Winter crops update, warm to cold from 2015 to 2016!

 What about this 75 degree weather in December?  I have a feeling things are going to get back to normal for January and February.  The old saying goes, if you don't like the weather in TN today wait a day or two and it will change!  The winter wheat and cover crops have enjoyed the warmer weather.  The wheat does need cooler temperatures to take it into dormancy for the rest of the winter.  Guy Reeder, our crop consultant/agronomist, was scouting wheat the week before Christmas and thinks the crop looks good with plenty of tillers.  The more tillers you have translates into more heads of wheat at harvest.  The no-till wheat has helped keep nutrients and soil in place during the recent heavy rainfalls we have had too.  We have had close to 6 inches of rain in the last couple of weeks!    

 The cover crop mixes we planted behind soybeans this fall are enjoying the warm temps and rainfall as well.  These cover crops are harvesting and storing valuable nutrients left in the soil and creating nitrogen for the corn crop we will plant in the spring.  The cover mix here consists of winter wheat, crimson clover, oats, tillage radishes and turnips.  The radishes and turnips scavenge nutrients left in the soil, the clover is a legume and creates nitrogen while the wheat and oats hold the ground down to prevent erosion during periods of heavy rainfall.  All these species create root mass in the ground and increase pore space in the soil where water can be stored.  The tap roots from the turnips and radishes can go a few feet into the ground breaking up compaction zones where we have driven heavy machinery across our fields in less than ideal conditions.  When the cover crop is terminated in the spring the plants will decay and as they breakdown release their stored nutrient content to feed the corn crop in May and June.  The "green manure" adds organic matter back to the soil to make it healthier and increase the water holding capacity during the hot dry summer months of June and July.

The stripping crew grading dark air cured tobacco and packaging for delivery. 

Everyone is happy to see the last of the crop go across the stripping table!

The last loads of tobacco being graded for the 2015 crop.  The guys finished stripping and grading our tobacco in time to make it home for Christmas.  It's always nice to finish a job so we can move on to another!  Each of the "piles" of tobacco on the head tops weighs about 800 pounds.  We move them around on dollies in the stripping room and load them in a van trailer with a loader tractor for delivery.  There is a lot of time, labor and sweat equity invested at this point of the crop.  As we close out 2015 we hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and will have a Happy, Safe and Prosperous New Year!  Here's to a wonderful 2016...