[AT] Winter is sprung?

[Charlie V]

Interesting report Grant . Thank you.
On Mar 19, 2016 7:09 AM, "Grant Brians" <sales at heirloom-organic.com> wrote:

> 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
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