Tilling Soil for 2012

Once the harvest is complete everyone is focused on the 2012 planting season. Here you see several pictures of chisel plowing. You will note that a fair amount of corn stalks remain on the surface. This helps control water and also wind erosion.

When I was an Iowa Tractor Boy the preparation of the soil for planting involved turning the soil completely over so that there was no stalks visible. This was the thinking of that era. The seed been needed to be free of rough material so that the crops could germinate and grow with no material preventing growth.

The new concept of minimum tillage reduces erosion and the crops also flourish with out the soil being eroded away.

This close up view allows you to see the amount of material left on the soil surface. Of course you are viewing John Deere equipment. The operator of this Tractor is a full time employee of John Deere Dubuque Tractor works.







For readers of this Blog who are not Farmers, please be aware that the focus of farming in this time is to be excellent stewards of the land. For those who may not already know, the State of Iowa has 25 percent of the Grade "A" farm land in the United States of America. Thus the name for Iowa is also "The Bread Basket of the United States." While several states may grow more of a specific crop, Iowa leads the nation in total production of food stuffs to feed the people, not only in the U. S. A. but in Countries around the World.



The tugs pushing barges loaded with grain are a common site on the Mississippi River. For those not involved in agriculture, I wish to inform you that Iowa Tractor Boys, as well as other Farmers in the Midwest are keenly aware of what is happening in the global market place regarding crop production and the impact that the weather on a worldwide basis has on their respective operations.



Yes, agriculture and farmers have to think on a global basis.

Fourth Generation Iowa Tractor Boys

This picture was taken on October 30 as the Sons of My Nephew were displaying their Jack-O-Lanterns for Halloween 2011.

Corn Harvest 2011

The following pictures were taken on October 20, 2011 as my Nephews were completing the Corn Harvest on the Farm where I was an Iowa Tractor Boy from 1944 until 1961 when I joined the U. S. Navy.

The farm is now owned by my youngest Sibling; however he rents out the farm land to our Nephews.

You can also observe the almost smooth soil on the right end of this picture. This is where the 2011 crop of Soybeans grew.

Iowa Tractor Boy

Page Views

During the past week this Blog has experienced these Page Views:

United States - 82

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It is always interesting to ascertain where the viewers/vistors to this Blog live. We are certainly globally connected and it would appear that many peoples are interested in agriculture in the U. S. A.

Lock and Dam Number Ten

Mississippi River

Guttenberg, Iowa

Way back in the 1930s the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers constructed many Locks and Dams on the Mississippi River to allow tows pushing barges to distribute grain, fuel and coal up and down the Mississippi River. This is the most cost effective means of moving large sums of material through the country.

As you would suspect vast amounts of corn is transported down the Mississippi River to the major grain exporters in the South. Then the corn is shipped overseas. Without this market there would not be such a large demand for the corn that the Farmers in the Upper Mid-West produce.

Admittedly I was not in the Upper Mid-West to acquire the photographs that I have published today in the Iowa Tractor Boys Blog Post; however I am grateful to a number of family members who keep me supplied with interesting and also educational photos.

First Buck

You may remember that in an earlier post today I showed three young Iowa Tractor Boys at play in the leaves.

Here is a picture of the oldest of these three young Iowa Tractor Boys with a nice looking Buck that he just harvested.

This young hunter is the third generation of Deer Hunters and it appears that he is maintaining the legacy very well.

Soybean Harvest Complete

Kale Avenue

Clayton County Iowa

Here you have the opportunity to view the Soybean Field after the harvest is complete. The Harvester has the grain header removed as the Tractor Boys prepare to resume the Corn Harvest.