Ask Steve Dave Farm And Cow And Ranch And Tractor And Truck Related Questions

[RickRampus]

Definitely a shelf, but he was from my non-ag side of the family. Huge toy collection.

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[KST8FAN]

Definitely a shelf, but he was from my non-ag side of the family. Huge toy collection.

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Is his collection early era stuff like this?


Tom

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[KST8FAN]

Got married in 86 and followed the wife to Sioux Falls.  They have a huge farm toy show President Day weekend every year. That was my first clue such a thing existed. (farm toys are collectible?)

At the show I see my old pedal tractor going for three figures.  So I call dad, whatever happened to my old pedal tractor? 

He says oh that was passed around 2-3 times to neighbors for their kids, but he says let me make a call or two.

The next time we were home he has that tractor in the garage.  He had tracked it down to a chicken coupe in Goff, KS.

I restored it and the boys rode it on the cul de sac when they were little.


Tom

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[bucket]

My John Deere pedal tractor is still at the folks. I got an old aluminum wind-up chicken that was my great aunt's after she passed. It's probably 70-80 years old. Her and her husband used to live in an old box car out on some land.

[RickRampus]

Got married in 86 and followed the wife to Sioux Falls.  They have a huge farm toy show President Day weekend every year. That was my first clue such a thing existed. (farm toys are collectible?)

At the show I see my old pedal tractor going for three figures.  So I call dad, whatever happened to my old pedal tractor? 

He says oh that was passed around 2-3 times to neighbors for their kids, but he says let me make a call or two.

The next time we were home he has that tractor in the garage.  He had tracked it down to a chicken coupe in Goff, KS.

I restored it and the boys rode it on the cul de sac when they were little.


Tom

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We have a airplane style one that every grandchild has taken a picture in. It was recently completely restored.

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[farming_cat fan]

Got married in 86 and followed the wife to Sioux Falls.  They have a huge farm toy show President Day weekend every year. That was my first clue such a thing existed. (farm toys are collectible?)

At the show I see my old pedal tractor going for three figures.  So I call dad, whatever happened to my old pedal tractor? 

He says oh that was passed around 2-3 times to neighbors for their kids, but he says let me make a call or two.

The next time we were home he has that tractor in the garage.  He had tracked it down to a chicken coupe in Goff, KS.

I restored it and the boys rode it on the cul de sac when they were little.


Tom

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Tom, you're getting close to home with references like Goff. Can't say there are many people that have heard of it. My grandpa owned a TV repair business based out of Goff for a couple of years in the mid 60s.

[Institutional Control]

Little known fact, but Goff, KS was named after Detroit Lion QB Jared Goff.

[Stupid Fitz]

It is wild how old farmers are. I know a fellow Gen Xer who just earned a "young farmer of the year" award. In what other career field are you considered "young" in your 40's?

Ranching. But irl there is no “next generation” of farmers. It dies out fairly soon. There isn’t a need for it and the “victim” is going to be rural communities. Though there isn’t much need for most of them either for the same reason. It sucks…..but does it? Or is that just us talking who grew up there? I don’t know.

Maybe that kid who's parents showed that gross pic of his dad pretending to stick his arm up his mom will lead the next generation of farmers. 

[Justwin]

It is wild how old farmers are. I know a fellow Gen Xer who just earned a "young farmer of the year" award. In what other career field are you considered "young" in your 40's?

University Professor

In terms of average age, I think you could make an argument for young being into your 50s in this case.

[Kat Kid]

It is wild how old farmers are. I know a fellow Gen Xer who just earned a "young farmer of the year" award. In what other career field are you considered "young" in your 40's?

University Professor

In terms of average age, I think you could make an argument for young being into your 50s in this case.

https://twitter.com/kmmunger/status/1491534739030700033?s=21&fbclid=IwAR3XF8wMPoAdN4cN1lWlBQ-EASg8tmROI_AlQw_SxltSyE6-e1R5CrYTepM

[yoga-like_abana]

rough ridin' boomers


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[ben ji]

https://www.agriculture.com/news/business/corn-belt-farmland-leaps-22-in-value-federal-reserve-bank-reports

“In a normal year, 80% of the farms I sell are to adjoining landowners and farmers, and 20% are investors or 1031 Exchange,” he says. “Now, it’s about 60% farmers and adjoining landowners, and 40% investors and 1031 Exchange.”

[KST8FAN]

farming_cat

What's the update from your operation?  What keeps you busy during the winter before spring planting?

Tom

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[Katpappy]

Gees-us eff, you really don't know what farmers do in the winter?  True farmers fix all the crap that broke down during growing and harvest season.  Also, go to the local bar and drink beer, play cards, or billiards and bitch about how f-ing ruff it is farming with high prices of seeds, fertilizer, and equipment.  Ranchers are a completely different story; just ask SD about what his old man does.

[Institutional Control]

Farmers go to Indian casinos in the winter.


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[farming_cat fan]

farming_cat

What's the update from your operation?  What keeps you busy during the winter before spring planting?

Tom

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We plant almost 100% of our acres to cover crops or wheat, so that takes a little time after harvest. We like to put most of our P(phosphorous) and K(potassium) on in the fall before the ground freezes. Pastures and hay ground get all of their fertilizer in the fall. Wheat gets a little bit of N(nitrogen) in the fall and all of it's P and K. The old man has cattle so they keep him busy as they are calving now. I have a job in town to keep me busy. We have some equipment that gets worked on. The next few weeks we'll be getting the planter ready. I'm in the process of building a shop at my place, so that's been taking my time as I finish the little things like electrical and heat. Of course we also find time for a few drinks with friends and fellow farmers on weekends. We hit up a farm show or two. Actually it's looking like I'll head to Louisville this week for the National Farm Machinery Show.

