So how do you guys do it?

[malleefarmer]

Southern Australia plant april may june depends on starting rains, harvest late oct nov dec. That's wheat barley oats canola lentils peas whatever. Hay sept oct.

All rates in litres per ha

Summer spray usually jan feb glyphosate 1.5 garlon 0.1 depends on summer rain.

Rain april may a pre seeding cultivation or spray of usually glypho 1 lt hammer .025 and amine 24d .5 then at seeding treflan 1.5 lt to 2 parquat 1 to 1.5 lt avadex 1.5 lt and metrabuzin or diuron mixed.

Then when crop is 5 leaf stage often lve mcpa at 1.5 lt and 0.1 of lontrel a spike of other hems if different weeds present.

Fert usually DAP Urea mix at 50 to 80 kg per ha at seeding.

Yields hopefully 1.5 to 3 tonne to ha depending on years rain and frost events.

Basically 14 to 15 inch rainfall almost distributed evenely except a spike in july aug winter months and usually dry dec jan feb. this year we have scored 3 inches in late jan to mid march so have some sub soil moisture.

Growing season is basically may to early oct.

The above is "standard" wheat and barley practice some cultivate more some don't cultivate at all.

[furrowtickler]

Well , go like hell when soil is ready - try to seed into a 12-14 day window and pray that it don't freeze before Sept 1

[farmaholic]

I do it grudgingly.
Harder every year...
Ten feet tall, bullet proof, risk taker has gave way to stooped, susceptible, and risk averse.....

Hence the username.....I know it really isn't good for me but continue to do it anyway! Like any other bad addiction, it isn't doing it for me anymore and I seriously doubt a bigger dose will make it either better or make a difference.

Do what ever you do to get the crop in the ground, can't harvest without seeding first. But above all else be safe doing it....your family needs you!

Sappy...

[sumdumguy]

How many years Farmaholic? You won't miss it cause you would help the kids, just throttle back on your own side. Farming is getting so in-tense, gotta make margin, like the stock market. Just listen to SF3, no insult intended, just saying SF3, you are full throttle.

[farmaholic]

Probably could say as soon as I could carry chop and water pails, pick rocks(by hand) etc. All my life.

I kind of compare it to walking up one side of a hill and down the other. Going up you have the energy in every step, all the way to the top. Then you get to the top and look around thinking, now what? I'm kinda here and tired. And who would have ever thought going downhill would be tiring? On the crest of the hill I am at different stages of my life and
career. ....I want to be done with my career before I reach the bottom of the hill.

I'm not really that "old" but that is kinda a matter of
perspective....to a 18-25 year old, I'm probably old.....a 65-70 year old probably think I'm still "young".

Do we work to live or live to work?

Sorry for derailing the thread.

[burnt]

Probably could say as soon as I could carry chop and water pails, pick rocks(by hand) etc. All my life.

I kind of compare it to walking up one side of a hill and down the other. Going up you have the energy in every step, all the way to the top. Then you get to the top and look around thinking, now what? I'm kinda here and tired. And who would have ever thought going downhill would be tiring? On the crest of the hill I am at different stages of my life and
career. ....I want to be done with my career before I reach the bottom of the hill.

I'm not really that "old" but that is kinda a matter of
perspective....to a 18-25 year old, I'm probably old.....a 65-70 year old probably think I'm still "young".

Do we work to live or live to work?

Sorry for derailing the thread.

farmaholic - I wonder how many guys you described with your most eloquent post. I know it fits me exactly.

There is a point where a guy just operates out of habit.

After years of wrestling with the idea, I sold our cows and they left last Saturday morning. A lot of guys are wanting cows badly now and so I helped a couple of them out...

And you know what - I don't miss them already.

Now I'm thinking that the farmland might be next and maybe I won't have to even put a crop in this spring.

Because there are a lot of guys who really want to buy land even at these insane levels and I might just help them out too...

That's how I do it. ;-)

[GOODRUM]

It's sure nice to know a guy isn't alone, feeling the same thing here, this industry has changed so much from when I started, not sure if I would have chose this path if I had the foresight to see what it's become.
Great description farmaholic , very accurate

[bucket]

It's the little things.

I have bought tractors with 2500 hours on them and run them to 4000 without an issue.

Yesterday I spent half a day with the michelin rep because a 2 year old tractor has tire problems.

Those things tire me out. Good pun hey.

And yes I am on the downhill slide.

Wishing these young bucks would make the offer.

[tstep]

Same thing here. Would like to throw in the towel but helping out the next gen. Tired but got to do it a few more times