Friday on the Farm

It was a beautiful fall night.

After work, I moved cornstalk bales off a field. It was a nice way to spend a Friday night. Quiet. Still. Peaceful.

a walk at sunset

The sun set on a fall day. 

The colors were incredible... yellow, blue, and black. Incredible. A walk or run on my country road each evening is my time to relax and enjoy the beautiful moments in life. And, this night was a beautiful moment to enjoy. My sweet dog was at my side to make it even better. 

a fall sunset

After work and cattle chores, I hit the road for an evening walk. The sun was setting on a field of corn. And as I walked, I enjoyed the beauty... the pink, orange, and purple hues. Amazing! It was so peaceful and beautiful. Fall sunsets like that are perfect for long walks.

alfalfa blooms

Late one afternoon, I was riding my four-wheeler checking fences. There is a field of hay next to the pasture. And, I noticed the gorgeous purple blooms of alfalfa glowing underneath the warm sun. The pops of purple blossoms among the emerald green leaves were stunning. I took the time to enjoy the simple beauty.

a summer sunset

 

A walk as the sun was setting was good for my soul. Stunning. The colors of the summer sunset were incredibly stunning. It was peaceful. The cool colors were so calming and relaxing.

Friday on the Farm

Wild Bergamot is blooming! It is one of my favorite native prairie plants. Love all of the purple flowers 💜

 

I transplanted Wild Bergamot to my new prairie garden two weeks ago. And, I was so excited to see it blooming! The bees and butterflies are too! When snapping photos of the Wild Bergamot, a hummingbird was fluttering to feed. That made me so happy 💜

Friday on the Farm

Two fields were prepared for seeding ground for hay. We use a mixture of alfalfa, red clover, and brome with oats. We seed at a rate of 12 pounds of alfalfa, 4 pounds of red clover, 5 pounds of brome, and 2 bushel of oats per acre. The fields were drilled on April 8 and 9. Favorable weather conditions have been perfect for growth.    

Friday on the Farm

 

It was stunning. The sunset tonight made me slow down. I took the time to enjoy the moment. The colors were just incredible. The sun made the corn look like it was on fire. My dog, Diesel was with me in my truck. I think he even was in awe of the sunset.

Friday on the Farm

Cornstalks were baled. Just in time! These bales of cornstalks will be used as bedding throughout the winter months. Cornstalks keep our cows and calves dry and warm during cold and snowy weather. Over 80 bales were rolled up. And, we have already started using cornstalks due to the weather.

Friday on the Farm

 

It was a busy Friday on the farm. We were able to get quite a bit of work done on a nice fall day.

We have very happy cows. Two herds of cows are now grazing cornstalks. After corn is harvested, we open up fields for cows to graze. Grazing cornstalks ( stover ) in fields extends the grazing season through fall. The cows eat the corn residue ( husks and leaves ) and grass in the waterways.
 

[ view agriculture photos @ monicastevens.photoshelter.com ]

Friday on the Farm

 

Between unloading corn and filling a grain bin, I checked on the field of rye. The rye has grown about two inches since last week. Through the corn residue, the rye is growing. The field of rye is starting to green.

 

Friday on the Farm

So, I am checking on the field of rye this morning. It is snowing. The flakes of snow were falling from the sky and melting on the rye.  

[ agriculture photos @ monicastevens.photoshelter.com ]

Friday on the Farm

Austrian Winter Peas were seeded in a field. Eight acres of winter peas will be used as forage. Next spring, they will be chopped and bagged as silage for our cows.

austrian winter peas

Rye and Austrian Winter Peas were drilled in a field where corn was chopped for silage. Seeding rye and peas on the field will protect the soil from erosion. The rye and peas will be chopped and bagged next spring as forage. It should be great forage!

peas and rye

It rained this morning, so the forage peas and rye should have a great start to growing. It look forward to seeing the progress of the peas!

Friday on the Farm

Harvest started. Today, I hauled corn in from the field into a grain bin to fill. I always enjoy watching the bin fill as loads of grain are hauled into the site. Golden kernels of corn sprinkle down from above.  

[ view agriculture photos @ monicastevens.photoshelter.com ]

Friday on the Farm

We finished baling hay for the 2018 season!

 

It is so nice to have our hay rolled up for 2018. We have been busy cutting, tedding, raking, baling, and moving hay over the past four months.

 

During the hay season, we baled 400 large round bales and 1800 small square bales for our cows, calves, and bulls. We feed the round bales throughout the winter and spring. And, we feed the square bales to our pregnant cows during calving season in the spring.

 

I love seeing the new growth of alfalfa, clover, and brome after it has been cut and baled. It is beautiful to see the tender, emerald green leaves glowing under the warmth of the late summer sun.

[ view agriculture photos @ monicastevens.blogspot.com ]

Friday on the Farm

 

Illinois native plants are beautiful...especially at this time of year. One warm and sunny morning, I was driving in my truck with the windows down. I noticed Big Bluestem growing by one of our fields along side the fence. I was so excited to see it! In addition to Big Bluestem, we also have Cup Plant and Wild Bergamot growing on the farms. So glad to see more native plant species for wildlife!

 

[ view agriculture photos @ monicastevens.photoshelter.com ]

Friday on the Farm

In the afternoon, I drove out to the field to scout. The field of millet germinated and was off to a good start. Heat and moisture from rainfall has been great growing conditions. Though, it was really surprising how quickly the millet was growing. I very much look forward to seeing it grow before the cows graze.

Friday on the Farm

On Thursday, we seeded a field with millet. The field will be grazed by a herd of cows throughout the summer. I very much look forward to watching the millet grow, and seeing our cows graze!

 

[ more agriculture photos @ monicastevens.photoshelter.com ]

Friday on the Farm

 

The double cropped soybeans are emerging. These soybeans were planted on June 1. Rye was chopped and bagged as feed for cows to then plant soybeans. The planting conditions were excellent. The soil moisture was perfect for planting, and we have had plenty of sunshine.   

Friday morning, it rained. It was great timing for the crops. We finished rolling up our first crop hay yesterday, so it was perfect. This rain will be incredibly beneficial for the young field of soybeans.

 

[ agriculture photos @ monicastevens.photoshelter.com ]

Friday on the Farm

Last Thursday, we chopped and bagged a field of rye to use as feed for our cows. This afternoon, we no-till planted soybeans into that field. Residue from the harvested rye and corn from the previous crop year remain protecting the soil. We planted into nice soil conditions with having rain on Thursday and Tuesday. With the soil moisture and warm temperatures, the soybeans should germinate quickly.  

[ view agriculture photos @ monicastevens.photoshelter.com ]