Farming

I'm tuckered out tonight but Chris did all the heavy labor.

Love Bermuda hay

Needed a rest?

Wanna be/

We talked with Jeff for a long time after loading hay. I could talk with them for hours.  His two teen boys were there.  The oldest has no interest at all in the farming life.  The younger is very involved in FFA and 4H.  He has shown cattle for a couple of years and now has a pig to show.  Although he hasn't really started that project yet.

We talked of hay and prices of many farming needs. Input and how important to watch.  The corn market.  Price of tires.  Fertilizer and soy bean and corn-cracked and un-cracked and the effects on cattle.

Talked turn to wild hogs and what a problem they are.  There are two wallering holes at the back of one of his soy bean fields.  The pigs have almost ruined his soy beans.

Also discussed opossum, raccoon, left over MM&M's from Cleveland, and coyotes and groundhogs.

We talked of cattle and the news things which are being tried to produce a better quality meat.  

Then talk turned to Benton's Ham, the aging of pork and the success Alan has had.  Best ham and bacon around!

The youngest son heard Chris say he ate a salad for lunch.  Jeff told his son to tell Chris what he thought about salad.  He said people shouldn't eat lettuce and went into many reasons why.  Including the fact that we aren't a rudimentary cow.  They can digest grass.  We can't.

Talk turned to raising and producing better quality beef which was very interesting type of science project it seems.  The slaughter house is specially selected in Crossville which has a three month wait period because of demand, to have cattle slaughter.  Jeff has three going and he will tell us if the beef is really that much better.  Whitie our neighbor dairyman swears it has changed his beet and he had forgotten what real meat tasted like until now.

I could have stood and talked farming for hours and hours and hours.  I think we did for two and I've forgotten most we discussed.  When I remember I'll come back and add.  

Back home fence mending time and then feeding.

Headed to lake for some

fun after a long hard day of farm

chores.

New dry suit for cold weather

riding. I laughed at first but

it worked great.

Gorgeous evening in Corntassel!!