3 years in a row is starting to get old

[BAR_R]

Burlington, IA is 16 miles south of us and we made the US drought map summary http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/for the wettest spring (+7.0") and the driest summer (-8.0" and counting) since 1898.

What stated so well has now is ending in misery. This is Iowa for goodness sake. Corn too dry to chop, pastures dead, starting on winter hay already. Looks like another downsizing year. Funny thing is 3 months ago everyone said I had too few cows for the pastures I have. I am sad to say I am glad I did not buy up like everyone told me to do.

 

[bigbull338]

weve been in droughts off an on for 13yrs.but thankfully we always seem to get enough hay to make it through.but i always try to know where i can get hay if needed.

 

[dun]

Burlington is where my daughter and her family live.
We're in the samer boat rain wise. 15 inches from the 1st to the 11th of august, not a drop since and none in sight for at least the next 2 weeks

 

[BAR_R]

Burlington is where my daughter and her family live.
We're in the samer boat rain wise. 15 inches from the 1st to the 11th of august, not a drop since and none in sight for at least the next 2 weeks

I'm from SW MO originally. So when you talk about pastures down there I completely understand. I thought when I moved up here (2005) I would leave all those problems behind...

 

[inyati13]

Not good the direction the distribution of precipitation is headed in the heartland. I hate to see this going down. Bad news for the whole country!!

 

[cowboy43]

We have been going through this since 1996 and it is getting old, feed stores and any ag. related business is hurting, lot of ranchers have sold out with no plans to get back into business, It seems to be no way to prepare for prolonged drought like you can for short term drought. Bermuda fields made one cutting averaging one bale to the acre this year. Large 100 year old trees are dying out, this will have a lasting effect on nature and landowners, local water supplies are drying up.

 

[houstoncutter]

We have been going through this since 1996 and it is getting old, feed stores and any ag. related business is hurting, lot of ranchers have sold out with no plans to get back into business, It seems to be no way to prepare for prolonged drought like you can for short term drought. Bermuda fields made one cutting averaging one bale to the acre this year. Large 100 year old trees are dying out, this will have a lasting effect on nature and landowners, local water supplies are drying up.

The state of Texas is probably in worst shape than just about any state in the union, when it comes to water. Land grant colleges pushed the agenda of growing more grass other than natives plants that have been here since the beginning. It is now biting us in the rump. Those natives that we have lost could survive and thrive. They fed huge herds of buffalo.

Ive heard it said that we were grass farmers, first, not cattlemen . I think really we are range managers first. I dont know if the natives plants can make a comeback in some areas as the introduced plants are too invasive, but on my pastures Im working on it with limited plantings. Its a real battle against the bahai. I have the luxury of not having any cattle at present, so I can try this method.

 

[herefordlover]

I am about 70 miles south west of burlingon but were not as bad off as up there bit close

 

[novatech]

The state of Texas is probably in worst shape than just about any state in the union, when it comes to water. Land grant colleges pushed the agenda of growing more grass other than natives plants that have been here since the beginning. It is now biting us in the rump. Those natives that we have lost could survive and thrive. They fed huge herds of buffalo.

Ive heard it said that we were grass farmers, first, not cattlemen . I think really we are range managers first. I dont know if the natives plants can make a comeback in some areas as the introduced plants are too invasive, but on my pastures Im working on it with limited plantings. Its a real battle against the bahai. I have the luxury of not having any cattle at present, so I can try this method.

The native bluestem here is hurting but surviving. The Tifton 85 is surviving, but has very little growth. I will be lucky to get my fertilizer money back.
A few years back I planted WW B Dahl Bluestem. I reasoned that it was as close as I could get to the native yet produce better. It does produce with very little rain, much better than the native.

 

[houstoncutter]

Nova, I would love to try the Dahl, but in a normal year it's too wet in my pastures. Any other ideas, I still have the different types of bluesteams growing

 

[greybeard]

HC, you get any of that stuff yesterday?
Dropped about 1" 1-1/2" on me with hail, lightning and strong winds. I spent all day sawing and splicing. Lawd I hate trees!
Pond's running over the spill pipe tho.

 

[houstoncutter]

no Greybeard it all stayed up your way its been about a month since we got any rain to measure.

 

[Caustic Burno]

no Greybeard it all stayed up your way its been about a month since we got any rain to measure.

Not a drop over here the dirt dobber's have taken up residence in the rain gauge.
We don't call them mud dobber's in this neck of the wood's anymore as there is no mud.