1.5" rain Friday

[Jim Meade / Iowa City]

We had 1.8 inches yesterday, 1.5 inches overnight.  It is no longer soaking in, just running off.  Most haying is caught up (not mine) and a lot of spraying has been done, but spraying and sidedressing will be hot and heavy as soon as the fields are fit to drive in.  We're supposed to have another band of showers this afternoon.

[nwobcw]

  I woke up to a welcome rain. With less than 100 acres to go I'm glad for a day off and happy to see some rain. Tuesday and Wednesday with high winds and 100 degree temps sucked every bit of moisture out of everything.  Beans I planted last Friday are up an inch tall.  There's not a whole lot left to plant around here.  We are running slightly ahead of last year right now which was also a late planting season but turned out to be my best year ever.  An inch of rain per week in August if we can get it will be

the deciding factor to how good things turn out.

   Jim. some time ago you asked about helpful hints on farming mostly alone.  I bought a portable hydraulic power unit to run the seed wagon auger this year.  Money well spent!  Just wish I had bought one years ago.  It's 1 less thing to move from field to field  than when I used to run the auger off a tractor.  Just put it the pickup and it's there when you need it.

[SteveBD1]

I've got 2.5" down by Lone Tree. Looks like I'll lose part or all of the riverbottom for the 4th straight year. Bring on a drought I'm ready. I think I've had enough rain in the past 4 years to have raised 10 years of crops. To make things worse I've been targeted by the insurance company for all crop check. FSA got in on it too. They targeted my corn crop for this year. Signed 2009 sure papers yesterday. If you think your having problems look at my whole farm corn yeilds for the past 3 years. 2008 - 125 bus.  2009 - 130 bushel  2010 - 70 bushel.  They're really gonna like my Sure program yields for 2010. . Feel pretty helpless when you can't even spray for the mud. Had to have a helicopter spray beans for me last year. Makes a guy want to find a new occupation. I'm pretty good at  mowing grass.