160 down-540 to go

[Dave from MN]

Starting to dry out at my friends place, I got 160 acres tilled and ready to plant, only another 540 to go. Got stuck yesterday, Rarely do i get stuck with front assist and duals, but it isnt gonna dry out till it gets worked up a bit. Pretty sunburned today on the face, I look kinda funny today. Gotta stop my wheels from turning for today because I have to restock my steer feed and hay for the cows schedule Gopher one call to clear me for drilling post holes. Do not wanna hit a power line or anything. My oats are coming in nice and thick, the rye is looking phenominal, corn should be outa the ground by tommorow, beans, well, I bam just waiting and praying they are thick enough and germinated, they havent had a decent soaker yet. How are the rest of ya all doing today?

 

[IaGary]

Corn done, beans started with 325 acres to go.

May 5th and 6th planted corn is up but slow to get there. TO DARN COLD.

Come run the field cultivator for me will ya Dave.

Gary

 

[fregienewbee]

Around here (Southern Michigan) corn is up about 2-3". We don't plant near as much as you western guys do. Don't know about beans.

I planted sweet corn and green beans in the garden last night. Hope we get some rain.

Larry in Michigan

 

[billonthefarm]

Things here in cen. IL are drying out again and I would expect some guys back in the field later today. The corn is mostly planted and alot of beans are in. A couple of three days would get everybody finished up. I am hoping to run tomorrow and finish. They are calling for rain on friday. What has been a pleasant suprise has been the fact that as wet and cold as it has been I have been happy with the condition of every field I have planted. Being patient and making good decisions worked out this spring. That being said, the beans are coming up but have been exposed to some temps in the low 40's and that may not be ideal. Time will tell.
bill

 

[Rauville]

The neighbors across the road got started yesterday. Got a good chunk of 300 acres put in.

 

[teddy52food]

Frosty in central Mn. this AM.

 

[Anonymous-0]

After being here so long, it's hard to even imagine when you folks talk about a field being more than a couple of acres. If you go on Google maps and punch in Kutzberg (or Kutzberg Germany) you can see what things are like in my area. Places (parcels) get a little bigger East and North some. A big piece might be 8-10 acres. Hard to compare.

Dave

 

[Dave from MN]

say, where in central MN are you?

 

[Dave from MN]

If I could get a way from here a couple days I sure would..

 

[Anonymous-0]

Nice looking country Dave, but it is odd seeing the patchwork for different crops, etc.

My part of the U.S. it's rare to find a difficult to find a 40 acre or bigger field. But the ownership isn't as broken up -- a typical family dairy farm might own 200 acres, a mix of woods and fields. And today pretty much anyone still in business rents more land.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Brooklyn,+Connecticut&ie=UTF8&ll=41.798032,-71.931009&spn=0.024443,0.039997&t=h&z=15

Your area reminds me of Hatfield, MA -- Hatfield's one of the oldest towns in New England (founded 1670), and if you look on the south end of the town you see hundreds of long, narrow properties: http://www.townofhatfield.org/Economic%20Development/Hatfield_water&sewer.pdf

Those are in rich river bottom lands -- knowing how towns were established back then, settlers originally would get a homestead in the village center (Maple & Main Streets on the map -- the "center" being the best place near good farm land), and later on the "Proprietors" would divide the common lands further. That division usually involved a formula that those with the most resources (wealthiest) got the most land since they could work it, but also the land was evaluated as to how productive it was. Say Farmer A and Farmer B where both to get 10 acres of typical land, Farmer A might get 10 acres of typical land, but Farmer B might get 12 acres of land that was judged not quite as nice as what was given to Farmer A.

Later on as they moved away from the village centers it became common just to sell large parcels -- often thousands of acres -- at once to a wealthy purchaser. That purchaser would then sub-divide and sell parcels of several hundred acres to settlers.

 

[Goose]

Recruit your wife. That's what I used to do.

She'd work the ground ahead of me and I'd follow with the planter.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Probably what happened here (or close to it) kutzberg was started around 800 years ago.

Dave

 

[teddy52food]

Between Freeport and Grey Eagle.