[AT] Winter is sprung?

[Grant Brians]

Here in California our winter has been an interesting mix of warm, wet, 
dry and some cold. We have had spring temperatures since early January 
though so I can't say exactly when it started!  I have been off the list 
as I am so busy with farming and the seed sales business 
(www.gourmetseed.com). We have had flooding in our floodplain fields, 
wet conditions where we have had gaps in our sandy soil ranches planting 
cycles and even plants that the leaves waterlogged to the extent that 
they could not have their leaves harvested.
      But still it is not an actual WET year. The drought is breaking 
for some and not others. For the antique equipment front, use is finally 
taking its toll on some implements. The 1955 IH Dyrr disc harrow had 
part of the hinge break (1" thick steel) after all of these years and 
acres. It covers at least 1000 acres worth of passes a year now, maybe 
quite a bit more as we grow 2-4 crops a year on the ranch where we now 
use it and there are over 120 acres of cropland there.
      Some of the Planet Jr. planters had to have an overhaul again - I 
don't know how many times that has happened! Our 1994 - not antique but 
it illustrates the point of work results - disc had to have the hitch 
mount rebuilt with new steel finally. It is only 10' wide and yet it 
covers 200 acres a year, again 2-5 crops per year. And the ripper needed 
new points again for the umpteenth time.... Even the least new of the 
new John Deere tractors started giving problems because the fuel hoses 
have broken down after 8 years. I desperately need to rebuild the weed 
flamers now, but don't have time and not doing so costs real money 
because of the amount of labor they save.
      Ironically, the Oliver 77's all are working fine....
             Grant Brians - Hollister,California farmer of vegetables, 
herbs, edible flowers, nuts and fruits