Dwarf Apples

Dwarf apples generally won't stand on their own.  And in NW Iowa where the wind blows hard most days, that means some type of support system is required for dwarf apples.

We started out by measuring, measuring some more, and finally measuring a little more, to determine where the new rows for the orchard would be placed.  Then we sunk some posts that are about 10' out of the ground.  Then we sunk some short posts into the ground and left about a foot out of the ground to act as a strainer against the long posts.  Next we ran a strait line between the posts and measured out for flagging where the trees would go.  We decided to go 4' between trees.  That gives each tree 2' of branch growth.  Finally we used our Bobcat skid loader to drill the holes.  Then, stretching high tensile between the posts, we were ready to put the new trees in.  Once the trees were in we ran irrigation lines and emitters to the trees and finally we strung the high tensile with strainers and line posts.  It took about 2 days to plant the trees and get the waterline and the trellis system up.  We did end up with about 10 trees off the trellis in the last row.  Those we ended up attaching to pieces of rebar.  Eventually these will be attached to either trellis, or we'll switch to better posts.

Plant garden on Mothers Day?

With the temperature on the farm below freezing for more than 4 hours last night, the Mothers Day date didn't hold this year.  And it's supposed to be colder tonight.  Frost is one thing, but freezing temps for that long are something all together different.  Our apple trees for the most part are at 1/2" green tip and tight cluster.  For tight cluster, at 27F for 30min a 10% loss is expected.  At about 6' high (where our weather station sits) we were down below 29 for about an hour, but our weather station in the high tunnel said it hit 27F and that is one foot off the ground.  Chances are we had 27F for quite a while at ground level.

Twins

We had a couple more calves.  Unfortunately it was from the same cow, and we haven't had very good luck with twins.  So the standard process now is to take the calf that isn't sticking with the cow and put it in the barn.  That means bottle feeding, but it's not so bad.  Both twins are doing fine. 

First Calf of 2014

We moved the cows, bull and last years calves down to the back 9 yesterday.  It took a little time and persistence to get them through the gates and different parts of the pastures, but they made it.  Not quite sure what I was thinking having the bull down there with them though.  If he got to work this early we'd have calves in Feb. and that isn't for me.
We checked on the cows this morning and bingo! our first calf was on the ground looking healthy and fit.  We got him ear tagged and banded.

Handling the cattle always has a sense of excitement about it.  There's always that little bit of extra caution when you're moving them and they're all excited, kicking up their heals (literally) and running to new grass, that they could forget themselves and plow you down.  Then there's the excitement of ear tagging and banding while mamma wants to get between you and her calf.  They have a protection instinct in them that you want to see, just not too much.