with a read combine will know that is TIGHT!), the rotor over 900rpm and the fan at 1200rpm. As a result, lets just say, the straw won't have to be chopped before being fed or bed with. HAHA. The end result was a very dense wet big windrow.

A few days later after reconfiguring the elevator for drying wheat we began. To my astonishment, the dryer started first shot. (this never happens) With wheat you want to use low heat, about 100F and only one burner. A corn dryer has high capacity in wheat. I couldn't have put much dryer grain through without overloading the blower system filling the bins.

Used the 8200 and dump trailer to transfer the wet wheat from the bin we put it in to the overhead.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060266.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060268.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060269.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060272.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/august/P1060273.jpg

About 8 hours of drying later it was all done. A lot of work, BUT there is a silver lining. The wheat came off the field with about 7% fusarium. You're allowed 1.5% to make milling grade. I took a few corn samples in the storage bin after the dryer and cleaner. 1.9%!!!! Yes it is still over the limit. But we still have to ship it, handling it that little bit extra and it should make milling grade and big bucks! Like I told dad, even if we have to handle the grain 3 or 4 times recleaning it each time it easily pays for itself when you're facing a 175$/tonne discount for fusarium wheat.

That's it for wheat so far, I'll do another thread on the straw fiasco. Any comments or questions are welcome.

Warren

We don't grow wheat around here, what is fusarium?

[Dan85]

Really enjoying the pictures Warren, please keep them coming! This is a very interesting topic!

- Dan

[farmerknowsbest]

We don't grow wheat around here, what is fusarium?

It is a fungus. It attacks the heads of wheat at flowering and destroys yield. The primary infection aborts kernels and you end up with "tombstone kernel's' in the grain. They just look like shriveled up kernels of wheat. These are no problem when it comes to selling but they do hurt yield and test weight. Secondary infection is what results in huge dockage at the elevator. The infection will spread as the seasons progresses. This is sped up by wet cool weather. A pink fungus grows on the wheat and it releases a toxin that makes the grain unusable to both humans and livestock at high levels. It becomes unsafe for humans at 1.5% infection, and above 5% the grain is unusable for livestock. Above 10% and there are some studies that have show the straw to be even unsafe for bedding applications.

There are severe dockages. At the beginning of this years harvest the dockage for fusarium wheat was 75$/tonne. At the end it was up to 175$/tonne. Quite steep considering the price was only around 250$/tonne this year.

Warren

[farmerknowsbest]

Hi there,

Saturday evening we finally started soybeans. For what started off as such an early dry year is isn't ending that way. Cut a sample and it was 13.9%. IP beans have to be 14% of under to ship directly so I only cut one hopper full to get the combine set and make sure everything worked.

Today, Thanksgiving day, after a massive turkey dinner I headed back to the field and got about 40 tonnes cut. Should have got more done but had a two hour break down on the head.

Beans are turning out excellent. Haven't finished the first field to get an actual value but by the amount of acres done and whats in the trucks it is in that 55bpa range which for our area is very good.

Happy thanks giving everyone!

Warren

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/P1060480.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/P1060484.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/P1060485.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/P1060487.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/P1060492.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/P1060493.jpg

You can see the progression of the sample. :D I couldn't figure out why no matter what I did I couldn't get the pods out, then I realized I never initially closed the front third of the chaffer sieve...DOH!

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/P1060496.jpg

Quite wet in several places
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/P1060497.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/P1060498.jpg

After the third hopper full the sample is getting pretty good looking.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/P1060500.jpg

Warren

20011

[farmerknowsbest]

Some more

The one load of beans I took to the elevator one morning. They are using a sucker blower to unload the trucks, clean the beans and fill the bins. Slow. 40 tonnes per hour.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/P1060501.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/P1060502.jpg

Too lazy to take the head off. A bit of a tight fit down that narrow road.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/P1060503.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/P1060504.jpg

Two types of IP beans in this field. I'm harvesting NK S03 W4's, to the left are DH410's.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/P1060505.jpg

With the new hopper extensions the cart is heaping full with 2 reasonably full combine hoppers.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/P1060506.jpg

MUD!
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/P1060507.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/P1060508.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/P1060509.jpg

Extreme mud! Had to pull out of this farm.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/P1060511.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/P1060512.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/P1060513.jpg

Defrosting the windows the natural way
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/P1060514.jpg

Loads full from the night before
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/P1060515.jpg

Even at 9 still a heavy frost on the grass
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/P1060516.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/P1060517.jpg

Loading the truck. Finally shot a video from the other perspective.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/P1060519.jpg

What's this?
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/P1060521.jpg

Had an assistant for an hour or so the other day.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/P1060523.jpg

Rained out, so we went hard at tillage with 3 machines. Covered a little over 200ac. All the high moisture corn ground is plowed, half the corn silage ground is chiseled, and some of the bean ground has been cultivated.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/P1060524.jpg

Warren

[bobcat_ron]

That's a wicked set up with the end dump trailer and dolly.

[Lefet]

Very nice thread. Enjoyed all the pictures with commentaries. Very, very enjoyable.

[farmerknowsbest]

Check out the website, put up the May photos this afternoon.

http://www.cedarlodgefarms.com/may10.html

Please make any comments you like.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/May/P1050559.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/May/P1050564.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/May/P1050619.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/May/P1050667.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/May/P1050686.jpg

[farmerknowsbest]

That's a wicked set up with the end dump trailer and dolly.

Thanks Ron. It works quite well for our needs. When we bought it about 15 years ago it really sped up our operation as it help significantly more than any other set of wagons we had. It has hauled a great deal of corn since we've had it. With the farm getting more spread out, switching to semis is a better place to put our money.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/February/P1040986.jpg

We also hired a similar setup this winter to help haul from the last far farm in February.



http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/February/P1040998.jpg

[farmerknowsbest]

Very nice thread. Enjoyed all the pictures with commentaries. Very, very enjoyable.

Glad you enjoyed the thread.

Warren

[Duffster]

What's this?

