One of the problems with how we manage our water is the fact that I have to make decisions about next year's crop now! I have to make decisions based on incomplete information.
We are bedding up and fertilizing fields now for next summer. I cannot wait to see what this winter's rainfall is going to be like.
This is a view from the cotton picker as we second pick the Pima.
You can see the shredder is right behind me. In the distance is a tractor discing the field and there is another tractor and disc just out of view. [Sorry, I couldn't get all four machines in one photo without staging it and I am not going to waste time like that.]
My first few years up here it rained early in the Fall. So, that is my default position, I expect it to rain and I know we have to get the ground worked before the heavy winter rains set in.
In a'normal' year, what ever that is we do not find out how much water we will get until February or March. I cannot wait that long to decide what to do. So, once again, the farmer takes all the risk. We make the investment and prepare ground; betting on the come that there will be enough water to grow our crops.
The risk is even larger for permanent crops. There we have to begin years ahead of time. And, years of investment and work can be destroyed in one season.
Last year I have neighbors who had hundreds of dollars an acre of tractor work in their fields who had to then abandon their fields. This is not good.
If we are ever going to have a healthy Ag economy we are going to need a stable water supply. it is bad enough that I have to worry about the ups and downs of Nature. I also have politicians trying to stick their fingers in the situation. It is not surprising the hair that has not fallen out has turned gray.
I hope you all have a great week. We are going to be busy keeping the tractors going.
Saturday, October 25, 2014
Saturday, October 18, 2014
The Satisfaction of Harvest
Those are what we call cotton modules at the end of the field. The cotton picker dumps the seed cotton into the module builder and the cotton is packed into what look like giant loaves eight feet wide, eight feet high and thirty two feet long. These are covered and later hauled to the gin. They sure look pretty lined up there at sunrise. If you put out modules end to end we would have a wall of seed cotton almost half a mile long.
We have finished first picking, but we are far from done. The next few weeks we are still very busy. We will second pick the cotton, then work the ground and plant our wheat. It's go, go, go and then we slow down to full speed.
The
Satisfaction of Harvest
By Paul H. Betancourt
Copyright September, 2012
By Paul H. Betancourt
Copyright September, 2012
You have heard me whimper and whine
about a lot of farming and how tough it is. Sorry about that. This morning I
want to talk about the satisfaction of farming. There is nothing like bringing in a good harvest: seeing the picker fill up
p with cotton, seeing the wheat pouring into the trucks, seeing the almonds
being swept up and shipped off. The satisfaction of a productive year’s work. That’s good stuff.
Unlike many people farmers don’t see
the daily result of their work. Right now we are waiting to see how this year’s
cotton crop will turn out. We started working the ground last Fall. We planted
in April. We have been tending the fields all summer, but we won’t know how it
will turn out until next month.
But, all that waiting has a payoff.
I love Fall weather. It’s cool and crisp after the oven heat of the summer. And
then we fire up the pickers and head into the field.
We still have work to do and bills to pay. But, there is a
real sense of satisfaction seeing how the year’s work turned out.
Saturday, October 11, 2014
Pickin' Cotton
I don’t
take my blood pressure during cotton harvest. I might break the cuff. It can be
a little nerve wracking.
-There is the anticipation of
bringing a season’s worth of work. How did we do? Will we pay the bills?
-There is the worry about the
weather. The first few seasons I was up here it rained all Fall. Picking in the
rain is a mess. That introduction to cotton picking makes me jump this time of
year even when the weather man says everything is OK.
-Will the equipment hold together?
G. Gordon Liddy was a former Marine. He described a helicopter as “ten thousand
nuts and bolts trying to go in different directions at the same time.” That is
a good description of a cotton picker
too. All it takes is one broken bolt and everything comes to a crashing halt.
With all that, we are off to a good
start. Warm dry weather is perfect for cotton harvest. The first day was a little
slow as we got the wrinkles out. There have been a couple of little heart
attacks. But, we will finish the first field on Monday. But, when we finished planting
in April Ruben said, “We’re done planting. Now you can relax.” I told him I can’t
relax until the last bale is picked and ginned. There are just too many things
that go wrong.
Just a reminder- my new book, “this Week on the Farm is now
at the Clovis Book Barn.
