Wednesday, September 7, 2016

September Fields

There's a brief pause in the farming year just now, as farmers catch their breath after the grain harvest.  Some are still getting the bales of straw off the fields.  But there's forage being cut, and the soybeans are looking very yellow.  The corn is growing, if slowly, but will wait quite a while yet.

This is a field of forage they're just starting to cut, probably alfalfa or clover mostly.  It's like a second cut of hay; the late spring cut is mostly grass, but the second cut in early fall is the underlying legume, usually stored as silage rather than in bales.

The soybeans are looking very yellow, and I wouldn't be surprised to see them start harvesting soon.  This is an oilseed crop that is widely used in animal feed.

Just a week ago there was a lot more green in the soybean fields.

 And the corn crop just keeps on growing, though I'm sure with our very dry summer it hasn't grown as fast or as tall as usual.

The corn cobs will be smaller, as will the soybean yield.  Not a disaster, but certainly a lower yield than normal this year.

We got up the Bruce Peninsula to bring home our camper trailer today, which we are now going to sell in favour of our new little camper van.  A clean-up and clean-out job needed before we sell it.  On the way we chatted about where we'll go for our first trips - probably a first shake-down cruise to get used to all the systems not too far away, later in September.  I did get the new van registered and got the license plates on, so we can actually take it for a drive.  But tomorrow we are heading to Ottawa for the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial service.  We were heartbroken to hear that 12 families are being recognized for lost firefighters in 2015.  I bid you adieu until next Tuesday.

14 comments:

  1. I was taking pictures of the yellow fields near me. I could see the seed pods but did not know what the were. Now thanks to you Furry I know they are soybeans. They turn the fields into such a beautiful golden colour.

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  2. Glad there is still some land for our food!

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  3. I drink soymilk and love soy in all forms, so I'm glad it's done so well in your part of the world. I am sad too that there are so many fallen firefighters. Blessings to them and to you.

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  4. Lovely fields. I am planning on getting up to the Memorial service, assuming it's open to the public.

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  5. Love the color of the soybean field! And also those neat rows of corn stalks. Safe travels to Ottawa.

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  6. Soybeans starting to turn yellow by us too.
    Save travels to the memorial service.

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  7. pretty captures!! i am impressed with your knowledge of farms!!!

    have a safe trip my friend, may you find peace during your visit!!

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  8. It's been so dry down here that some corn is less than a foot tall and is being plowed under already. In those fields the soil is like dust - 94 degrees F yesterday and less than 0.1 inch of rain in the last two weeks. Sorry about the archaic units, we're behind the times in the U.S.

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  9. It has been dry.
    Wonderful you are attending the memorial. I read about it.
    (ツ) from Cottage Country Ontario , ON, Canada!

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  10. Nice photos, great golden tones! My dream vehicle is a self-driving RV, just a small one.

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  11. The greatest threat to ground-nesting birds is the earlier and more frequent cuts of hay. I guess concern for profit is far more important than even a slight consideration of the wildlife that inhabit the farm. The decline in numbers of Eastern Meadowlark, Bobolink, Upland Sandpiper, Grasshopper Sparrows, Vesper Sparrows etc. is becoming nothing short of catastrophic. Add to the frequent cuts the continued use of noxious chemicals and the future is very bleak indeed for these birds. When did we take it upon ourselves to knowingly imperil other species? Human arrogance knows no bounds.

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  12. I'm getting a bit of an education on what's growing in the fields. The farms of my childhood grew mostly wheat, hay, corn and potatoes. I don't think anyone around us grew soy beans. I love driving past corn fields and seeing those perfect rows (I'm glad most farmers plant the rows perpendicular to the road!).

    It will be a bittersweet time at the firefighters memorial. That's a lot of fallen firefighters to add for only one year. Very sad, but I hope the memorial helps the families. Safe journey.
    Wendy

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  13. All the best to you folks while in Ottawa.

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