Skip to main content

Charcoal Rot Fungus

This week we received the lab results that told us what killed 80% of our soybean crop prematurely. Charcoal Rot Fungus. The plants are dead, and the soybeans in the pods are like little hard BBs.

It was a stressful year for our plants. First the great flood of June, then a long period of drought--at least six weeks with almost no rain. And now, again, another, smaller flood. Stressed plants can't fight off attackers as well. 

This was also the week that we found out that we have no crop insurance this year. After years of paying premiums and receiving no service at all (don't insurance guys at least call every five years to see if you're still happy? This company was like a brick wall to us), we decided to switch. In the switch, somewhere, someone dropped the ball and didn't finish the job. It's not important who. But we have no crop insurance, and now, no soybean crop.

Decisions need to be made. Plow them in? Harvest what is there first, and then plow them in? The beans are so small, will they even go into the combine hopper? Or will they just fall through back onto the field? 

I wonder if we could burn the soybeans in our corn furnace? 

Comments

  1. I am so sorry for your loss too! Our path down lifes road takes so many unexpected turns.
    Congratulation, I enjoyed your story on the sock machine-one of lifes little blessings!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Lona,
    So very sorry to read of the soybean loss. Haven't read your blog in a while, I was excited for you to read about the sock machine!! Life's downs and ups....
    Hang in there. Coffee soon?? I'll try to call you soon to see if you can break away for a little visit! :)
    LuAnn

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh Lona!

    Sigh...the life of a farmer....thinking of you all, and trusting that our Heavenly Father will provide the way for you.

    ReplyDelete
  4. More loss. I'm sorry Lona.
    I do hope the Lord takes what little you have left of the soybeans and multiplies it for you.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bloggy Giveaway--Now Closed

**This bloggy giveaway is now closed** Thanks to all who participated and gave such great comments. Janette is the winner of the $15 gift certificate to our etsy store . I'm participating in the Bloggy Giveaways Quarterly Carnival . Click the link to go to the carnival where you can enter to win literally hundreds of things. The good news is that even if you have no time to play on the computer trying to win hundreds of things, you can still enter to win one thing right here. This week, I will be giving away a $15 gift certificate to be used toward the purchase of an item in my etsy shop . This contest is open to residents of the United States or Canada only. The winner will receive free shipping on whatever item they choose. Items in my etsy shop include handwoven rugs, wool yarns and roving from our farm, and the ever-popular cotton dishcloth! To be entered in this wonderful drawing, you must go to the etsy shop and look around a bit. Then come back here and type a comment that

Haying 101

A few posts back, "deep end of the loom" (love that name!) asked me to tell a bit more about the haying process. If you want my version, read on. If you'd like to read the official wikipedia version, click here . Haying happens in three steps: cutting, raking and baling. This process takes several days, as the hay must be dry when baled. Moist hay molds and heats up and has even been known to spontaneously combust, burning down the barn. Gotta have dry hay. This first photo is of our haybine. The haybine not only cuts the hay, it also crimps each piece of long grass in several places, to allow for faster drying. We usually cut hay in the early afternoon, when the dew is gone. When we're done, long row of cut grass lie waiting. The hay is allowed to dry for two to three days, depending on wind and sun conditions. Obviously, the more wind and sun the days hold, the quicker the hay will dry. When we feel like the hay is nearly dry, we go out with the rake. There are diff

This Giveaway Is Now Closed!

Today starts a giveaway at Farming in the Shade! I am happy to contribute this complete hat kit (needles not included) to someone who has a knitting obsession and a small person in their life. Here are the rules (contest open to US or Canada residents only): Giveaway ends May 1 at 9 p.m. EST. Winner will be announced by Sunday, May 3. Enter by posting a comment on this blog post. Tell me something about your knitting--who taught you to knit, your favorite yarn, the coolest thing you ever knitted. Make sure you leave contact information! Earn extra entries by: 1) Following me on twitter. (If you don't know what twitter is, don't worry. It's another way to waste your time on the computer.)  Add a comment here so I will count it as one entry. 2) Tweeting this giveaway (no more than once daily). Add a comment here so I know you did it. 3) Blog about this giveaway. Add a comment (with link) here so I can go visit your blog. 4) Follow or subscribe to this blog (or tell me if have