Sprayer. :clapping:

[farmerknowsbest]

Sprayer. :clapping:

Well yes, but more to the point it isn't mine. It is a demo RoGator 994. Quite impressed with the complete overhaul the machine has gotten. If we go with a Gator is will be the larger 1194.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/P1060446.jpg

Warren

[waltzie]

Warren,

How do you supply air to the dump trailer brakes? Does the tractor have an on board compressor...or are they just backed off?

[farmerknowsbest]

Warren,

How do you supply air to the dump trailer brakes? Does the tractor have an on board compressor...or are they just backed off?

Our end dump the brakes are caged on the dolly. The trailer doesn't have spring brakes because of how old it is so they just go along for the ride. Pads have been removed to reduce friction though. On that red trailer, the brakes do work. On board compressor runs them just like on a truck.

Warren

[P.Services]

how many bushels of corn do you get off a acre ?

do you know what a bushel goes for in the states?

im thinking about farming about 500 acres, 49% for the hunting, 49% because its what ive always wanted to do and 2% to see if i can make some money.

A old timer told me today "look here youngin you give me all dat money ur gona throws at farmin and im gona flush half of it down the shitter right in fron ye eyes. The latter half i give backs to ya and ya gona be lot farther head with lot less workin"

[tmf lawn care]

P. services here the prices this week

Product Month Price Change
Corn 10Dec 587.75 +5.75
Soybeans 10Nov 1,230.50 +4.50
Soybean Oil 10Dec 49.47 +0.17
Soybean Meal 10Dec 339.50 +1.80
Wheat 10Dec 725.25 +8.00
Oats 10Dec 369.50 +1.50
Ethanol 10Nov 2.34 +0.02
Rough Rice 10Nov 14.43 -0.34
Mini Soybeans 10Nov 1,226.00 +1.00
Mini Corn 10Dec 582.00 +3.00
Mini Wheat 10Dec 717.25 -1.

[farmerknowsbest]

how many bushels of corn do you get off a acre ?

do you know what a bushel goes for in the states?

im thinking about farming about 500 acres, 49% for the hunting, 49% because its what ive always wanted to do and 2% to see if i can make some money.

A old timer told me today "look here youngin you give me all dat money ur gona throws at farmin and im gona flush half of it down the shitter right in fron ye eyes. The latter half i give backs to ya and ya gona be lot farther head with lot less workin"

All grain is traded on the Chicago board of trade. CBOT Just like the stock market you can buy and sell corn (futures instead of stock). This sets the base price that is the same no matter where in the world you are. What Chicago says goes. However that is only half of the price. You have the basis which takes into account local supply and demand as well as transportation costs.

For instance if corn is worth about 5.50$/bu on the CBOT and at your local elevator they are offering a -0.2$/bu basis. Your local price would be 5.30$/bu.

By the looks of the market December contracts ended up 3 cents at 5.82$/bu. More than likely the basis dropped 3 cents as well so you end up even. :)

There is money to be made in farming, no doubt about it, but it is a lot of work. Long hours in the field and a lot of stress when it comes to to locking in contracts. If you are serious about doing this, start following the CBOT and get on the emailing list of ALL the major grain elevators/ethanol plants/millers within 100miles to get daily quotes on basis. Keep an eye on them, watch how they move, pay attention to the weather, specifically the weather in the "I" states (Iowa, Illinois, Indiana). You'd be surprised how much money can be made or lost simply by it raining or not in Peoria. HAHA.

Warren

[KTM]

how many bushels of corn do you get off a acre ?

do you know what a bushel goes for in the states?

im thinking about farming about 500 acres, 49% for the hunting, 49% because its what ive always wanted to do and 2% to see if i can make some money.

A old timer told me today "look here youngin you give me all dat money ur gona throws at farmin and im gona flush half of it down the shitter right in fron ye eyes. The latter half i give backs to ya and ya gona be lot farther head with lot less workin"

Don't let anyone fool you Farming been where the $ is the last few years. There smiling ear to ear this year around here. Record yields, no need to dry, high prices then crop subsidies on top of that! I am surprised you could find 500 acres, there in a bidding war for land around here.

[farmerknowsbest]

Don't let anyone fool you Farming been where the $ is the last few years. There smiling ear to ear this year around here. Record yields, no need to dry, high prices then crop subsidies on top of that! I am surprised you could find 500 acres, there in a bidding war for land around here.

I wish I could find 500ac available!

As far as making huge profits I wouldn't go that far. This year should be a good one for most operations, however, last year spite the record high prices input costs were also at record highs. On average a farm will make no more than 2% ROI in the long run. Short run gains can be substantially higher.

Warren

[KTM]

I wish I could find 500ac available!

As far as making huge profits I wouldn't go that far. This year should be a good one for most operations, however, last year spite the record high prices input costs were also at record highs. On average a farm will make no more than 2% ROI in the long run. Short run gains can be substantially higher.

Warren

The profits are all in how you play the game. And some are pretty crafty. Just lik any bis, try to make it look like you made no money, keep the debt just right ect. Some are really playing it up, split there farm up for more subsidies. These are the one's making the huge profits. My wife farms several thousand acres with her Faimly, I get to look at the books at the end of the year lol. You are right input cost and machinery costs are scary.

[farmerknowsbest]

The profits are all in how you play the game. And some are pretty crafty. Just lik any bis, try to make it look like you made no money, keep the debt just right ect. Some are really playing it up, split there farm up for more subsidies. These are the one's making the huge profits. My wife farms several thousand acres with her Faimly, I get to look at the books at the end of the year lol. You are right input cost and machinery costs are scary.

Unfortunately in this country we don't get to farm the gov't as they do in the US and EU. :)

Warren

[White Gardens]

Man, this thread really wants me to go home and farm again.:cry:

[KTM]

Unfortunately in this country we don't get to farm the gov't as they do in the US and EU. :)

Warren

Really! It truly is nuts what they get. Many around here will get over 100k this year. I never thought it was right when prices were high. I can see a small farm that milks getting some help, but when yor a 2000- or more acre operation with no animals I don't see the need. This subject has started many fights.

