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I know I’m late for posting Farm Post Friday! I have been spending the past few days away from the farm. My siblings and I are having a sale of our mother’s estate and spending some much needed time together.
My husband on the other hand has spent a great deal time farming and has been in the tractor since Wednesday planting corn. Although we won’t plant too many acres of corn, it still makes for long days.
On the first day things were going well but then there was an oil leak of some sort. So the farmer made his way back to the farmyard and spent time fixing that. He was able to finish planting the field he started that day before we received a small shower of rain. Our lives are a very much “in the hands of” the weather. The wind has been blowing for several days already, which dries things out.
But here is the thing. I can already tell a difference in my husband’s demeanor. After the few months of winter, spring has sprung, and he is back in the spot he enjoys most. The new season brings him challenges but finding himself in the cab of a tractor makes enduring those easier.
I like to say, although our planter isn’t big it’s still mighty. It still gets the job done. The seeds are planted, the repairs can be made on it mostly by the farmer, and it’s served our farm well. No gps in this tractor but I think that keeps the farmer’s mind sharp and his talent of driving straight is kept in tack! 🙂
This year we are planting a couple varieties of corn, this being one of them. This bag is pounds and it cost somewhere between $220 to $250. That doesn’t include the fertilizer the farmer also distributes while planting.
You may be wondering why the seeds are two colors. The red seed is the refuge seed. The green seed is a the GMO seed. Your field needs to be planted to at least 10% of refuge seed. The red refuge seed helps keep the pests from getting resistant to the trait. Yes we are a family farm that plants GMO seed, if you care to discuss it further, just be respectful please!
The farmer told me the following, I found it interesting perhaps you will too! There are 80,000 kernels in one bag of seed approximately. He is planting 21,000 seeds per acre. One bag of seed will plant approximately four acres. The plant spacing will be between 10 and 11 inches, hopefully the germination rate is 90% to 95%.
Do you have questions about planting, corn, or farming?
Feel free to comment below or on our Facebook page.
Grace is a gift,
Julie
In Between the Sunsets of Life 