[Sandstone Outcropping]

farming_cat

What's the update from your operation?  What keeps you busy during the winter before spring planting?

Tom

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We plant almost 100% of our acres to cover crops or wheat, so that takes a little time after harvest. We like to put most of our P(phosphorous) and K(potassium) on in the fall before the ground freezes. Pastures and hay ground get all of their fertilizer in the fall. Wheat gets a little bit of N(nitrogen) in the fall and all of it's P and K. The old man has cattle so they keep him busy as they are calving now. I have a job in town to keep me busy. We have some equipment that gets worked on. The next few weeks we'll be getting the planter ready. I'm in the process of building a shop at my place, so that's been taking my time as I finish the little things like electrical and heat. Of course we also find time for a few drinks with friends and fellow farmers on weekends. We hit up a farm show or two. Actually it's looking like I'll head to Louisville this week for the National Farm Machinery Show.

How is your rain / moisture situation? There has been essentially zero precip in my part of KS since about 1/11/21.
edit: 11/1/21, good grief

[farming_cat fan]

How is your rain / moisture situation? There has been essentially zero precip in my part of KS since about 1/11/21.

We can definitely use a rain. We've been dry all winter, but are probably still sitting better than the rest of the state. So I won't complain too much.

[Sandstone Outcropping]

How is your rain / moisture situation? There has been essentially zero precip in my part of KS since about 1/11/21.

We can definitely use a rain. We've been dry all winter, but are probably still sitting better than the rest of the state. So I won't complain too much.

[KST8FAN]

farming_cat

What's the update from your operation?  What keeps you busy during the winter before spring planting?

Tom

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We plant almost 100% of our acres to cover crops or wheat, so that takes a little time after harvest. We like to put most of our P(phosphorous) and K(potassium) on in the fall before the ground freezes. Pastures and hay ground get all of their fertilizer in the fall. Wheat gets a little bit of N(nitrogen) in the fall and all of it's P and K. The old man has cattle so they keep him busy as they are calving now. I have a job in town to keep me busy. We have some equipment that gets worked on. The next few weeks we'll be getting the planter ready. I'm in the process of building a shop at my place, so that's been taking my time as I finish the little things like electrical and heat. Of course we also find time for a few drinks with friends and fellow farmers on weekends. We hit up a farm show or two. Actually it's looking like I'll head to Louisville this week for the National Farm Machinery Show.

That's a full fall and winter.  The cover crop process fascinates me.  If not wheat then what do you plant?
 https://westernfarmshow.com/

Usually hit the farmshow here in KC. Look at stuff I will never  buy.
 

Tom

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[farming_cat fan]

Following the 2021 wheat I've got a mixture of barley, red clover, winter peas, and hairy vetch currently growing where I'll plant corn this spring. The thoughts there is for some legumes to fix some nitrogen and hopefully reduce input prices since fertilizer has gone through the roof. I'm unsure of how I will terminate this cover. I've thought about spraying Clethodim before planting corn. This will kill just the barley and allow the legumes to continue to grow and fix nitrogen. Ahead of my soybeans I've got cereal rye. Rye will increase soil organic matter and prevent erosion.

Behind the old man's wheat, he plants a little different mixture that's catered to his cattle as he rotational grazes it after he pulls the cattle off of pasture. I can never remember what all is in it as he changes it every year. He also plants rye and grazes it before planting soybeans into it. I've been planting soybeans and had to wait for his cattle to get out of my way. I only have rented ground and no cattle. Landlord is a deer hunter and doesn't want my dad to run his cattle on it. The old man even offered to pay for 100% of the cover crop seed if he could graze it. My landlord declined and therefore I got stuck with paying for half.

[ben ji]

Good stuff farming cat, always enjoy learning more. I'm wondering if cover crops have the same benefits out on western KS where there isn't as much moisture. Still beneficial? Would it steal the moisture your summer crops need?

I can't think of any places around the cat ranch that grow cover crops besides planting wheat directly after a the corn is harvested (but then they still harvest the wheat).

Usually it's just a barren wasteland of corn/Milo/wheat stubble in the field.

[farming_cat fan]

Good stuff farming cat, always enjoy learning more. I'm wondering if cover crops have the same benefits out on western KS where there isn't as much moisture. Still beneficial? Would it steal the moisture your summer crops need?

I can't think of any places around the cat ranch that grow cover crops besides planting wheat directly after a the corn is harvested (but then they still harvest the wheat).

Usually it's just a barren wasteland of corn/Milo/wheat stubble in the field.

I'm unsure if covers would be beneficial in western, KS. I would imagine that they could be and the hardcore cover croppers will tell you that they absolutely would be beneficial. However, I would imagine that profit margins are somewhat narrow out there, therefore they might not want to take the risk of planting covers. The barley mix I planted cost approximately $50/acre. Rye closer to $15/acre. Cover crops are supposed to increase the water holding capacity of the soil and if they do aid with that, there is a possible benefit. I would say there is definitely valid concern with covers stealing moisture. I know termination timing is somewhat critical for us and would probably be even more critical out west if they are looking dry before spring planting. One year we terminated the cover a couple of weeks before we wanted to plant. Ended up getting some rain and the cover basically turned into a mulch and kept the soil too wet for planting for quite some time. We now like to "plant green" into standing, fully alive cover and terminate after planting.

[KST8FAN]

Feb 1974.  Tom and Tom sister on sleds (wood with metal rails) hooked with a lariat to the back of the feed wagon. Dad pulling us around the brome field after one of the big snows of our youth.


Tom

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[schreds21]

That is so awesome, Tom.