A Legacy Of Trust

Do you remember growing up liking fresh strawberries? I remember strawberries being the start of summer. This is Karl and Kristin's Malaki washing a batch he picked with a garden hose. Things we pass on to our kids and grandkids become legacies. Little things like strawberries. Or big things like serving, prayer, generosity, work ethic, contentment, character, availability.

And the legacy of trust. When we trust God and others, those that watch us and are around us tend to do the same. Due to the wet weather we have been sidelined from getting crops in for ourselves and for others for the better share of 5 weeks. In 44 years of farming I have never experienced this. We trust we are going to be able to plant, spray, fertilize, haul honey, and bale hay in June. If not we trust God we will be taking care of.

In a normal year our seed shed would be empty by the first of June. This year it's still half full and seed is being exchanged and returned. As seed suppliers Karl and I are doing everything in our power to help folks make decisions. Because of supply and demand in the commodity markets we're advising farmers to stick with planting their corn acres as long as they dare. In our operation we will plant corn until June 20. Yep, that's right. 

Early this week our crew was looking for things to do and thought we'd try spreading some soybean seed on a small field and let the rains sprout them. We spread a 20 foot swath with our 4-wheeler at around 400,000 seeds per acre. We'll stay in touch on how that works. :)

Mark sent a snap of his tallest corn close to knee high. Fields of planted corn have been going downhill this week. We are losing color. We are losing uniformity. And in some cases we are losing stands. Our planted fields need warm weather, dry feet, and probably some extra nitrogen.

Today is June 2. This picture was taken June 2 of last year. Our corn was sprayed twice, fertilized, and growing. Our soybeans had also been sprayed a second time. Our hay was up and we were picking strawberries.

Just an update for those who don't follow the markets and maybe even some of you that do. The corn market has raised 90 cents in just under three weeks. I know all to well how scary it is to sell the crop in the field. Just remember if you still have last years corn in the bin yet don't miss this. A market has 3 cycles. Greed as it keeps going up. Hope as it tops and starts to fall. Despair as it goes back to the bottom of it's range.

Ray is a friend and retired grain merchant. He and Pat have a son Joe and family who own and operate a garden market and landscaping business just east of Carlisle southeast of Des Moines.

Kudos to Gideon who shot a 109 out of 110 this past week in skeet shooting. His team mates had a good day as well.

The small livestock shed for 4-H projects at Mark and Stacy's continues during this past wet week. When kids help with projects they remember it the rest of their lives.

We continue to find things to do in the shop on equipment including putting the skinny tires on this sprayer. One sprayer will have to start spraying rowed corn. One sprayer will continue spraying soybeans. And the dry spreader will need to apply dry nitrogen to the needy corn crop all at the same time when it drys.

Yesterday we helped Jan with some landscaping around our house that has been on the list a long time. She has grasses, blooming plants, and flowers everywhere and they are really pretty. Right now her many Irises and Peonies are in full bloom.

Yesterday afternoon I decided it was dry enough to spray road ditches and fencerows.

Well the road ditches were dry enough however the fencerows were a different story.

 With extra rain also falling up north during the first part of the week and Red Rock Lake at 82% of it's flood holding capacity Red Rock Dam had to open their flood gates from 31000 cfs to 50000 cfs. Much of Iowa has received around 10 inches of rain since mid May. The summer of 2010 was the last time this much water was released. Thanks for the picture Norene.

That action requires a reaction downstream. Mike helped friends pull their campers to higher ground.

Obviously the unwanted consequence is crop flooding. The Des Moines River, the South Skunk, the North Skunk, the Muchakonock Creek, Middle Creek, Cedar Creek, and others have flooded thousands of acres in the last 2 weeks. Below is a picture of Kevin and Linda and Brent and Georgina's corn crop on the Des Moines River bottom.

After Charles funeral on Thursday about a dozen of us went to the Veterans Cemetery near Van Meter where he was honored for his countries service and buried.

Funerals make you think. When we're gone what kind of legacy will we leave? How will we be remembered? I'm usually more of a "do" guy than a "don't" when giving advice. However I have a list of things I don't want to be remembered for. I don't want to be remembered for having my thumb on the pulse of things and not passing on the baton of responsibility. I don't want to be remembered for lack of direction. I don't want to be remembered for thinking only of myself. And as a leader I don't want to be remembered as a leader that seeks followers but rather that  raises other leaders.

My favorite definition of legacy is: Something powerful that folks will remember and treasure. When our grandkids watch us wait to get to the field to finish this season I want them to watch us trust. And when they see that security they will trust and rely on God just as their parents and grandparents are doing. Thanks for taking time to visit.