[P.Services]

P. services here the prices this week

Product Month Price Change
Corn 10Dec 587.75 +5.75
Soybeans 10Nov 1,230.50 +4.50
Soybean Oil 10Dec 49.47 +0.17
Soybean Meal 10Dec 339.50 +1.80
Wheat 10Dec 725.25 +8.00
Oats 10Dec 369.50 +1.50
Ethanol 10Nov 2.34 +0.02
Rough Rice 10Nov 14.43 -0.34
Mini Soybeans 10Nov 1,226.00 +1.00
Mini Corn 10Dec 582.00 +3.00
Mini Wheat 10Dec 717.25 -1.

can you explain how i read these? lets take the corn # for example, what does the 587.75 mean and what does the 5.75 mean ?


can any one give me a ball park on how many bushels a acre will yield? (corn)

[P.Services]

is there more money in selling the grain or feeding the grain to beef cattle and selling the cattle? i know that could probably be discussed for years.

[farmerknowsbest]

is there more money in selling the grain or feeding the grain to beef cattle and selling the cattle? i know that could probably be discussed for years.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA....AHAH....AHHA....HAHAHAHAHAHA. No, won't be a long discussion. Take it from a feedlot operator. There is absolutely no money is finishing cattle. None, cattle are great if you don't like paying taxes, but if you like eating then you might want to take your corn to town to sell.

Warren

[farmerknowsbest]

can you explain how i read these? lets take the corn # for example, what does the 587.75 mean and what does the 5.75 mean ?


can any one give me a ball park on how many bushels a acre will yield? (corn)

The price is in cents/bu. or 5.87$/bu. The + 5.75 means the market closed up 5.75 cents/bu over its starting point.

Warren

[P.Services]

why do you guys finish them then? a needed right off?


I was going to do this on the small scale for now.

I have a 60hp tractor,two bottom plow, 12' disk, trucks to haul it.

I was going to buy the rest of the equipment i need old and used. Just a four row planter, a used sprayer and either a older combine or maybe it would be cheaper to pay a current guy to do the harvest.

I know i have LOTS to learn but this is just a idea right now.

[P.Services]

The price is in cents/bu. or 5.87$/bu. The + 5.75 means the market closed up 5.75 cents/bu over its starting point.

Warren

ohhhhh i follow!!


wiki says the average is 183 bushel per acre!! lets say i get 200 x 500= 100,000 bushel x $5.50 = $550,000.00

I believe i just went into farming.

[P.Services]

The average cost to farmers to produce a bushel of oats, corn, wheat
and soybeans is:

Corn $2.46 per bushel
Soybeans $6.49 per bushel
Oats $2.49 per bushel
Wheat $6.29 per bushel


why does soybean and wheat cost so much more to produce?

[White Gardens]

The average cost to farmers to produce a bushel of oats, corn, wheat
and soybeans is:

Corn $2.46 per bushel
Soybeans $6.49 per bushel
Oats $2.49 per bushel
Wheat $6.29 per bushel


why does soybean and wheat cost so much more to produce?

That can't be right. Corn should be more to produce as you use at least way more fertilizer on corn than you do soybeans.

Or, it is right because you get less soybeans per acre than you do corn.

[P.Services]

it cam from the department of agriculture so im go to believe its right.


Warren, would you care to talk about the cycling of different crops in the fields? why you do it, when to do it, how you know it needs it, and all of the above.

[Krafty]

ohhhhh i follow!!


wiki says the average is 183 bushel per acre!! lets say i get 200 x 500= 100,000 bushel x $5.50 = $550,000.00

I believe i just went into farming.

Hahaha that made my day!! I know you are just kidding (or I hope at least)!!

[DeereMan85]

It should be noted that the figures you are using for input costs likely do not take into account the cost of equipment, and I would check to be sure they're including rent/mortgage payments as well. It would also be helpful to know that $5.50/bu for corn is well above average. Many farmers sold half their crop for $3.50 earlier this year. Many farmers only harvested 80 bushel corn where 200+ is the norm. Your input costs would still reflect the 200 bushel norm, but your income of course is based only on what you actually harvest.

The equipment you're planning on using, while cheap, will make your relatively small 500 acre operation into a pretty big job. If I were you I would talk to some custom operators and look into having them plant and harvest your crop for the first year or two. Long run it might be more expensive than doing it yourself, but it can work pretty well and make it easier for you to get started. Do the rest of the work yourself, get a feel for it and see how it goes, and plow any profit back into the business to purchase equipment or prepay inputs. This isn't your full time job, so aim to build equity before trying to make a profit. Ride along for a bit with your custom guys while they are doing your fields (they won't mind as long as you don't stay all day), and you will be able to learn a lot just by talking to them and watching what they do. After a few years you could have a decent fleet that would allow you to do your own work without it being a monumental task and equity to borrow against should you want to expand. This is basically the path my own father went down 25 years ago, farming on the side while running his small construction company full time. Today he no longer has to do construction work if he doesn't want to, as he farms a few thousand acres and has no debt. Farming with everything paid for is extremely profitable, but it takes many years of equity building and working at a job off the farm to get to that point.

[stuvecorp]

Thanks for sharing DeereMan, pretty interesting stuff. I bet farming is like anything else, it takes lots to make a little...

[P.Services]

no those numbers were just direct costs related to that crop. Seed, fert, fuel, lime, herbicides.... you get the idea. No tractor payment or labor.

i dont doubt that tilling under 500 acres will be a task 3 or 4 rows at a time but at the end of the day it can be done. Im alot farther ahead than they were with a couple of horses. Now i did run into a guy that just got into farming that says he will run a massive tractor and plow for $45 an hour.... im gona let the guy think about that for a few days and see if he comes to his senses. He will burn $30 bucks a hour in fuel easy.

[farmerknowsbest]

Here is how I would do a start up 500ac farm.

250ac min til corn, 250ac no-til beans.

