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What a roller coaster of a year it has been for growing grass or crops here on my farm. First it wouldn't rain, but just in the nick of time, we got much needed moisture. My corn skipped when it planted. At first I was ticked, but now the corn that grew, made up for what was left in the planter. The stalks are tall and thick with 2 big ears on almost every stalk. My pastures were getting very short, but the grass took off like it's spring when the rains came. My long list of stuff to do has been made a little easier thanks to the grass feeding the cows, horses and sow herd. Hope the rest of you porchers are having some similar successes.

Kate V says 2016-10-08 20:30:37 (CST)



Looks nice and green. Happy horses.


7 years ago via Forums | Front Porch Forum

Klaus Karbaumer says 2016-10-09 10:40:36 (CST)



Yes, Ralph, this year has brought green pastures here in Missouri, too, when in previous years everything was yellow or brown. We got over 14 inches of rain more than normal, which was good for some crops, not for others, especially those which couldn't get planted at all or were washed out with the torrential downpours we had so often.
And I suppose that's just the beginning of the effects of climate change.


7 years ago via Forums | Front Porch Forum

Ralph in N.E.Oh says 2016-10-10 15:21:10 (CST)



Kate, yes...I fill them up with hay before turning them into that fresh tender grass.

Klaus, I fear you may be right with your climate change predictions. It sure makes us farmers need for a "Plan B" more important than ever.

I will say that for us in Northeast Ohio, we are experiencing a fairly normal autumn. Frost is forecast for us tonight. Last night's low was 36 F. My corn is drying fast for picking. Most all of the silos have already been filled around here.


7 years ago via Forums | Front Porch Forum

Billy Foster says 2016-10-11 11:58:07 (CST)



Looks like you have white clover in that sward. Do your horses get the slobbers this time of year, mine do? I don’t worry about it much except times like this weekend when I was trimming feet and one of them emptied their lower lip right on my neck. Had to laugh at that, nobody watching but I could just hear the kids cracking up in my mind.
We have been in a drought all summer up here in Maine, grass growth has been super slow. The pastures that would carry 20 ewes with lambs most years are barely supporting 6 ewes with lambs this year. Almost no one has had a second cutting of hay. The good news is the corn did great! The horses have been off pasture for a good part of the summer and been eating corn stalks for months now. I had the opposite problem as you Ralph concerning spacing, I planted to close and had some lodging. The lodged corn still fed out just fine with no refusal of any of the smaller stalk. Mostly though we had thick stalks with nice big ears. Corn is an amazing plant; I can understand why planting it has been abused so much.
Have an enjoyable fall
Billy


7 years ago via Forums | Front Porch Forum


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