Time to Irrigate the Cotton

   As I have mentioned before, timing the first irrigation is critical. Too early and the plants go to stalk  instead of bolls. Generally we want to be ready to irrigate June 1st, then we can wait until conditions are right.

Farming and Chess

By Paul H. Betancourt

Copyright May 2013

               I like chess. I’m not very good at it, but I like it. The best chess players are those who can think many moves ahead. Farming is like that.

            We live in a society that values living in the moment, and that is important. The problem is that if you only live in the moment, you are rarely prepared for the surprises that pop up. If you are only living in the moment everything becomes a fire drill. Life has enough challenges without everything being a fire drill.

            For example, we generally irrigate the cotton the first week of June. I got caught behind on our field work on time years ago. The weather turned hot. We had to pull out all the stops, work over time and we still had some cotton get a little scorched. Since then I start the month of May with a plan to have all our field work done before June 1st. That paid off this year when the cotton was ready to water a week ahead of normal. The fields were ready. We laid the pipe and started water.

Thinking a few moves ahead, like a chess master, helps keep surprises to a minimum.

   In other news, we had guests for dinner on Thursday night.Thirty two guests to be exact. Along with Mark and Blaine McAfee we hosted members of  the Fresno Food System Alliance for Dinner on the Farm. I made ribs, tri-tip, pasta salad and a wild and brown rice mushroom casserole. Blaine made a fabulous spinach salad an also brought brownies and amazing orange cookies. Sally Tripp brought some meat balls. Our neighbors Daniel and Shannon Bashoff sent over some yummy organic vegetables which I grilled. The Ubicks brought some fabulous wine and a good time was had by all. The goal of this group is to try to improve our food system by encouraging a healthier economy for farmers and healthier diets for consumers. The weather was perfect and the moon was rising over the Sierras as people headed home.

I hope Y'all have a great weekend.

Just a reminder-Freedom isn't free. 

We will never forget those who have 'the last full measure of devotion' for our freedom.

Thanks also to all who served. I know your day is Veterans' Day in November. We are glad you made it home.