1 150hp mfwd tractor that is reasonably new. Can pick up something with about 3000 hours for about 50k and it will last you forever. Something like a 7800 JD tractor would work very well.

I'd buy a 6 row corn planter with interplants. That means 6 rows at 30 inches for corn, and another set of rows that split them to achieve 15 inch row beans.

22ft set of finishing disks with an excellent set of harrows to work the bean stubble in the fall and again in the spring to prepare the seed bed for corn. Also disk any ruts made during corn harvest for the no-til beans.

That's it you're done buying equipment for a few years.

Hire spraying, hire harvesting, hire trucking.

Should be about 8 days in the spring and about 8 days in the fall.

Warren

[P.Services]

Here is how I would do a start up 500ac farm.

250ac min til corn, 250ac no-til beans.

1 150hp mfwd tractor that is reasonably new. Can pick up something with about 3000 hours for about 50k and it will last you forever. Something like a 7800 JD tractor would work very well.

I'd buy a 6 row corn planter with interplants. That means 6 rows at 30 inches for corn, and another set of rows that split them to achieve 15 inch row beans.

22ft set of finishing disks with an excellent set of harrows to work the bean stubble in the fall and again in the spring to prepare the seed bed for corn. Also disk any ruts made during corn harvest for the no-til beans.

That's it you're done buying equipment for a few years.

Hire spraying, hire harvesting, hire trucking.

Should be about 8 days in the spring and about 8 days in the fall.

Warren



thanks for the info.

I was going to try and do it all with the current tractor i have (60hp deere) Thats why i was thinking about hiring a large tractor to turn it over for me. This land hasnt been farmed in 10+ years. One patch will need some brush grubbing the rest has been used for hay the last 10 years.

is that good or bad that it hasnt been farmed in so long?


why would you go half beans half corn? couldnt i just run all corn and put down good fert.?

the bean "waste" goes back to feed the next years corn right? so i would flip them back and fourth every year?

Winter wheat is harvested late in the summer right? does it do anything for the ground?

sorry for the amateur questions.

[wanabe]

Trust me, trying to start up a 500 acre farm will run you broke. The only way to farm is to take over the family operation. Thats how you make some money. I still help my father in law farm about 1500 acres, and its still a profitable operation due to owning most of the land and having the equipment paid for.

[P.Services]

I don't understand. I need less than 10k in equipment, I have over 500 acres for free, and I have free labor (me). All I need is seed, fert, pesticides, herbicides, lime?, and if I'm buying all those than I'm gona have a crop to sell. How could I farm 500 acres for next to nothing and not make money?
Posted via Mobile Device

[White Gardens]

thanks for the info.

I was going to try and do it all with the current tractor i have (60hp deere) Thats why i was thinking about hiring a large tractor to turn it over for me. This land hasnt been farmed in 10+ years. One patch will need some brush grubbing the rest has been used for hay the last 10 years.

is that good or bad that it hasnt been farmed in so long?


why would you go half beans half corn? couldnt i just run all corn and put down good fert.?

the bean "waste" goes back to feed the next years corn right? so i would flip them back and fourth every year?

Winter wheat is harvested late in the summer right? does it do anything for the ground?

sorry for the amateur questions.


Go for half and half. Basically it's like bio-diversity in landscaping. If one crop fails, you'll have the other to fall back on.

Beans also fix nitrogen in nodes in the ground for the corn to utilize the following year.

Going from corn to corn can have bad results as many found out this year with corn on corn ground only yielding around 120 BPAs, while the rotated ground got 190 or better in places.

[wanabe]

I don't understand. I need less than 10k in equipment, I have over 500 acres for free, and I have free labor (me). All I need is seed, fert, pesticides, herbicides, lime?, and if I'm buying all those than I'm gona have a crop to sell. How could I farm 500 acres for next to nothing and not make money?
Posted via Mobile Device

Well I don't value my time as free, when I could be working for a customer and billing them for the time I was at their place. Just go buy some fertilizer and let me know what you think. I know what it takes and what it cost, been at it for over 10 years. When NH3 goes up to over $1200 a ton like is did 2 years ago, then I will wish you the best of luck. Seed corn is anywhere from $200-300+ per bag. Corn herbicde is over $40 per acre, not including application. Sure corn is $5.50 bu. It was less than $3.50 this summer. This does not happen every year. I remember a few years back when we had 0 rain and made 40 bu per acre corn. You are not going to get 183 bu average. And you are going to need to buy equipment. No way arround this. Just this year, we have purchased 2 new tractors, new 28 foot disk, new 28 foot field cultivator, new crumbler. Care to guess what all that cost??? Anyone with equipment will be using it on there own ground first and custom work second. Timing is everything when it comes to planting, spraying, and harvesting. Rent it out and sit back and do what you do best.

[P.Services]

now now no need to get all testy, im just soaking all the info in not trying to argue.

Your farming on a large scale so you MUST have all the equipment. I dont doubt you spent half a million on equipment. All i wanted to do was buy a $750 dollar 4 row corn planter, a $450 dollar disk (has new tires and all new sealed disks and a new cylinder) and find a used crumbler for under a grand.

I would pay to have it sprayed and pay to have it harvested and i would truck it.

All in all im all in for a few grand really. Other than the seed and the fert and herbicide. Yes that would be a risk but its not like im going out taking on 500k in debt with big shinney new tractors and combines and a fleet of trucks that all need to be wrenched on and paid for.


how many pounds of seed does it take per acre? how many pounds of fert per acre? do you only put down fert when your seeding or do the beans/corn need fert again in the growing season?

[White Gardens]

how many pounds of seed does it take per acre? how many pounds of fert per acre? do you only put down fert when your seeding or do the beans/corn need fert again in the growing season?

Depends on the variety and seeding rate. That includes row width, etc..

With corn, you put Anhydrous Ammonia on either in late fall, or when the corn is up, but not too tall that you break off the stalks when applying.

