D4Jim- no it would be very very rare to get a rain like that, during the summer we may get .5-1inches in a fairly short time in a thunderstorm but the rest of the year it would take a day of rain to get more than 1". Erosion was worse here when the ground used to be worked down fine before seeding winter wheat and we used to summerfallow as well. We could get those cloudbursts that would do some damage. If the ground freezes and then we get rain and snowmelt on that it can also cause a fair amount of erosion since the soil will wash as soon as it thaws but again that is not bad anymore because of the residue left over in the winter.

As for what the pasture looks like-

Here is some of ours in the first pic and the second two are from down in the cattle country of Asotin Co. WA at a friends ranch, and yes the cows go up and down those hills in the background.








atlas- I agree with you about farming being challenging and rewarding, seems that every day and year brings something new.


We had a major windstorm here this week and lost power the past few days. Wind gusts peaked at 85mph at the Moscow-Pullman airport, one of the highest winds ever. Local power company said it caused more damage than any storm before. A grain bin from the top of the grade across the river blew away, yes it was a 25ftX25ft steel bin!

1) Cat D5B of variable horsepower, farm tractor with linkage. Will be completely rebuilt for sale in 2011. Based in Cambridgeshire.




2) D5 not for sale!




3) Friend Snoopy at work with switchplough. The only IH in Shropshire.




4) Switchplough - not many left working.




5) 110 miles from Shropshire in the county of Cambridgeshire, drainage pumps in a farming area at 8 feet above sea level. These pumps move 245 tons per minute of water out of local drainage ditches.




6) Some of my brother-in-laws farmland in the drained Cambridgeshire area.




7) More pictures of my brother-in-laws land.





Farmland in the same area.




9) Planted 2nd wheat on 4th October - 6 inch spacing.




10 ) Same field, wheat emerged on the 12th November.




11) Wet holes on low lying ground. Not very successful - Pussy got stuck with planter and had to have a pull out.




12) D4D sold at agricultural sale with 3 point linkage made $6500.




13) Farming isnt all profit - number 4 tower solenid switch failed to stop motor running. Result: a wrecked pivot. Obviously no-one around at the time to switch the power off. Thats farming!




14) Hereford Cross all gone for vocation to McDonalds! With the price of feed there may not be any fattening of cattle next year.




15) Pussy in front of minitill. Even has its own vice. Maybe higher maintenance than the old Cats?




16) Lemkin minitill trying to oust the plough.

What a nice site to see. I was in Pasco and Walla Walla WA last week seen several D6 9 U s with the white enclosed soft cabs ( maybe Pringle or Harold) also seen a couple of D5s out in the field working. Yesterday I was coming back through Brawley just north of Yuma Az , there was a immaculate D6D SA factory Cat cab sitting in the field along side the highway with the shiniest steel tracks on an ag cat I have seen in a long time. The soil was dry, the pads were so shiney they looked like polished stainles steel. I tried to stop and get some pics but i had already passed it. If it is there when I go back to Yuma next week I will try to get some pics. At least now I know where it is at.

Atlas- those are some good pics, looks like the wheat is off to a good start.

NIF, thanks for all of the great pictures. I love the MH's when they're blowing some smoke on a good pull. I've always wanted to shoot picures in the Palouse during harvest, seeding, etc. but never have time to do it the way I want. Maybe in a couple of years I'll get to it. Atlas, robins, starlings, magpies, etc will eat grapes when the sugar content is high but not before. One year birds took the entire white grape crop, under previous owners, and the kids decided that wasn't going to happen to them. Netting that stuff is a big job and taking it off is worse because it clings to everything. Nice pictures too, by the way. I would like to see that 5B when it's completed. That's good looking farm land there.

Atlas and NIF - thanks for the interesting pictures - good stuff !

Atlas - 6" row spacing for wheat, man no wonder you folk are threshing 4 tons/acre and more of wheat!

NIF or Bleedinred - would 7" be the narrowest wheat spacing in the Palouse?

Oldtracks- Some of the older drills are were 6" spacing but 7" was more common. Most newer conventional drills are 7.5 or 10". Air drills are commonly 10 or 12 or more. With wheat it does not matter much they say, people have still grown very good wheat with wide row spacing. With legumes especially lentils it matters more to have narrower spacing.

Hi Guys NIF your friend has good looking bunch of cows and calfs ,Its strange that those white faces seem to be the world over, must produce good meat and feed converters. Has anyone heard of the Bill Wolfe Hereford ranch based in Walla Walla Washington or Oregon its a long time since i passed through i made friends for life i fixed his swather? cheers Atlas

I hope you are all snugged up in your man cave (shop). Just checked the NOAA weather, you are going to need to light the stove and fire up the reactor. It's COLD!!! I know that this is probably not too unusual except for being this early. We had snow the night before last at the 2,000 foot elevation. In central CA, that is very unusual for November and it looks like snow again tonight.

Have a great Thanksgiving and I hope that if you travel that it is safe for you and your family.

Thanks for keeping this thread alive.

Casey

NIF, Atlas and many others - thanks for all the interesting pictures and words.
As I noted previously, this thread is one of the main reasons that I joined ACMOC.

Right on Casey, we need to keep this thread up front.

Now if only 98j from Oregon would show up, we would be on a good roll.