# Mother Nature screwing the farmers in my area.



## alleyyooper (Jul 6, 2007)

Possiably 2 million dollars sat in the field a couple three hundred feet down the road from me from the thursday evening before Memorial day week end. For a total of 9 days, thought they had given up and went back to home base when they left as they had not planted the field next door where thr single tractor was parked.

I was told the two tractors with the diggers hooked up cost 400,00 to 500,00 alone. Then there are the two with the twin saddle tanks and the huge planters not going to guess the cost of the tractors or the planters which are 20 row models.
They were back Sunday morning when I went out and the field where the single had been worked up, but raining when I returned near noon, so again they were parked. the Field didn't show tracks like it had been planted. 
We got near an inch of rain Sunday afternoon till near noon today Monday.

I would hate to be a farmer this year, they will probably starve to death this winter and sure won't be able to make the lease payments on the Equipment.

By the way the pictures only show one third of the equipent that were working the field behind them Thursday be fore Memorial day. 
Kare went out this morning and said there is a fifth tractor hooked to a big planter parked there today.

More rain in the forecast for WED, Thur, and Friday with some scattered showers Saturday and Sunday.

Some corn did get planted and came up during the clear days Friday and Saturday only to be under water in many places today.

 Al


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

Don't see any pictures.


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## alleyyooper (Jul 6, 2007)

OH CHIT, ANOTHER ELDER MOMENT!!!!!!!!!





 Al


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## Sasha and Abby (May 11, 2004)

Wow... From April 25 to June 1, we got less than an inch of rain. A few sprinkles since then and then 7 inches here in the last 4 days. Our guys have good corn now... a week ago it looked bad.


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## alleyyooper (Jul 6, 2007)

We never had two days in a row with out rain from March 26 thru the 28 till June 5th and 6th.

The question wasn't will it rain today but what time will it rain today.

 Al


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## speckline (Dec 13, 2008)

Same problem here in Florence, WI area. A lot of wet fields with sheet water still present. We had a good run of 5 days with temps in 80s and dry but we're predicted to get another inch of rain Wednesday. That will put them back again. The farmers are running out of time!


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## dakotashooter2 (Oct 31, 2003)

Farming is a high risk business ...always has been. If you don't treat it as such you will fail. You save in the good years to cover the bad.....at least that's how they used to do it. You bought new equipment when the old was plumb wore out. Now, not so much. If the farmers of today had to farm 60-70 years ago most wouldn't have made it 2 years. But not to worry...The Govt will bail them out.


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## 6162rk (Dec 5, 2004)

spot on dakota


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

Sixteen billion in taxpayer dollars for the farmers. In the past we were all happy to help. Now after the backstabbing posted law that nearly passed one has to ponder helping. No one else gets these bail outs. Respect needs to be mutual.


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

dakotashooter2 said:


> Farming is a high risk business ...always has been. If you don't treat it as such you will fail. You save in the good years to cover the bad.....at least that's how they used to do it. You bought new equipment when the old was plumb wore out. Now, not so much. If the farmers of today had to farm 60-70 years ago most wouldn't have made it 2 years. But not to worry...The Govt will bail them out.


Farming has changed a lot in 60-70 years. Fertilizer, chemicals, farming practices crops basically everything. I'm not saying that what the farmers are dealing with no isn't self inflicted, but you cannot compare it.


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## dakotashooter2 (Oct 31, 2003)

I personally think much of the land is being pushed way beyond its capability and at some point may suffer some long term damage that no amount of fertilizer or supplement will compensate for. We have no idea what the long term effects of artificially proping up productivity may be. Actually topsoil loss may be one of those effects. Topsoil is being lost or maybe used up faster than it can be replentished. It can take up to 500 years to replentished an inch of topsoil. They claim that in ND we have lost 18inches in the last 60 years and only have (on average) 18 inches left.


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

Wetlands are a good indicator of past land abuse. Many plant species habe been introduced from other continents and by looking for their pollen in the sediments and knowing the year they appeared in North Dakota you have solid evidence of erosion dilation since that period of time.
I believe it was around 1908 that lambsquarter (Chenopodium album) was first fondvin North Dakota. I habe taken four inch cores eight feet deep from the bottom of wetlands. Since the glaciers formed these wetlands 90 percent of the silt occurred after lambsquarter introduction. For thousands of years only inches of sediments habe formed in wetlands, but six feet and more has been deposited since 1908.

