Never a good time

[Jogeephus]

An old man once told me there was never a good time to be in agriculture. It is either too dry, too wet, too hot, too cold and the prices for commodities are always higher for what you don't have than what you do. Don't misunderstand me, he wasn't knocking the life just saying you will have more failures than successes because there are just so many things that are out of your control so you might as well grow some thick skin.

After this week I understand exactly what he was talking about. We have had plenty of rain and the rain has interfered with most everything I do but it finally began to dry some and I had more irons on the fire than a person should have to deal with but that's just the way it is and is probably why they invented the sixteen hour work day. You have to work around the weather and you are on its schedule and not yours. With the weather forecasters predicting no rain till Sunday I put sixty acres of hay on the ground. At 97F it was drying nicely, the color beautiful and the yield great. I went by the New Holland place to buy baling twine only to learn they have lost their contract and no longer sell string. They can sell a baler but not the twine. Typical of agriculture I think. I bought all they had. I figured the hay would be dry by tomorrow morning but that was before it rained = just like the meteorologist said it wouldn't.

Some may recall I made a promise after our last drought to never complain about rain again so I'm not complaining. I am deeply sorry though but I did learn the old man was right - its never a good time.

 

[cow pollinater]

Right now if I had some rained on hay a swear I'd spread it on the ground and let my dirt suck the moisture out.

 

[Jogeephus]

I understand that all too well. That is why I am not going to complain. I'd rather have the moisture than the alternative. Its just frustrating when you base your decisions on the best information you have and it rarely ever pans out the way you plan it. This is why I don't sharpen my pencil too sharp with this stuff. It is what it is and there isn't anything we can do about it.

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

That's the way of it, what would give one pleasure will give another pain.

 

[greybeard]

That's the way of it, what would give one pleasure will give another pain.

Sounds kinky--you been reading too much Isomade

 

[regolith]

Whatever your business needs, it seems like it only needs to arrive slightly in excess or at the wrong time to impact negatively elsewhere...
That's life.

A few months ago my business needed rain. I think at the end of June we will have had rain every single day this month... and by the beginning of June we didn't need rain. I can be thankful that it's not so heavy that the cows are making mud, but it is so heavy I'm on enforced holiday.
The hay I made last year we snatched in between downpours, weather closed in a day earlier than expected so we baled it damp.
It's okay hay. I won't be saving any to feed to calves this year, not good enough. I'd rather have got it when we did than left it standing another two weeks for the next fine break. As long as you keep coming out slightly ahead, it's all part of the fun.

 

[Jogeephus]

You're all right. I gotta admit I was pretty frustrated knowing the extra work this rain had caused so I went for a walk across one of the fields just to clear my head. I stopped and looked over my shoulder and viewed this wonderful double rainbow that stretched from ground to ground in the north and the south. Seeing this somehow made everything alright and I knew tomorrow would just be another day.

(Sorry for the quality of the photo. In person it was magnificent)

 

[Kingfisher]

Yea kind of like planting sunflower in the fly way last couple of years. Last two years no rain no sun flower. My neighbors look like hero this year and I'm a zero.....

 

[Jogeephus]

Another day another rain. Did finish. Last few bales are gonna be very heavy though. :bang:

 

[Ouachita]

I never have gotten a picture of a rainbow that did it justice. They are best suited for the minds eye

 

[cow pollinater]

I am just extremely thankful that when you guys had your drought that I was not only polite about it on here but it really hurt me to hear about it... I would hate to look back and think that maybe I had done this to myself. :lol:
I'm sure in a few years I'll get back to where I can bytch about rain... but not this year.

 

[Ouachita]

I keep a pretty accurate record of how much we get. We've had 18 inches in the most recent moon cycle. I'm pretty sure 53% of the population would happy with those numbers. The other 47% would be ecstatic

 

[Commercialfarmer]

Jo,
I believe the originator of that sentiment was recorded in a popular book. I prefer the old English version when reading the curses, just adds a little I think.

17And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

18Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;

19In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

 

[Jogeephus]

We sum that up as the "Curse of Eve". It was in full effect these last two days for sure.