In the Spring, a starter dry fert is usually applied, either by broadcast or on the planter when planting. On the planter, the openers (discs) for the fert is usually 3-4 inches off-set from the corn row.

I'd get you a good 6 row planter. It will speed up the process. If your custom operator has an 8 row head, then go with an 8 row planter. With corn, you just want to make sure that the combine can get all the rows without breaking the stalks.

With beans, it doesn't matter. Though not the best, an old seed drill would do the trick for planting.

[wanabe]

now now no need to get all testy, im just soaking all the info in not trying to argue.

Your farming on a large scale so you MUST have all the equipment. I dont doubt you spent half a million on equipment. All i wanted to do was buy a $750 dollar 4 row corn planter, a $450 dollar disk (has new tires and all new sealed disks and a new cylinder) and find a used crumbler for under a grand.

I would pay to have it sprayed and pay to have it harvested and i would truck it.

All in all im all in for a few grand really. Other than the seed and the fert and herbicide. Yes that would be a risk but its not like im going out taking on 500k in debt with big shinney new tractors and combines and a fleet of trucks that all need to be wrenched on and paid for.


how many pounds of seed does it take per acre? how many pounds of fert per acre? do you only put down fert when your seeding or do the beans/corn need fert again in the growing season?

I am not getting testy, but you are in a dream world right now. All I can say is go for it. By the way, all our lime and fertilizer is already on for 2011, and seed is all ordered and paid for. Any some more advice, you better have your seed for 2011 ordered quick, or you will be SOL for 2010.

[Fieldman12]

Go with a 6-row planter. If you keep at it you can plant 50 to 75 acres a day. I know we got that much years ago with a six row machine. Another reason why you want a six row is because these days it is easier to find a bigger machine than a smaller machine and most are reasonable priced. That is allot of trucking though for example say you planted all corn. If it made say 160 bushels an acre average and you had a semi hauling 1,000 bushels which is overloaded by the way it would take 80 semi loads which is 80,000 bushels. Corn is hard to get away from a combine. Ours is harvested with 2 12-row JD 9870 combines now. Beans is a much easier chore. For example say they made 40 bushels per acre which is 20,000 bushel or 20 semi loads. As another guy above stated fertilizer was way up a couple years ago. The solution was don't plant much corn that year. One issue that goes against a guy starting out in farming is storage and drying. In my opinion they are two very important key factors to farming. Granted you can let it set in the field but some years it may take forever to dry down and you run the risk of weather damage. You can do fine on 500 acres these days with prices as they are. Buy older equipment. By the way a new combine alone is in the 400,000 to 500,000 range. Corn seed is planted by population.

[White Gardens]

Does anyone know what anhydrous ammonia going for these days. I've heard that the price has skyrocketed the last 4-5 years.

[Fieldman12]

I agree with what Farmer Knows best said and it's the same advice I would give you. Either do 50% corn and 50% beans or all beans the first year. It is too bad it is growed up or you could have no-tilled it the first year and saved your self some cash to get yourself a float. Only thing is a 60 hp tractor will pull a six row corn planter fine but a no-till corn planter is pushing it unless it is flat ground and you got some weight on the tractor and fwa would be nice. The seed will cost you a fortune. Allot of guys will go in a pool of lets say 10 farmers and buy there seed under one order to get a big seed discount. It also works the same way if you decide to hire a broker to sell your crops. If your in a big pool they can usually get more money for your crops because more bushels are involved but the downside is someone else is playing with your money which sometimes is not a good thing. There is tricks to it like anything else. Ordering seed before the end of the years usually gets you a discount also. There is allot of money to be lost but there is allot of money to be made if you play it right.

[Fieldman12]

I think anhydrous amonia will not be able to be bought in another ten years. Around here allot of places have quit selling it because of the high insurance and high theft rate.

[P.Services]

I am not getting testy, but you are in a dream world right now. All I can say is go for it. By the way, all our lime and fertilizer is already on for 2011, and seed is all ordered and paid for. Any some more advice, you better have your seed for 2011 ordered quick, or you will be SOL for 2010.

well you just have a piss poor attitude then. thou is better than all. Go f your self in the corn hole, hows that sound?

[farmerknowsbest]

So is this 500ac all scrub land or is some of it being farmed already? Is it owned by you or rented? Do you have any grain bins? You said you have trucks for hauling grain, what are they? Pics? What model is your 60hp tractor? MFWD? Loader? How many remotes? GPM?

I'd still be looking at something like this tractor.
http://www.tractorhouse.com/listingsdetail/detail.aspx?OHID=5751124

And something like this planter.
http://www.tractorhouse.com/listingsdetail/detail.aspx?OHID=5802589

Warren

[P.Services]

3/4 of the acres are just clean hay fields that the guy quit using. The guy i hunt with owns them and doesn't care if they just sit and grow weeds or what not. At first we were going to just brush hog them and then we decided to let another farmer grow on it and he pays the taxes. Than ive had the brillant idea that i can farm it and make some money. The other 150 acres is owned by investors that are just sitting on it, its getting over grown with 2-3" scrub trees but my machine would have it cleared out in no more than a week. All of it is free farming though, i wouldn't even have to pay the taxes.

The tractor has 3 remotes on the rear and one on the front, no i dont have a loader for it because i have the track loader for that work.

To tell you the truth i wouldnt let myself pull 20k out of the biz for a planter for my more or less "hobby farm". I have to keep the biz going strong. Thats why i figured a cheap old 750-1500 dollar planter like the 4 row planter i found up the street. The guy just used it to plant 20 acres for the deer.


So far the guys around me said to go ahead and plant the main 60 acres we hunt around this year and do alot of research and see how that 60 goes before i go hog wild scrubing out the country side.

Seed seems to be about 180-220 a bag from what "they" say. Still not sure on fert. and herbicides. Getting a price from a guy to spray it and harvest it.

[P.Services]

After 70 years spent in agriculture, doing everything from milking a hundred cows when a hundred cows was a really big herd, to being a staff editor for The Farm Journal when The Farm Journal was a really big magazine, I have concluded that farming can't make any real money. If we would only admit it, we might find a way to solve the farm problem.

