Post by putsie on Apr 3, 2012 12:37:21 GMT -5
April's hear and I don't think I've ever seen the neighborhood as "ready to go" for seeding as it is this year. The last 2 years have had major rainfalls throughout May that caused a lot of trouble for guys getting done seeding so it's apparent this year most are not going to let that be the case again 3rd year. Pretty well every yard I pass has the drills out in front of the shop getting serviced or now sitting at the ready. It's still really too early to be hitting fields around here. Most years it'd still be 3 weeks to a month yet, but with the weather we've been having and the lack of a winter. The fields are dry and surprisingly warm for early April, and guys are noticeably getting antsy. There was a lot of guys who put in winter wheat put in last fall on unseeded spring acres and it's starting to green up around here a bit.
Here on my farm we've been discussing the possibility of NEEDing to get out and put some canola in the ground while there's still a little moisture near the top. We've had almost a week of hot dry winds so the fields are going to start loosing moisture pretty quick if we don't get some rain/snow soon. Canola gets seeded just below the surface so moisture is pretty crucial for it. But these new hybrid varieties can also withstand close to -10 (deg C) underground without too much trouble so the question remains... should we? shouldn't we?.... With seed costs at about $7/lb you do not want to risk throwing it in and not having it grow. Stay tuned we may be seeding earlier than ever...
With all that said, we got our new drill finally. Needs repairs already though. Transport guys were a little too eager to deliver I think and bent up the front casters and wrecked one tire from excessive caster wobble from towing it down from the Saskatoon plant. It's been sitting at the dealer waiting to get the Atom Jet openers installed and parts changed for the last 4-5 days. If nothing has been done yet by this afternoon we're gonna just bring it home and do it ourselves. I'd rather do that anyways I'm thinking. Went to check it out when it came in here are a few pics. I'll post more when we get it home.
The damage:
While I was at the dealer they were setting up a new Seed Hawk drill so snapped a few pics for the guys who haven't seen many of them yet. Around south Sask they seem to be the "trendy" new drill for the big acre farms. I personally think their a pile of junk but that's a topic for another time. Anyways this one's a big 80 or 85'.
Another one already set up and ready to go. Uncommon to see a Seed Hawk cart though. Most guys I know of buy a Bourgault cart to go behind the SH drills. Cheaper and better quite frankly.
Some one already traded in their NH/Flexi-Coil fold back drill. It would be interesting to know why....
Also interesting to see was the new Apache sprayers sitting on the lot. I'm not a big fan of Apache's old or new but I'll give them some "cool points" for looks of the big duals in the rear with little fronts.
Around the farm we're still in maintenance mode. But we're getting there.
The chemicals are being hauled out to the farm with every trip into town we make and the Canola seed is sitting in the shop ready to go. Hard to believe this is 650 acres worth of seed.
The sprayer's been serviced, GPS upgraded and now is at the fields edge... waiting.
The old 98 Chev 3/4ton been through the shop for a new starter and flexplate along with the usually servicing. It will be seeing significant time on the water/chemical trailer this year rather than the Power Wagon that was used the past couple years.
Finally... one last pic of the old drill folded up waiting to go to it's new home. It's already been sold by the local dealer but "it don't leave till the new one's sitting in the yard".
Thanks for looking and have a safe seeding season.
Chris
Here on my farm we've been discussing the possibility of NEEDing to get out and put some canola in the ground while there's still a little moisture near the top. We've had almost a week of hot dry winds so the fields are going to start loosing moisture pretty quick if we don't get some rain/snow soon. Canola gets seeded just below the surface so moisture is pretty crucial for it. But these new hybrid varieties can also withstand close to -10 (deg C) underground without too much trouble so the question remains... should we? shouldn't we?.... With seed costs at about $7/lb you do not want to risk throwing it in and not having it grow. Stay tuned we may be seeding earlier than ever...
With all that said, we got our new drill finally. Needs repairs already though. Transport guys were a little too eager to deliver I think and bent up the front casters and wrecked one tire from excessive caster wobble from towing it down from the Saskatoon plant. It's been sitting at the dealer waiting to get the Atom Jet openers installed and parts changed for the last 4-5 days. If nothing has been done yet by this afternoon we're gonna just bring it home and do it ourselves. I'd rather do that anyways I'm thinking. Went to check it out when it came in here are a few pics. I'll post more when we get it home.
The damage:
While I was at the dealer they were setting up a new Seed Hawk drill so snapped a few pics for the guys who haven't seen many of them yet. Around south Sask they seem to be the "trendy" new drill for the big acre farms. I personally think their a pile of junk but that's a topic for another time. Anyways this one's a big 80 or 85'.
Another one already set up and ready to go. Uncommon to see a Seed Hawk cart though. Most guys I know of buy a Bourgault cart to go behind the SH drills. Cheaper and better quite frankly.
Some one already traded in their NH/Flexi-Coil fold back drill. It would be interesting to know why....
Also interesting to see was the new Apache sprayers sitting on the lot. I'm not a big fan of Apache's old or new but I'll give them some "cool points" for looks of the big duals in the rear with little fronts.
Around the farm we're still in maintenance mode. But we're getting there.
The chemicals are being hauled out to the farm with every trip into town we make and the Canola seed is sitting in the shop ready to go. Hard to believe this is 650 acres worth of seed.
The sprayer's been serviced, GPS upgraded and now is at the fields edge... waiting.
The old 98 Chev 3/4ton been through the shop for a new starter and flexplate along with the usually servicing. It will be seeing significant time on the water/chemical trailer this year rather than the Power Wagon that was used the past couple years.
Finally... one last pic of the old drill folded up waiting to go to it's new home. It's already been sold by the local dealer but "it don't leave till the new one's sitting in the yard".
Thanks for looking and have a safe seeding season.
Chris