I hope you all have a great week. I’m going to take a nap
tomorrow afternoon and back in the field on Monday.
Saturday, October 4, 2014
My Two Cents on the 2014 Water Bond
Well, I blew a great opportunity for a picture. We went to a wine grape stomp this evening. Sheryl and I got into the vat and stomped. Don't worry, we washed our feet. What I forgot was to take a picture of my meet in the grapes. Doggone it. You'll have to use your imagination.
On the farm- we are waiting for the cotton to defoliate. It is waaaay ahead of schedule. I set the schedule for October 15th. It is turning so fast I told Ruben that we need to get the equipment ready for the 8th. We will take a good look at the fields Monday and see if we are ready to go.
I'll tell you how that goes next week. Meanwhile I will share my two cents on the Water Bond on next month's ballot. Spoiler alert- I am not impressed with the choices our friends in Sacramento have left us with. OK, that is not a real big surprise is it?
2014 Water Bond: Hold
Your Nose and Vote
by Paul H. Betancourt
Copyright October 2014
“The big idea is that the future of California needs a lot of
water”
Gov.
Jerry Brown
August
8, 2014
Because of the
failure of our friends in Sacramento ‘We the People’ get to vote on a water
bond in November. Instead of doing their job they have left us with a tough
decision: Do we borrow even more money to expand the state water system? Or, do we continue to strangle our farms and
cities?
Conservation Will Never Be
Enough-
There are those who say we can conserve our way out of
our problems. There is no doubt we must always be careful with our natural
resources, such as water. The fact that or cities lose 10% of their water
supply due to leaky pipes and infrastructure is, at the very least, an
embarrassment. You would consider me a poor farmer if I wasted ten percent of
my water. That being said, we can never conserve our way out of this problem.
As the governor says, “the big idea is that
the future of California needs a lot of water.” There are more people in
California every year. While we can use more climate appropriate landscaping
there are still basic food and sanitation needs for our population.
Storage, Finally-
In the new water bond there is $2.5
Billion for water new reservoirs-finally. Please see my previous comments on
population growth. There are those who fight new reservoir construction. They
have their heads in the sand. As Governor Brown says, “The big
idea is that the future of California needs a lot of water.” There are people in California every year. Our
farms and our cities need a stable water supply.
Water Pork? Probably.
Assemblyman, and former gubernatorial candidate, Tim
Donnelly of Southern California calls the water bond, “Gov. Brown’s Payoff to the Enviro-extremists.” Perhaps. He adds, “Proposition #1 isn’t a water infrastructure bond, it’s
nothing more than a $7.12 Billion payoff to the enviro-extremists who control
natural resources in California. What else do you call it when over 50% of the
money is being used to fund the daily operations of those agencies whose goal
is deny every drop of water to agriculture and industry in our state so that
the fish can flourish while the farmers die?” That’s a fair question. But, this is the choice we have to
make.
Is this
bond that bad? Well, there is a lot of money that does not go to storage and
does go to pet projects. Not all of these projects are pork. We can improve
conservation, and that is a good thing, even
if it will not solve all of our problems.
But, the reality is that this is the best
deal we are going to get. There is $3.5 Billion less pork than the water bond
Schwarzenegger was able to negotiate. There is $2.5 Billion for new water
storage. In the midst of an epic drought folks in our cities and in Southern
California are finally paying attention. If we do not pass this bond we will
have lost the opportunity of a generation.
We Are Left with an Imperfect Choice
This is another example of why we are warned not to watch
legislation or sausage being made. It is an ugly process. I am not 100% happy
with the water bond. But, I figured out a long time ago it is not a perfect
world. I have gotten to the point where I don’t vote for many bonds because I
am concerned about debt. To paraphrase P.J. O’Rourke, “Giving more money and
power to politicians is like giving alcohol and car keys to teenagers.” But,
now is the time and this is our choice. If we do not pass this bond what we
have seen this year will become the new normal: farm land fallow and dried up
yards. We deserve better. California deserves better.
Brown, Jerry http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/08/14/4069385/75-billion-water-bond-headed-to.html#storylink=cpy
Donnely, Tim http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-California/2014/09/19/The-Water-Bond
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