If you don't believe that farming is intrinsically unprofitable, try it. Rent or buy some farm land, rent or buy some equipment, rent or buy someone at a living wage to do the work, then put out a crop of corn, soybeans, cotton or any other major market commodity—except, maybe, marijuana. I defy you at year's end to show me one penny of real profit. There's more profit in making bread wrappers than in growing wheat to put in them. If you decide to do the farming work yourself, you may make a slight return on your labor, but that is not what a good capitalist calls profit.





a rather mood changing article....seems many say the same.

[farmerknowsbest]

OK, screw corn. First thing in the spring hire a custom sprayer to come in and spray roundup on all the hay ground. Then hire someone with a no-til seed drill to seed the whole farm into roundup ready soybeans. Since it is hay you'll likely need some P applied to get the soil test up to par but you should get 2 or 3 years of consecutive no-til beans off the 350ac without up trouble or input costs. After that 3 years though it will have to be put into corn.

Warren

[P.Services]

but the grass is 5' tall now? In the spring lets say we kill all the new grass coming in but dont we need to mow it or disk it or something? The place is FULL of golden rod also. That stuff doesn't disappear over the winter.

I cant imagine soy bean growing up in all that thick mess.

[White Gardens]

I think anhydrous amonia will not be able to be bought in another ten years. Around here allot of places have quit selling it because of the high insurance and high theft rate.

I seriously doubt that. Another form of high nitrogen would have to emerge for that to happen.

[farmerknowsbest]

Well the article isn't fibbing. The last few years when the price of corn and beans has been high have been decent. Go back 4 or 5 years when corn was 120$/tonne vs the 220$/tonne it is now and the times weren't so good. Now we likely won't see the price of corn much lower than 200$/tonne for about a decade as the US has just mandated E15, but with a higher price of oil ALL input costs go up so profits will still dwindle.

You're going to find 500ac to be a pretty tough size to stay at. Too small to afford the equipment and infrastructure, but too big to do the work all yourself with a 60hp tractor.



As far as the planter issue goes. DON"T skimp. If you screw up planting, it doesn't matter what you do the rest of the year you won't make it farming. I'd look at a good quality reliable planter if I were serious about farming 500ac.

I don't want to jump on the negative band wagon, but if you aren't willing to sink at least 50 grand, 100$/ac, into equipment, save yourself a lot of time and heart ache and skip this hobby. Farming is extremely capital intense with VERY low ROI's. No way around it.

Warren

[farmerknowsbest]

but the grass is 5' tall now? In the spring lets say we kill all the new grass coming in but dont we need to mow it or disk it or something? The place is FULL of golden rod also. That stuff doesn't disappear over the winter.

I cant imagine soy bean growing up in all that thick mess.

Get brush shredding, snows coming! Don't worry about the weeds, 2 years and 4 applications of roundup later and the farm will be clean.

Warren

[farmerknowsbest]

I seriously doubt that. Another form of high nitrogen would have to emerge for that to happen.

I don't. 10 years is likely, 15 for sure it will no longer be available. Which sucks, it is a great form of N and is dirt cheap, but the danger and attractiveness to criminals is going to make it outlawed before you know it. We're thinking about quitting side dressing with NH3 and going to UAN anyways. Of course that means NH3 will likely be gone in our area in a couple years if we quit as we use 3 of the 9 rail cars our dealer sells.

Warren

[KTM]

Is there any canning factories nearby? If there is you could look into contracting with them. The one buy me is one of the largest in the country and they contract with a few small operations. One guy is a mail man and he tills and plants about 150 acres of sweet corn with a small tractor and a 4 row planter. He does organic, does not yield much, but pays decent. The caner's are going to be looking for ground with the commodity prices so high, best part is they do some of the fieldwork depending on what your planting.

[hvy 1ton]

If i was goning to break pasture land into row crop and ran and had the land in one parcel here is how i would do it:

Get a D4D-D6D and take the blade off for field work. Turn up the pump a little, raise the air intake, put on a precleaner, mount a swinging drawbar, and run quick connects to the back of the tractor. Clean up anything you don't want to farm around this winter. Then burn the fields in April(probably later up north), apply nutrients (lime, ect), offset disk twice and do secondary tillage. Hire a floater to put down herbicide and maybe the nutrients too. Then hire a custom farmer to plant soybeans or maybe clover. The clover route would leave a year to get going before dropping big money on seed. Outlay for equipment, $30K for a nice EROPS S/Tilt D6D, $20K for similar a D5B, could be a written off and used in your core business. If you still want to farm in a year, pick up a GPS lightbar, A/C for the dozer, split row planter, and an anhydrous bar. (Try saying that last bit 3 times fast) 48 weeks a year you have a nice dozer for your main business and 2 weeks in spring and fall you take the blade off and play farmer. Internally charge your farmer-self for the hours on equipment farming and land improvements to lower farm "profit" on good years and i'm sure a clever accountant could find a way to move money to the farm in bang up years digging holes.

On a side note, if you start making money with this there is no way that the landowner won't want a piece of it and then its welcome to the wonderful world of share cropping. If i were them, i would want to share crop anyway. You do well and I get a piece of it, you do badly and the tax man has to work harder for my money. Same is true from your position also. Any way you look at this the guy willing to let pasture/farmland go is an idiot. There was a lot of effort, if not money, put into making those fields. In general terms, land is worth a lot more clear than it is full trees, especially the scrub that will be where the fields used to be. If he won't put money towards mowing/maintaining them, find someone to cut hay off the fields. Or become the guy cutting hay in those fields if that racket interests you. Anyway, off to clearing fences of juniper trees. :cry:

[93turbo]

First thing is never ask a farmer if they are making money LOL Just take a drive around and see who has the biggest houses newest cars and if you can find a group of them talking just sit and listen and after they get the usual bitchin out of the way they always get around to what they are gonna have to buy or upgrade to keep from paying to much in taxes.

