DR's Kansas Crop Tour

As part of my DR's job he usually takes a crop tour a few times each growing season. A week ago or so he borrowed my camera (under severe warning that if anything happened to it he would be sleeping on the couch) to take on his crop tour. I was transferring photos onto my computer and had a good look at some of the photos he took. I thought some of you may be interested in what SW Kansas crops are looking like. 

Irrigated and dry land corn

Milo

Drilling a well

Pasture

Hmmm....a pig car...well that's interesting to see on my camera.

Ooh. That's not good. 

Well, at least the clouds are filled out. 

And the most disturbing photo I found on my camera. 

Oooo...a grain bin with a hole in it, a weak spot that ruptured unexpectedly. Can you imagine how much grain must have come pouring out? Believe it or not, this is the second bin I've heard that's blown out. 

Bad years of drought. Hopefully next year will be better. 

My Mini Mud Monsters

Sometimes when Mother Nature has been in one of her moods, like this summer's drought, and you can't count on rain or mud...you just have to take matters into your own hands. 

"Come here brother...give me a hug!! HA HA!!!"

"Catch this!!!" 

"Peek a boo!"

"I'm starting a trend little monsters...follow me!"

So exfoliating for the pores !

"Mom? I think I have something stuck up my nose."

Hmmm, wonder what THAT could be? 

Kansas Corn is looking bad.

It's no secret that we are in a drought out here in Kansas. Last week when my mom was here, she and I drove around one evening taking photos and we came across this field of corn that is a pretty good indicator of the harvest to come. In a word: Poor. 

It's not nearly as tall as normal. Without walking into the field I'd guess it wasn't six feet tall. It's already turning brown and you can see that part of the field has already been chopped for silage. It has been chopped because no ears have formed or there just isn't enough water to finish the crop out. Although farmers out here irrigate they are only allocated a certain amount per season. Irrigation is to supplement rainfall but because there has been very little rain this year most farmers ran out of their irrigated water allocations by mid July. 

A early harvest is predicted for SW Kansas. I heard one farmer say they expected to harvest in late August/early September. Yep, that's early. The yields are expected to be 25-50% less than average and average yields are 250 bushels an acre. 

What's that country song? Rain makes corn, corn makes whiskey?

Well, no rain...no corn...no whiskey. 

How Dry Is It In Kansas?

I've posted over and over about how dry it is in Kansas. I've been looking for humor in the situation and was awarded by a chuckle when I opened my paper this week.

Rudy, the editor of our town paper, shared an e-mail sent by a reader..How dry is it in Kansas? I thought it too funny not to share with you too.


How Dry Is It In Kansas?

A buddy out of Salina said he'd killed a mosquito that was carrying a canteen.

A man in Wichita said the chicken farmers were giving the chickens crushed ice to keep them from laying hard boiled eggs.

In Lake Keystone, they caught a 20 lb. catfish that had ticks on it.

Just this week in Garden City, a fire hydrant was seen bribing a dog.


IT'S SO DRY IN KANSAS THAT....

the Baptists are starting to baptize by sprinkling...
the Methodists are using wet-wipes....
the Presbyterians are giving out rain checks....
and the Catholics are praying for the wine to turn back into water....

Whew! Stay cool out there!

Wheat and Drought and Prayers

I drove by this wheat field earlier this week and thought it was beautiful. The bright green wheat is quickly turning into those 'amber waves of grain'. But I've learned that although I find this scene attractive, the farmers in this area are far from pleased by the view.

Southwest Kansas is in a severe drought.

Kansas Agricultural Statistics Service is forecasting that the state's winter wheat production will be down 27 percent from last year because of dry conditions and fewer harvested acres. The agency reported Wednesday it expected production of 261.8 million bushels based on crop conditions on May 1. That would be the lowest production in Kansas since 1996. The 7.7 million acres expected to be harvested would also be the lowest wheat acreage since 1957. Yields are expected to average 34 bushels an acre. That is 11 bushels per acre fewer bushels than last year and would be the lowest yield since 2007. Forecasts for the rest of the country are not nearly as grim. Winter wheat production nationwide is forecast at 1.42 billion bushels, down 4 percent from a year ago. (Associated Press)

Remember this archery scene from yesterday? The locals told me that this entire hill and field are normally green this time of year with things only beginning to brown in August. I've also been told that no one can remember it ever being so dry. And this whole time I thought this extreme dryness was normal.

My hearts are going out to the farmers in this area. Some fields have been destroyed because the yields were so low it wasn't worth the expense of harvesting. One local farmer has reported that there hasn't been a measurable rain on his farm since August. In the ten months that we've lived here I can only count three significant rainfalls. But rainfalls are very spotty out here. When we had hail and an hour's worth of rain, a friend of mine only five miles away had nothing. Nothing.

Kansas is in desperate need of moisture. Everyone is praying for rain.

Anyone willing to pipe us some water?



Kansas Rain

Annual Rainfall

Back home in Indiana; 40 inches per year

Here in Kansas; 20 inches per year.

In Indiana farmers measure rain in tenths of an inch.

In Kansas farmers measure rain in hundredths of an inch.

I grew up in northern Indiana in an area with dozens of lakes.

I remember falls, winters and springs in Indiana where it seemed there were months and months of mud.

We complained about the rain, hoping it would finally come to an end. Rain caused mud, mud created ruts and ruts were hard to walk and drive over.

 Oh Indiana rain, rain, rain.

Kansas is different. In this part of Kansas there are no lakes. We are classified as a desert grassland.

In Kansas I've never heard anyone complain about the rain. Everyone is completely thankful for the rain. "We need the moisture." everyone comments. I've come to yearn for rain, watching the skies for any sign of a coming storm.

In Kansas water is precious. The aquifers that run below this part of the country are disappearing. Farmers who irrigate crops (corn) and use too much water are fined. Some farmers are moving towards drought resistant crops like sesame seeds. But there are just as many who refuse to change their customs and attitudes toward water usage.

After only six months living out here I've found myself being much more conservative in my water use; laundry, dishes, showers, gardens. I never knew how spoiled I was growing up surrounded by water. I find myself guilty of all the water I've wasted over the years. Water is on my mind much more than ever before.

I took these photos a couple weeks ago and I remember at the time how happy I was to see rain.

What is the rainfall like in your neck of the woods?