Whenever I take to the backroads, I pass several farms. Its nice to see some still operating and they make for nice scenery. But it occured to me,I don't know the first thing about farms. So I have a few questions. Whats a Silo for? Whats the huge rolls of hay or straw for? When they drag the thing behind the tractor, are they using it to pick the crop? If so, don't they run over a good bit of it?
Whats a Silo for? Grains/crops are stored in silos after they are cut/collected. Many silos have dryers in them to control the moisture content in the crop. Sometimes, they store the crop until the price is higher, then they will transport the crop to the elevator and sell it. Other times, they have to store it until the moisture content is low enough. The elevator will pay less for very wet corn (for example), because then they will have to dry it. Whats the huge rolls of hay or straw for? Hay is "baled", which means it is compacted into a shape and tied off for storage and easier movement. Generally, small square bales (approx 1' x 2' x 4') are put up for manually handling/carrying and feeding small controlled portions to animals. For example, I can take a small square bale and separate a small portion for each horse. For mass feeding (generally cattle, but horse owners use them sometimes) - there are larger bale options. There are large square bales - approx 4' x 4' x 6' or so - and "round bales" which you are seeing. Round bales can be 4' diameter and up to 6' or so. These large bales are handled generally by tractor and fed to a herd that does not need to be limited on feed, and it also allows for continuous eating or self-feeding by the animals. Round bales are generally stored outside, which is ok for cattle, but not as good for horses - as the horses don't tolerate any mold. Round bales are difficult to store inside due to size. Sometimes you will see the round bales are wrapped in plastic, which resists water while stored outside. Straw is generally only baled in small square bales (at least in this area). Straw is mainly used as a bedding material in stalls, as it has very little nutritional value. When they drag the thing behind the tractor, are they using it to pick the crop? If so, don't they run over a good bit of it? Sometimes it is hard to see, but everything in farming is done in "rows" with a standard center-to-center distance between rows, depending on the crop. All the equipment wheel centers are matched to the row centers, so it is mostly running between the rows. They actually don't "run over" very much at all. Also, think about your lawn - you are running over a lot of it while mowing, but generally very little damage is done as the grass rebounds from the pressure. Same thing with some of the crops. Hope that helps!
Yes, its more than nice to see the farms operating- I'm a flour miller, an end user of the wheat that is being harvested now! Right now I'm hoping for dry weather so the wheat can get out of the fields without any additional moisture since we have to have it "dry" to process. The millers do not like the new wheat , its harder to process green than if its been stored for a month or 2 to settle down. Our little place operates 24/5+ and uses 2.5 million bushels of wheat /year...@ 50 bushels an acre, thats like 50,000 acres of wheat just for our needs. Nabisco's mill in Toledo uses 30 million bushels a year. So, I love silos and farms, got to keep them going! Ted
Most of the current farmers are using a process called No till farming. What it does essentially is plant the crop without turning over the soil. It also keeps the tractors off the fields as to keep compaction to a minimum. Most of the farms here cut the hay and process it into bigger bales so they dont have to fill a barn up with smaller bales thus keeping feeding time down and easier to get at the bales. My Brother in Law runs the biggest dairy farm in our area and they milk 5-700 cows in 3 shifts 24/7. A big operation as well as headache I could imagine.
I've spent a lot of time diary farming. All the mowers/choppers get trailered to the right of the tractor, so it gets a clean sweep everytime. The first lap is a bit tough though. The mower or whatever has a hydraulic boom for a hitch that adjusts where its riding in relation to the tractor. that way when they go down the road they can be tucked right behind tractor and only take up one lane. A silo is also used for grain/feed storage.
Don't feel bad, Dan. We gave the farmers a good laugh when we moved in here a couple summers ago. Just remember........there's no such thing as a stupid question. Unless, of course, you own a Buick with hide away headlights at a car show. :laugh: :spank:
I sorta new Silo's stored stuff. I guess a better question is why a tall cylinder shaped structure instead of a single story square shed of sorts? And what is the difference between straw and hay? BTW, I have nothing but respect for farmers. I see them working their butts off knowing full well that big brother don't give a darn. Also, I live right by the Norfolk Southerns Freedom ops, I see some monster tractors being railed in often. Those suckers can't be cheap.