[bobcat_ron]

Grow corn and grow it for popcorn use, then get into the popped pop corn market and call you own brand of popcorn "Picasso Popcorn".

[P.Services]

Went to the deere dealer today. Nothin but great news from those guys. One was writing a 180k check because he didn't wana pay taxes on it. Dealer said he's never sold so much.
Posted via Mobile Device

[farmerknowsbest]

Hey there,

This thread starts October 20th 2010. 20 days earlier than the start of the 2009 corn harvest.
Well lets get at it. Beans too wet, refuses to stop raining, time to hit the corn. Excellent quality this year! Grade 1 off the field vs grade 4 5 and sample off the field last year. Test weights like we've never seen before. 58-62lb/bu has been the norm. Yields in the beginning have been quite disappointing.

Our yields are above average, but not the spectacular 5-6 tonnes per acre they are getting north. Sigh

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/IMG_0039.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/IMG_0040.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/IMG_0042.jpg

With the corn coming off at 17-19% moisture even at night there is hardly any steam rolling off the drier.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/IMG_0043.jpg

Wouldn't be corn harvest without waking up to snow on the ground.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/IMG_0044.jpg

Heading down the road!
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/IMG_0047.jpg

I think we do a lot of roading by those numbers!
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/IMG_0048.jpg

Snow made the corn mighty sticky. Sure is piling high for 17%.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/IMG_0051.jpg

We rebuilt the corn head this fall before starting. New knives, new gathering chains, sprokets, bearings kneedle bearing holders, ear savers and fixed a few spots in need of some weld. Head works like a brand new one! Absolutely obliterating the corn stalks.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/IMG_0052.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/IMG_0054.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/IMG_0056.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/IMG_0057.jpg

Did I mention how much I love that Mauer bin extension?
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/IMG_0058.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/IMG_0059.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/IMG_0061.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/IMG_0063.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/IMG_0068.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/IMG_0072.jpg

One of my fav photos from this fall
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/IMG_0075.jpg

Thanks to Summit Seeds for bringing a weight wagon out to test a plot.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/IMG_0079.jpg

Plowing in the rain
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/IMG_0080.jpg

Right on my tail!
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/IMG_0081.jpg

Can you guess why we had to pull the pickup and weigh wagon into the field and out?
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/IMG_0082.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/IMG_0083.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/IMG_0085.jpg

Rainy day job. The pan under the bin unload auger wore a hole about an inch around. We temporarily patched it and ordered a fix. I had read a few weeks ago on new ag talk that there are some stainless steel inserts for under the augers that can be ordered, so I ordered them and they arrived. We also replaced the rear auger as it was whipped. 2 guys about 4 hours and the job was done.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/IMG_0086.jpg

SS inserts were predrilled and had to be riveted in. Very easy job.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/IMG_0090.jpg

Old and new. New is about 10 times as thick as the old. Everywhere ours wore out the new one is thicker. Guess we weren't the only ones to have it wear out.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/IMG_0092.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/IMG_0094.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/IMG_0095.jpg

Pretty
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/October/P1060406.jpg

November

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/November/IMG_0096.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/November/IMG_0097.jpg

Some very nice high yielding corn!
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/November/IMG_0098.jpg

Waiting for the cart on the roof
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/November/IMG_0099.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/November/IMG_0100.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/November/IMG_0103.jpg

Waiting on a truck
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/November/IMG_0107.jpg

Local farmer hard at work
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/November/IMG_0108.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/November/IMG_0109.jpg

220bu/ac out of the drier!
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/November/IMG_0111.jpg

Splitting a field
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/November/IMG_0113.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/November/IMG_0116.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/November/IMG_0121.jpg

I like this photo!
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/November/IMG_0125.jpg

Night shots at the elevator
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/November/IMG_0129.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/November/IMG_0131.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/November/IMG_0135.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/November/IMG_0137.jpg

Getting going in the morning after the frost finally burnt off. The time change can't come soon enough!
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/November/IMG_0138.jpg

I put the T7060 back on the cart as I can't stand waiting for the cart to get back. My thinking was the T7060 would get back faster as it is a much more comfortable tractor to drive. I need a new cart operator. Anyone want a job?

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/November/IMG_0139.jpg

Splitting a field, made a turning spot for the cart
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/November/IMG_0143.jpg

I'm slowly winning battles, I've wanted to load trucks and wagons on the road for years. Hauling grain with tractors and wagons was very efficient in the 80's, it is 2010 now, time for a change!!!
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/November/IMG_0144.jpg

Working on a deal to add a second truck with a 33ft tri-axle end dump. Should be able to harvest at all of our farms with only 3 people vs 4 or 5 right now. Again, I'm slowly winning arguments.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/November/IMG_0145.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/November/IMG_0147.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/November/IMG_0149.jpg

Too bad all fields can't be 1.25 miles long!!! Some day I'll get that fencerow/ditch out and the field will be 200ac!
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/November/IMG_0150.jpg

More waiting
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/November/IMG_0151.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/November/IMG_0152.jpg

Thankyou Monsanto for bringing out a weigh wagon to do a plot!
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/November/IMG_0153.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/November/IMG_0156.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/November/IMG_0159.jpg

Biggest victory yet. Loaded on the road on a busy county road!
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/November/IMG_0160.jpg

Messy road
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/November/IMG_0161.jpg

Clean road, yes we always scrape after we finish a farm. Wish more farmers would do it. Nothing makes me madder than to see big blogs of mud on a road.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/November/IMG_0167.jpg

Well that is where we are at as of today. Down to 660ac of corn left to harvest and still at 230ac of beans. We are doing well. We have all of our poor wet farms off and much of the tillage is done. We've actually only done about 100ac of corn that followed beans so our yields are going to improve quite dramatically. Farm average so far is 150bu/ac. Hoping to get that up to 165bu/ac by the time we're done. Not the best year ever as everyone forecast but not too bad either.

Warren

[bobcat_ron]

Amazing how abrasive food grains can be on augers.

