Warming Up

The next ten days is mostly high 80's and low 90's. My little cotton seedlings are happy and growing.

I want to explain lest you think, after last week's post, that all I want to do is spray weeds. Below is a picture of  what we have been doing this past week.

That is a mechanical cultivator that cuts out all the weeds, except in the seed row.
   You can see those disc blades are kicking up some dirt. In the old days we could only run about two miles per hour. With the GPS steering we can run over five miles an hour. That may sound slow for you car drivers, but believe me that is moving when you are on a tractor.
   When GPS steering came out they said we could save 35% of our fuel bill. I was skeptical. How could going straighter save that much fuel? Well, when you can go straighter and faster you can save a lot of fuel. Ruben accomplished in four and a half days what would have normally taken ten or eleven days. Now that is progress!


Here's something you might not have seen before-

That's what young grapes look like.
    The dogs take me for a walk every morning. [They are rather insistent about this.]  Part of our walk is between some vineyards. It has been a joy watching these vineyards wake up in the last month. They bunches are forming now and will start filling up now.

I know that everything isn't about politics, but I thought I would share another radio piece from the last month.

I Wish Every Politician Knew What Every Farmer Already Knows

By Paul H. Betancourt

Copyright April 2012

                I wish every politician knew what every farmer already knows.

            For starters, it’s easier to get into debt than it is to get out of debt. That why farmers are careful about every expense. We are not just cheap, we just like being out of debt all the time.

            Second, Reality is a hard taskmaster. Farmers don’t succeed through wishful thinking or the latest theory. Farming is hard enough when we work hard, work smart and use all the experience we have earned the hard way. Feel good theories just make you go broke--- faster.

            Thirdly, successful farmers balance self-reliance and community. I can’t do everything on my own- so, I need community. I can’t always wait for the community- so, I learn to take care of myself. We are stronger, as a country, when we are a community of self-reliant producers than what Ayn Rand called “looters and moochers.”

            Finally, sooner or later you have to produce something- other than paperwork. Wealth is created by producing products or providing services. We are getting less and less of either from our government.

I sure wish every politician knew what every farmer already knows.

Here is the audio link-
http://www.940kyno.com/mp3_files/FARM/04-30-12_I%20wish%20every%20politician%20knew%20what%20every%20farmer%20already%20knows.mp3

Hope Y'all have a great week!

P