I sorta new Silo's stored stuff. I guess a better question is why a tall cylinder shaped structure instead of a single story square shed of sorts? This is sorta a guess: Tall and cylindrical so there are no corners for stuff to get 'caught' in and to maximize gravity helping you unload the silo. They are filled at the top and emptied from the bottom. Also, silos are built from the bottom up - they build the roof, the keep adding layers of the cylinder at the bottom and lifting the structure up. A cylinder shape is stronger without as much framing as a square structure. And what is the difference between straw and hay? Hay is a mixture of alfalfa, grasses, timothy, etc. All dependant on the part of the country and what you are feeding it to. I'll just refer to it as "grass" - so picture your lawn. When the grass gets long enough, it reaches it's max nutritional value just before it goes to seed, it is mowed down as close to the ground as possible without killing the plant. The mower discharges into a row. That row is raked (flipped over) for a couple days until it is dry enough to bale. Too wet, and it will mold - which can cause a spontaneous combustion fire in a bale. Too dry, and the nutritional value begins to be lost. Straw is basically 'stalks'. Oats or wheat (other things possible in another part of the country) are grown. When the heads of the plant are mature (the fuzzy end at the top, where the oat is), then they run through the field with the combine which strips the end off, and leaves the stalks. The stalks are then mowed and baled like hay. But there is not much but a 'hull'-like piece left; all the nutrition went to the head of the plant. Straw is generally a bright blond color, like butter. All the pieces in a bale will be almost the same. Hay will be sort of multi-colored (again, depends on the plants grown) - some greenish, some brownish. There will be a mix of textures in hay; some leafy pieces, some stems, different sizes. Straw is much lighter than hay per volume. A similar size bale of straw may weigh about half that of a hay bale. Also, I live right by the Norfolk Southerns Freedom ops, I see some monster tractors being railed in often. Those suckers can't be cheap. You'd be surprised that many of the 'small' farms no longer own their equipment. It is so expensive that most of it is usually leased/rented. It is not unusual for a combine to be in the $250,000 range. I'm sure a hardcore farmer here (maybe Mike Sobotka) could give you more exact info. Familiy farms are not very profitable anymore because the profit margin is so small that they cannot afford to produce the volume needed to be profitable. And yes, farmers not only farm - but they are mechanics, accountants, business men, investors, speculators, veterinarians, botanists, weather forecasters, and GAMBLERS! :laugh: Milk cows are at a minimum, milked twice daily. It is common to have 3 milking cycles. Just consider - 3 times daily, without fail, whether you feel ok or not, regardless of the weather - they have to run a few hundred cows through the milking shed. And you just can't get someone to "cow-sit" for you - many farmers NEVER go on vacation or take a day off. It's a tough job!!
More on hay vs. straw: Hayfields can produce many "cuttings" per year. The 1st cutting could be in June, then the grasses/alfalfa grow back up again and are ready to cut again in late July. That is 2nd cutting. In good years, a field can produce 4 cuttings (speaking of MI only). Each time it is cut, the hay is richer than the time before - just like your lawn will thicken up as you mow it more. Straw is a one-shot deal. A field is planted in oats or straw and harvested once/year. Then the straw is taken off. Straw is generally much cheaper to buy, as it is a by-product of producing another crop. Hope that helps!
At the Nats in Bowling Green there were a few farmers out for the first cut. I know a dairy farmer familynearby and I never really asked them before, but they have a silo but they don't use it. They use silage bags instead. I have no idea why. Maybe its because the Silo needs a new roof. They also rent a few tractors, but they also own a few older ones. I think their big one that they own is a International 706. I've noticed that these tractors are kinda cheap to get now. A decent one can be had for around $5-6000. But they're not big enough to run some equipment.
