September 21 we finished the last oats field at Handel. The next day we got everything ready and then took three trucks and then the two combines over to Landis to combine the last field of the year. As luck would have it, the oats were too green. There was a second growth coming, which was probably better than the first. We ended up taking the combines home and Gregory stayed to swath the oats.
Because it was going to take a few days to get back to combining, we changed gears a bit and I went to baling the neighbour’s flax straw. It makes very good bedding in the winter and it can be a bit of a hassle if it’s left on the field, so it is a win for both of us.
Read Also
Beef demand drives cattle and beef markets higher
Prices for beef cattle continue to be strong across the beef value chain, although feedlot profitability could be challenging by the end of 2025, analyst Jerry Klassen says.
September 28 we took the combines back over to Landis and John and I combined the north side of the field while Gregory baled the south side. The oats crop was quite sad but it is still something and with the straw left on the field it can be summerfallowed next year. The green feed oat bales that Gregory made from the south side of the field gave us a pretty good boost to our bale count for winter. We finished combining and took the combines home right before dusk and it rained a few drops on us on the way home. That was the end of the 2021 grain harvest.
Nice October weather
The weather was very nice at the beginning of October and Gregory took the opportunity to cut some more hay. He cut some sloughs and runs that are easier to get to after the crop is harvested.
October 6 I brought home a couple of mares and foals from the neighbour’s little pasture. The filly is one that we plan to keep for a future riding mare and broodmare. The colt had been sold and his new owner was coming to pick him up in a few days. Rather than leave one pair in the pasture, I brought both home and weaned them a few days earlier than the rest.
Later that week, Ken Johnson helped Gregory move some bins home from Tramping Lake that he had bought last fall but had not been able to get home before the weather got bad. There is still lots of work to get them into their final places but it will be much easier to work on them with them all home.
On Thanksgiving morning, we woke up to snow. Joseph and James helped me to make some pumpkin and cherry pies for Thanksgiving supper and then Gregory helped me to bring in the horses on the home half and sort them. We put the older mares in a little pasture where they can get some special attention and brought the mares with foals into the corral and separated them. The mares are on one side of the slab fence with the foals on the other. We set up some panels at the gate so that there is a dead space and no one can put his head through to nurse, but they can still see each other.
After playing in the snow all morning, the boys came in to warm up and the rowdy play continued. They rode their critters around the house, mimicking the horses as they came into the corral. They were very ready for turkey and pie after their play.
This year we have much to be thankful for. Despite the chaos and frustrations of the world and the dry conditions this year, we are very grateful to God for the harvest, our animals, and the farm. We are also very grateful for our friends and family. We are excited to announce that we will be adding another Eppich to the crew around the end of February.
