98 Years

Our dad was born 98 years ago today!  That seems like a " long, long time ago, but I can still remember" 50 years ago like it was today.  I was 13, I earned my amateur radio license, WN8RQQ and I was off to the races.  I couldn't get enough radio time at that age so I would sneak out to the radio shack/corn sales shed dad built and operate all night.  S-38 Hallicrafters receiver and Ameco AC-1 15 watter connect to big dipole antennas.  That was OK as long as I could work properly the day after.

Our local amateur radio club had it's nationally known ARRL Field Day at a friends farm in New Vienna.  That farm recently received the Ohio Century Farm designation.  My family has lived on the same farm for 96 years but we won't get the designation because we didn't own it until 1990.

In 3 more years, after tons of nagging by me, dad took me to Mr. Wamsley's auto sales where we bought my first automobile, an ugly 1959 yellow, rusted out Chevy sedan with a big six cylinder and "three on the tree" for gears.  This was American Pie long before the song.

It might take me 98 years to control all the weeds around here.  Weeds and wildlife have just went crazy this year with the regular moisture and we are all talking about Marestail popping up in rows in and out of rows.  We thought we had it under control for awhile but you never really do.

My friend Paul Butler of Macon, Illinois got everyone's attention on Crop Talk with his hoeing crew.  A hoeing crew of people who like to drive pickups and tractors out hoeing soybeans?  Why?  Because we have weeds now that are easier to eradicate with a hoe than a herbicide!

Have to admit it was pretty shocking to see the post but we have been inching our way here each year.  We refuse to do the work it requires to keep really good weed control because the RR system was so darned easy to use.  People farm now who wasn't raised on a farm because of RoundUp Ready.  They are having a rude awakening right now of the power of Mother Nature.  No wonder farm margins of profit never went much about 5% as an average before and during my lifetime.

I am going to have to really stay on top of these weeds or they are going to stay on top of my profit.  I have driven my spray man crazy trying to figure out what to spray on our non GMO soybeans and our wheat going to double crop soybeans if they ever come off.

It is so foggy here on the hill at 8 AM that I can't see the tree borderline 1000 or so feet away.  Tara just reminded me that we are going to eat like Porkopolis watching the Cincinnati Reds the day after tomorrow.

You just watch, that will be the day I should be cutting wheat and planting double crop soys!

Ed Winkle