Friday, June 10, 2011

And the rain came down...


Each year, we do our best to raise as much of our feed as possible. Grasses for hay and corn for Silage is the bulk of our cattle's diet.  After the big flood of '93, there wasn't much that stood in the way of this goal, until now.  For the past three years, our 3 miles of river bottom crops that butt up against the Mighty Mo have found themselves underwater for more time than they can stand.  Gamma grass, Sudan grass and Sorghum were some of the victims to the high, sustained waters.

Early flooding June 2010

This year we've opted out of the grasses and were going corn and beans.  It's June 10 and we've already flooded.  Nothing major but nothing great.  Today on the news we heard this announcement, Army Corps plans to release maximum amount of water on Tuesday, its an almost guarantee that we'll be battling to floods for another year. 



Now flooding and drought are nothing new to farmers but it seems unusual to be in a 10 year flood plain to flood every year for 4 straight.  C'est La Vie. 



Tell me, how is your community preparing for the flooding? 

Friday, June 3, 2011

Flowers of the Hills

Since we spend most of our summer in the flint hills, I thought I'd take you on a little tour of my low maintenance garden! 

 
 Wild Strawberries!!
 Cobaea Beardtoungue. This is one of my very favorite flowers.
 Wild Alfalfa!
Missouri Evening Primrose
 There are Iris everywhere! I know Mrs. Hoag Sr. has brought a few of these plants from home and they just spread everywhere!! Nice little touch from the home place.

 I think this is a rough leaf dogwood.  But I've been known to be wrong on many occasions!


Spider Milkweed... Ugly name, pretty flower

I'm not entirely sure what these two are. I've looked everywhere and I'm still confused. Any help would be much appreciated! :)

Now this one I'm still trying to figure out.  Its either Blue Sage or Wild Indigo.  Any thoughts?