Daniel Smith Offline Upload & Sell: Off
|
Yes, farming and ranching is a hard way to go. Many in it love the life and are very good at it. Among those I know who live in our area one is a former University Prof, PhD in an ag field who decided to go back to the land rather than just talk about it. Three with Masters degrees. Many with Bachelors. A number with specialty programs that help them set up their own operation. A 2 year program in farm management. Helps them with instructors walking them through leasing/buying their own land and equipment - no 'daddy owned' stuff. They learn to be independent and operate the farm on their own. The instructors visit them in the field, go over operations, help with planning and obtaining financing. A solid program.
Then there is modern machinery. GPS systems that memorize fields and crops, accurate to +- one inch. Means no double planted rows and no missed areas. As they go over the land it measures ground moisture, temperature, crop yields and more. Long term records builds so fertilizing is more in poor soil and less in better. A tractor can haul a cultivator, air seeder and fertilizer so only one pass on a field is needed to plant it. Amazing to watch. In our area bigger tractors and combines are normal. Light hills, not like the Palouse region of Washington. Air seeders can plant 110 foot wide at one pass. Combines with massive headers mean fewer passes on the field and faster harvesting. All this needed as they race the weather to get crops in, fight weeds and insects and harvest.
Sure does make for some interesting images as the guys and gals work the fields. Computer technology and genetic modification has really helped with crop yields.
As one neighbor said, looking at a newer combine. "$570,000 and I am on the field two weeks a year with it. I can harvest in one day what my father and 10 hired hands could have done in that time." Add in that in North Dakota there are NO Corporate farming operations - other than closely held family corporations. No Monstanto and the like. It is illegal here. Family farms are just that - owned and operated by families.
With winter temperatures to and behond 40 below(f) it can be rough. Protected areas for animals. Big equipment sheds so stuff can be worked on during the off season as well as protected from weathering. Still have some who keep draft horses and use them for hauling feed to cattle at times, not just for parades and such.
Clean air, great light and some nice Northern Light shows in the night sky. Makes for some fun photos.
|