This week‘s farming update from Ben

Finally turned some heat on.

I used the seat warmer in the car and the heated steering wheel, too. (The greatest invention ever!)
Daughter and I put the back on the chicken coop.
Took off an outside faucet and picked up a few odds and ends to move into the heated shop. Tested the heat in the shop.

Friday night it’s 23°F already. Brr.

Daughter did a presentation at her program. A Life Skills speech called, depending on her mood either “PICK UP YOUR DANG GARBAGE!” or “How to Clean up”. She’s very good at picking up our garbage. Let’s not talk about her own room. Staff said she did a real good job and made it fun.

Daughter has some very specific rules and she expects everyone to follow them. The other night I was going to bed and I said to her, ‘Love you’. She said “Love you”. I went to bed and she came to the bedroom to chastise me because I didn’t reply. I explained I said it to her first, so she was responding to ME and therefore I didn’t need to respond to her. That’s not how it works in her head. I said “I love you too” and then she was happy. Sometime I like to argue the point. Sometimes it’s not worth it. But when is ever NOT saying I love you worth it?

I Finished working on the chisel plow. Some new teeth, the Buster bar Points, and changed a tire.

I hauled in some scrap metal, delivered a wagon load of Straw to the local strawberry farm. And delivering some straw for goats on Sunday.

I placed a Neon “CLOSED” sign in the shop.

There’s a long history to this sign. It was in front of a bank on Broadway in Rochester back in the 1980’s. The Rep theater moved in next door, the bank closed, and an insurance company took over the building. When they remodeled and took the OPEN / CLOSED signs down, I asked if I could have them for the theater. One sign was broken, but I got this one. We hung it in the lobby over concessions. Eventually the Rep moved from that space and I took the sign with me. It was used in several plays. 

It’s darn heavy because of the two transformers inside. I was hanging it for a show, and accidently leaned into it and broke the glass ‘OPEN’. Well Damn. I was kinda bummed. But it had a long run. I tried to decide do I keep or throw. Padawan and I re-wired it to CLOSED and now it’s in my shop. For safety, It’s on a switched outlet so it goes off when I turn the lights off. 

I got half my corn out yesterday, Friday.

I don’t have final numbers yet, but moisture is about 16% which means it only needs to dry one point for long-term storage. So that won’t cost too much. I’ve put a few thousand bushels in storage for when I need that financial bump in March, and sold the rest to pay off the fall bills. Test weight was good, that’s how much corn it takes to make a bushel, 56 pounds is the standard. That’s roughly 90,000 kernels.

I ordered diesel fuel finally. 550 gallons at $5.00/ gallon. Added 75 gallons to the tractor.

I was very happy to get out in the tractor and do some tillage.

Slight bit of urgency to this as I will be having foot surgery on the 20th.

Nothing major, just a couple bone spurs. (I always feel icky when saying I have bone spurs. Please don’t lump me in with what’s his name).

I GOT NOTHING.

TALK AMONGST YOURSELVES.