Whats the huge rolls of hay or straw for? i hear these are against the law to use now, because ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? the animals dont get a square meal a day. i know its lameou:
Farmer jokes hey! Lawyer, doctor and a farmer all win $1,000,000 each in the lottery. In an interview, lawyer says he's going to pay off his house, buy an investment property and new cars for himself and the wife. Doctor says he's going around the world with the family and invest the rest on the stockmarket. Farmer says he's just going to keep farming until the money runs out :laugh:
Looks like a good discussion between a "City Slicker" and a "Farmer's Daughter".:Comp: Also looks like Steeler people don't sh__ from silos.:laugh: They do know how to break Q back's legs though. Don't know how to ride motorcycles either!:spank:
Another note on the Straw vs Hay issue: Straw has a very low nutritional value compared to hay, and most livestock don't actually eat it, but instead it is put down for bedding, especially in winter. At least that's what we did with it. I truly hated farming most of my youth. Cattle were a real PITA, spring sucked because we had to scour most of the fields for rocks to pick every year before planting, and summer was a b*tch because we also raised barley among our small grains mix. You don't want barley chaff/dust on your skin, itches like CRAZY, especially when you're sweaty and cleaning out grain bins. I'm OK now though, the nightmares have finally ended. :laugh:
Its for holding all the government program money they get!:rant: I think its great that there is a program to pay farms not to plant crops to reduce the supply. (CRP) We pay for their land not to grow and then we buy our wheat, beans, and sunflowers from China or other counties. Everybody up here is planting corn for ethenol because the stable price because there is now a shortage. Here is a thought, stop paying tax dollars to not grow and plant some corn. I say work for the dollars like I do! Let the corn cobs fly!!!!!!!
Ed, I have just one thing to say. Don't blame the farmers for what's wrong with agriculture in America. Where I come from, farming is not a lucrative endeavor, regardless of gov subsidies, etc. And every farmer I know, and grew up with, works harder than you or anyone else that has any kind of office/white collar job, including me.
Not knowing anything about farming, the past year going up to my mom's in MS has given me some insight. I always heard "farmers are the backbone of the country". And believed it. But this past year watching the 2,000 acre dairy farm(don't know # of cows) across the street every weekend, I've seen just how much and hard theses people work. They were nearly destitute due to milk $. Thought they might lose the farm. They have helped my mom fix her well pump. (Now what the hell do I know about well pumps???) They take my questions w/ understand I'm a city boy (who loves camping and the country ) But I could see some one coming over the hwy to tell me if I were to do some simple thing, but goes completely against farmer sense. Even asked if I wanted to go 'dilla hunting behind the church @ 3:00am :TU: P.S. Ed I think thats just par for the course w/ the government. But we SHOULD back farmers every step of the way, any way we can.
Dave, Dairy farmers are working farmers. My aunt and uncle were dairy farmers and he also was a rural mail carrier. Cows have to be milked twice a day no matter what. On the other hand, I have a friend that bought land that is in a 10 CRP program from an old farmer. The land is not ideal for crops so they take it out of production and get paid. The payments pay for his land and he is not a farmer. Doesnt own a single tractor but owns a bar and works another day job. I have also seen the applications for farmers on ATVs farm implements. They are not hurting. Its a bad year if a beet farmer doesnt get to buy a new tractor every year and has to use the same one next year. Bad farmers go out of business just like a poorly run business. If you dont own your land as a farmer for get it because renting the land will get you no where. Up here a farmer starts by waiting until the snow melts and the ground dries. Maintance time on equipment. Spends a few weeks seeding. Drives out on ATV to look at crops. Waits in local bar or cafe for rain. In fall, works hard 3 weeks havesting. Waits for snow. Me: 55 hours a week working traveling away from home with around 4 nights a week out. Come home Friday unpack clothes repack for next week. Cut lawn and do things I couldnt do while away during the week on weekend. Get a day maybe to have to myself. Work on computer at home to get ready for Monday. ( This is about 40 weeks a year) Man I wish I was a farmer!ou: :laugh:
From the paper today: So many American farmers are working longer than ever before that one in four is at least 65 years old. Computerized gadgets that steer tractors and deliver feed to hogs allow farmers to work past traditional retirement ages. Many stay on because they dont have a retirement plan or because their children have no interest in farming. also from the paper: Chinese exports have been in the spotlight since the deaths of dogs and cats in North America attributed to tainted Chinese wheat gluten, followed by this weeks recall of Chinese-made radial tires and an alert last Thursday by the Food and Drug Administration warning about contaminated Chinese seafood. Companies in China produce about 80 percent of the worlds wheat gluten, common in most breads, cakes and cookies, and 80 percent of its sorbic acid, a preservative used in just about everything, he said.