[farmerknowsbest]

Oh yes, grain is rather tricky stuff to handle.

Warren

[WilliamBos]

Oh yes, grain is rather tricky stuff to handle.

Warren

Thanks Warren... :)

[farmerknowsbest]

Thanks Warren... :)

Hold on to your hat Will, the drama over here makes the triple T like reading a technical paper!

Warren

[WilliamBos]

Hold on to your hat Will, the drama over here makes the triple T like reading a technical paper!

Warren

That is always the fun part... :)

[WilliamBos]

Hold on to your hat Will, the drama over here makes the triple T like reading a technical paper!

Warren

Hey Warren,

Would you happen to have any pics of the inside of your bins?? Interested in seeing how those floor (sweep) augers work??

[farmerknowsbest]

Hey Warren,

Would you happen to have any pics of the inside of your bins?? Interested in seeing how those floor (sweep) augers work??


Right, you asked me that a while ago.

This what you are looking for?
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/March/P1050058.jpg

[WilliamBos]

Yes thank you. Being you are busy farming, I figured you would eventually get to it. But having the online status here is a good thing.

Started sifting through the thread here, all I can say is the nerve of some. A NAT'er I suspect??

Right, you asked me that a while ago.

This what you are looking for?
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/March/P1050058.jpg

[Danny Boy]

Thanks for sharing those awesome pics, we never farmed big like that but your photos make me miss our farm, keep em coming

[T_S_S]

Warren beginning of this week is slow for me il mosey on east and run the grain cart for ya.

[farmerknowsbest]

Warren beginning of this week is slow for me il mosey on east and run the grain cart for ya.

HAHA, well the weather is improving, likely be going back to beans tomorrow. Bit of a commute for you though wouldn't it be? LOL

Warren

[Bleed Green]

Right, you asked me that a while ago.

This what you are looking for?
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/March/P1050058.jpg

Wow thats huge inside, how much grain can you fit inside of a bin that big? Looks like theres a good amount in there already and plenty of room left.

[farmerknowsbest]

Wow thats huge inside, how much grain can you fit inside of a bin that big? Looks like theres a good amount in there already and plenty of room left.

HAHA, that's a little bin. Only 700tonnes. Have a 1300 and an 1800 tonne bin sitting beside that one.

Warren

[Jelinek61]

Awesome pictures as usual. What do you guys have to use those test wagons from the seed companies for?

[Giles_uk]

excuse the ignorance or if this has been answered

when the seed companies bring the trailer is that to test the yield per acre, or the quality of product etc or something else?

do they take it away to analyse or just weigh it then give it you back etc?

i get profi magazine over here, its a european farming magazine and on the newer combines like the deeres and class lexicons 580 its all yield mapped via computer and gps etc? is that the same thing?

great pics btw, i've seen lads rd our way pushing the chaser tractors with d6 as its so wet or seen one guy on youtube using a racked dumper on maize harvest haha.

[Votum Gardens LLC]

Looks great Warren, didn't get the chance to see what your yeilds if you posted them. I averaged 178 bu/acre on the conventional corn, 183 bu/acre on the strip tilled corn, and got 43 bu/acre on the conventional beans with 52 bu/acre on no-till beans. Heck even had one field of no-tilled beans hit 78 bushels to the acre. Can't beat that.

Phill

[farmerknowsbest]

Awesome pictures as usual. What do you guys have to use those test wagons from the seed companies for?

Weigh offs. Supposed to be the most "accurate" way to compare varieties. I don't believe it at all as 99% of the time the yields are about 30% higher than you'd see anywhere else in the field. The idea is you have say 2 varieties of corn side by side. You harvest say 1000ft of each and weigh what you get. A bushel weight and moisture is taken to determine the winner.

I'd prefer to do a split field, 30ac of each and run the corn over a truck scale to get a 100% accurate result but having the seed salesman come out is something of a courtesy to them as usually the seed being tested is free.

Warren

[farmerknowsbest]

excuse the ignorance or if this has been answered

when the seed companies bring the trailer is that to test the yield per acre, or the quality of product etc or something else?

do they take it away to analyse or just weigh it then give it you back etc?

i get profi magazine over here, its a european farming magazine and on the newer combines like the deeres and class lexicons 580 its all yield mapped via computer and gps etc? is that the same thing?

great pics btw, i've seen lads rd our way pushing the chaser tractors with d6 as its so wet or seen one guy on youtube using a racked dumper on maize harvest haha.

Basically the wagon is just a scale. You dump into it, it is weighed and then unloaded into your truck or wagon. Quality is tested and yield is calculated.

Yes, combines do have yield mapping capabilities. However they are highly inaccurate. If a farmer tells you they got so many kg/ha according to their yield monitor in the harvester, you might as well deduct 15% right off the top. We have one in our combine but it is so out to lunch compared to our licensed truck scale it isn't funny.

For instance, if I'm harvesting corn, I can get ANY yield monitor in ANY combine to say whatever I want. All I have to do is speed up then slow down again. Our yields are calculated over a truck scale which never lies. This is likely why our average yields are lower than farmers who don't measure yield in this manner.

Warren

[farmerknowsbest]

Looks great Warren, didn't get the chance to see what your yeilds if you posted them. I averaged 178 bu/acre on the conventional corn, 183 bu/acre on the strip tilled corn, and got 43 bu/acre on the conventional beans with 52 bu/acre on no-till beans. Heck even had one field of no-tilled beans hit 78 bushels to the acre. Can't beat that.

Phill

Poor. Corn we'll likely end out with a 165bu/ac farm average. Beans were excellent. IP's in that 52-55bu/ac depending on variety. Roundup readies were excellent. 55-70bu/ac. Absolutely un heard of high yields for our area.

Warren

[wanabe]

Right, you asked me that a while ago.

This what you are looking for?
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e287/farmerknowsbest/2010/March/P1050058.jpg

I hate dealing with bin sweeps. My father in law got a new REM 2700 vac last year and that works so slick to clean out bins. Much faster than the sweep as well.