The other problem is the large alkaline flats that get larger every year in fields. When wetlands are drained the hydrology of the area changed. Water evaporating at the surface leaves minerals behind. Minerals in agricuktural chemicals that are non usable to crops are also left behind. That's the reason for the big push for tile. Tile will flush the land, but destroy rivers and lakes. Some agriculture practices will destroy what farmers have, but then they will want to pass it along and destroy what other people have. Not all ag practices are bad, but some are, and they may get away with them for a while, but sooner or later we all pay the piper.
I don't think we should destroy our own country to feed China. Who feeds us when we have destroyed the productivity of this country?


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

dakotashooter2 said:



> I personally think much of the land is being pushed way beyond its capability and at some point may suffer some long term damage that no amount of fertilizer or supplement will compensate for. We have no idea what the long term effects of artificially proping up productivity may be. Actually topsoil loss may be one of those effects. Topsoil is being lost or maybe used up faster than it can be replentished. It can take up to 500 years to replentished an inch of topsoil. They claim that in ND we have lost 18inches in the last 60 years and only have (on average) 18 inches left.


That's a big debate. What is soil health and how much can you push it. Soil, pH, CECs, soil type all go into those factors. High salt fertilizers(0-0-60), or fertilizers like 10-34 that have arsenic and cadmium in it are also not good. Topsoil loss is what scares me the most. Not enough farmers are doing no till or minimum till and way too many people are do recreational tillage.

Topsoil rebuilding can actually happen faster with the new and exciting research of cover crops and no till, but cover crops are a very tough sell in ND due to the growing season.


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

Plainsman said:


> Wetlands are a good indicator of past land abuse. Many plant species habe been introduced from other continents and by looking for their pollen in the sediments and knowing the year they appeared in North Dakota you have solid evidence of erosion dilation since that period of time.
> I believe it was around 1908 that lambsquarter (Chenopodium album) was first fondvin North Dakota. I habe taken four inch cores eight feet deep from the bottom of wetlands. Since the glaciers formed these wetlands 90 percent of the silt occurred after lambsquarter introduction. For thousands of years only inches of sediments habe formed in wetlands, but six feet and more has been deposited since 1908.
> 
> The other problem is the large alkaline flats that get larger every year in fields. When wetlands are drained the hydrology of the area changed. Water evaporating at the surface leaves minerals behind. Minerals in agricuktural chemicals that are non usable to crops are also left behind. That's the reason for the big push for tile. Tile will flush the land, but destroy rivers and lakes. Some agriculture practices will destroy what farmers have, but then they will want to pass it along and destroy what other people have. Not all ag practices are bad, but some are, and they may get away with them for a while, but sooner or later we all pay the piper.
> I don't think we should destroy our own country to feed China. Who feeds us when we have destroyed the productivity of this country?


Alkaline spots in fields area here are from the C horizon and come up with water and go down with water and management on those areas needs to be changed. CRP would help and there are some crops like certain varieties of alfalfa and some grasses can tolerate them. Kochia and foxtail barely also thrive in them.


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## southdakbearfan (Oct 11, 2004)

Way too much land got broke up around me. 8 dollar corn was the cause which was very short term, but I understand it as the payment for CRP was bad at the time.

Also, nobody is watching drain tiling in SD. I have talked with numerous installers and they love south dakota. They will flat out tell you that they are installing tile straight through wetlands and laugh about it, but it's one of those laughs where they just can't believe what we are allowing to happen.

Everything MN did to ruin their waterfowl hunting, upland game hunting and water quality decades ago that they are still trying to undo is what we are doing now in the dakotas.


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## Chuck Smith (Feb 22, 2005)

> Everything MN did to ruin their waterfowl hunting, upland game hunting and water quality decades ago that they are still trying to undo is what we are doing now in the dakotas.


EXACTLY.... great quote and thoughts on this subject.

Again I don't blame farmers for wanting to make a living and getting paid. But look what happened in MN with their old tiling (newer tiling is different with shut offs and what not)&#8230;. but it is something to look out for in your guys neck of the woods.


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