RicelandMeadows

Our very late planted corn on 9-4-11

September 4, 2011

 

     Our corn planted late this year at the end of June, continues to do very well. It is making ears and maturing quickly. If you go back in the blog a bit, you will see I posted about the corn on July 4th, August 4th and now today. I think we will be blessed with a nice crop … as long as the frost holds off awhile.

 

     I have heard tell you should never tell secrets in a corn field … too many ears! I know, corny huh 😮  Ok I quit, I’ll just leaf it there, he said in a husky voice!

 

     I will be getting the corn binder all ready to go soon. That old-fashioned piece of equipment works well. The horses pull it around the field while it cuts and ties the corn into bundles and drops them on the ground. I then have to set the bundles up into corn shocks. The ears and plant dry down to be fed later this winter to the cows and sheep.

 

     The small old corn picker will also be gotten ready for its journey into the corn field. I plan to try picking with the powercart, horses and my old picker. The soil is too wet now to do anything, so hopefully it will dry out some before the harvest. If the rains continue, the horses will pull an empty wagon and I will pick the ears by hand. Its slow but steady work, a method that is tried and true.

 

     The corn cribs are ready to store the corn although I could build a door on each end if time permits. The doors would be nicer than the slats that I nail on each year. The slats are functional but do make a little extra work.

 

     I have two gravity wagons to use this year. The wagons are slanted bins on wheels with a door on the bottom. Once filled the wagons unload by gravity making an easy job of emptying the wagon.

 

     I still have some hay to make, speltz and hay to plant, but I am dreaming of the corn harvest, but … if you want to share stories… I’m all ears 😮