The Summer is Rolling By

The summer seems to be going by faster than I’d like it to, most possibly because we have been too busy to notice. Sometimes too much going on leads to forgetting how the day went by, but all and all it has been a very productive first summer in Iowa and a lot learned.

We had a young man from Germany visit and stay with us for a month to learn about how Midwest American farmers farm. He wants to be a German farmer and as an eager, young 18 year-old, he is on his way of becoming one. He was very skilled already at driving tractors, loading grain, bailing hay and hard work in general so we felt very confident with him joining us in our daily farm activities.

He drove many loads of corn to the ethanol plant nearby…

20110819-064741.jpg

He helped clean out 2011 corn out of bins…

20110819-065006.jpg

He mowed lawns and weed-wacked…

20110819-065232.jpg

He fed sheep…

20110819-110152.jpg

He pulled weeds…

20110819-110255.jpg

…as well as many other odds and ends kind of work around the farm in the summer. He was ready and eager for hard, physical work everyday…sometimes we couldn’t find enough for him to do! He said the work was good for his figure, especially if he ate American food.

Growing days

Every week the corn grows a little bit…no, actually a lot taller. It’s really amazing. Last week the corn was shoulder height.

20110718-065113.jpg

And the garden beds looked good even after the frying mishap…

20110718-065749.jpg

This week the corn is taller than I am and the tassels have emerged.

20110718-065416.jpg

And the garden beds have grown tenfold! No wonder everything is bigger in the Amazon!

20110718-070000.jpg

Right now is the special time when the corn plant pollinates itself to produce the ear of corn that is valued so high. Right now is also one of the hottest weeks all summer. The corn plant should not under go much stress during the pollination period. Stress reduces the number of kernels an ear may have and therefore reduces the future yield. A heat index of 115 degrees Fahrenheit is not conducive to a happy and stress free plant. But so far, our corn plants look magnificent and healthy. All the green is really a site to see. But I will let you know how this week of extreme hotness goes for us and the corn.