Harvest...

[foragefarmer]

Just wondering, how can you function with out aeration bins with the seasons you've had in the past and present? If it wasn't for aeration we would have never gotten our harvesting done some years. Hooking up propane heaters is must in a lot of years as well.

[vvalk]

freewheat how much yield and/or quality do you figure you have lost

[freewheat]

Forage: It has not been easy, but when I do get something tough, I have a good neighbor who does my drying. I took over/bought a farm which was very lacking in infrastructure, and it has been tough financially to do a lot of the things I really need to do.

Hope that helps explain my situation better. It is a need, Air and dryer is high on my list, but I am not too proud to say I have had a tough go of it...

[freewheat]

Vvalk: I grow feed cereals, so quality is never an issue. We are not in a good grain quality zone, so I gave up on HRS wheat. The barley I did do on Monday looks like it would make malt, but I never swath, so it does not get soaked in the same way.

Faba beans look good, I may even try them today, they seem to dry out well after rain. A bit of black seeds in immature spots, but 90% look very nice, nicer than the seed I put in the ground...

And the canola is fine. Some of the nicest canola I have grown so far as the quality from what I have seen.

The money is still there, I just need it in bins!

Good news is they took tomorrows rain out and so that should get me going again.

[foragefarmer]

As a farmer there is so much risk. Waiting till grain is dry in swaths or standing when it could be harvested tough a few days earlier and on air is finanical suicide. I could never operate that way. Good luck

[freewheat]

Glad to know we agree, though I have been at it for a pretty long time, and have made do with what I can.

Not killed my farm yet. Again, I have many priorities. My first has been to build a farm with several absolute needs. Needs like a basic farm machinery package so I can seed in the first place etc...

Throw in several years of seeding not an acre, several of poor yields due to excess moisture, and it has been a tough go for me, relative to most who at least had their dad's land base, their dad's machinery use, and their dad's free advice and labor.

And with a name like foragefarmer, you must understand too that I have been adding and expanding our sheep operation with the goal of utilizing our land better, and smoothing out some of the bumps along the way. Seeded my first alfalfa this July, and it looks like a great catch so far!

I just took off a few acres of very tough barley. It is going in the feed bin to feed the sheep with, so I have no need for worries about spoilage etc..

I am also making plans to get into fairly large scale pasture pork production next year. So you can see I am trying hard to get out of the weather risk rut, which has gotten so bad in this area...

I am not even sure how much grain farming I will do long term. I am in an area of very wealthy established farms, and I can not think of any land that will become available in the next 30 years, unless someone dies. so I may well transition on a fairly large scale to more intensive stock farming, with a bit of grain on the side for rotation and for feed needs.

We shall see...

[furrowtickler]

Freewheat , you have been ground zero for way too much rain in western Canada bar none for too many years. I feel for you. S/F pisses and moans but your little pothole takes the cake. Good luck and godspeed there guy.

[hobbyfrmr]

15 years ago I put up 3 -2700 bu bins onto hoppers with air and they have made me money every year.
I have since added more aeration, I straight cut more than ever and harvest later.
Yes, it is a big expense, but think of 10,000 bushels of fababeans in the bin on air today.
50-60'thousand ? Then when dry move them out and put other tough crop in them.
Another tip is harvest tough in August/sept shile days are warmer and longer instead of using aeration as an end of season act of desperation. That took me about 5 years to learn.

[freewheat]

Thanks for the kind words, furrow. My fabas may be ready tomorrow.

Regarding aeration, the way my yard is set up, I have no power to the binyard, and it would cost me a small fortune to get power to it after inquiring. Again, it IS high on my list, but I have been building other aspects of my farm thus far as best I can with the goofy issues I have had over the years... Actually once I have power, a dryer will be a priority as well.

If I had power, the last several hopper bins I bought would have been set up for fans. I anticipate the next several I buy, will have fans, in anticipation of being able to afford power to the yard someday.

[SASKFARMER3]

Furrow! A F$%k it is all I have to say!
Free lets hope we get a few the last rain soaked in really good.