As I shared in the last column, we went to two funerals and lost our main stallion, Pepper. Though those were big events for us, there was also a lot of work that was done, and some family took the time to come and visit us.

On July 6 my great-aunt and her husband came up from Idaho to visit us. Aunt Heidi and Sherman had fun playing with the boys and surprised Joseph with a new saddle. We put it on my gelding, and Joseph tried the new saddle out in the round pen. We have to find the hole puncher and shorten the stirrups a little bit, but other than that it will be a very nice saddle for him to use for some time.

We also went on a few adventures checking the pastures and the watering systems and had some American history lessons while whittling sticks. Sherman also did some baking with the boys, and he made us a nice supper one evening. John and Barb joined us, and we visited quite late.

They were only able to stay a few days. They had to head for home on July 9 in order to make it back in time for some meetings and appointments. We greatly enjoyed their visit, even though it was only for a short time.

After saying goodbye, Gregory set out to cut some ditch hay. He worked on cutting hay for several days. It was slow going with several breakdowns. Some were quick fixes, some required the welder and one was bad enough he had to switch haybines.

On the morning of July 13, our last mare foaled. That makes nine foals for the year: five colts and four fillies. All are healthy and are growing nicely.

On July 15 we started baling hay and got most of it wrapped up before the rain. I was also able to take some mares and foals and a few young mares out to pasture. They greatly enjoy being able to get out of the corral and eat some grass.

Early on the morning of July 28 we loaded up the kids and headed for Camrose, Alta., for Kathryn’s funeral. The church was full of people who came to pray for Kathryn. Gregory’s sister, Theresa, had taken Barb the previous day for prayers in the evening. Unfortunately, due to the timing, John was not able to attend because his prostate surgery was scheduled for the following day, and the trip was going to be too much for him with no time for recovery.

Theresa and Barb left shortly after the funeral to go home to take John into Saskatoon. They stayed the night so that he could rest before his morning surgery. We stayed for the burial and then went to Gregory’s sister Sandra’s place afterward to spend a little time with her. We ask that you please pray for Kathryn’s soul and for her family as well.

John’s surgery went well, and he wasn’t happy with the food and some of the nurses in the hospital, so he convinced them to send him home. When John got home, he checked on us and both Gregory and I were baling. The kids were pestering Phil and Tish Ulrich and having a wonderful time. Gregory’s baler was giving him some static and he ended up needing to take the pickup apart to replace a piece that had worn out.

The next day, with two balers that were working well, we set out to bale the ditches around home. We were just about done when I saw Gregory pull down into the bottom of the ditch and start inspecting his baler. He had a bearing go on one of the rollers that he couldn’t see from the tractor. Luckily, he caught it before it caught fire. He took his tractor and baler home to work on replacing the bearing while I finished the ditch.

The next morning, Aug. 1, we tried to put the roller with the new bearing back in, but a bolt broke and we had to wait for a replacement. John had decided he was going to North Battleford that day, so Gregory added the bolt to his list. Gregory switched back to cutting hay, and I went home to try to get ready for more visitors.

That evening Grandma Allen and Uncle Mike rolled into the driveway after a two-day drive from Idaho. They had a lot of fun with the kids. They brought some foam swords and a bubble machine, and the kids and the puppy had hours of fun popping the bubbles. They also brought two little school desks with them that Grandpa Allen had refinished a long time ago. Anna and Ian were quite excited about having their own desks to work at while the older brothers do their schoolwork. We also went on adventures checking the horses and looking at crops.

On Sunday evening, we got the mini-mare, Cloud, out and rode her in the round pen. Everyone had to have a turn, especially little Anna. James and Ian took turns with one riding and one leading and then they switched. Uncle Mike got a chance to encourage Joseph and give him a few pointers when he rode.

The next morning, Aug. 4, they had to start for home. We are so blessed to have family and friends who take the time to come and see us.

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Two weeks ago, after the doctor here checked Dani’s baby, they were sent to Community Hospital in Missoula to be checked and monitored overnight (see ‘Tribute’ at bottom). Ammarie was doing better by next day so Andrea brought them home.

Later that week we had a vet look at Barney, our new bull. We were worried about the lump on Barney’s lower jaw, and Dr. Abbey confirmed our suspicions — it’s a bony lump. We might be able to clear it up with several treatments of sodium iodine given IV, but prognosis isn’t good. I called Kit Pharo, since we bought the bull from him and there’s a one-year guarantee. He said it was too late in the season to replace the bull, but we could use him and replace him this fall, with our purchase price (minus salvage value) going toward a new bull.

Last weekend Charlie helped get the haying equipment ready to go, greasing it, checking hydraulics, changing oil, and hooking the swather up to the tractor. The hay is nearly ready to cut. Andrea shut the irrigation water off our fields a while back and it’s dry enough — if the weather clears up!

MORE ‘Rancher’s Diary: Cattle out on pasture for another season

July 14 

We were finally able to start haying after the setback from several days of rain and the family crisis that that took precedence over everything else. Getting back to tasks at hand — trying to get hay harvested between storms and machinery breakdowns, has been therapeutic. Dani has been staying with her friend Talesha but they came several days to help with haying, and this has been good for Dani, to be doing something useful and keep her from focusing only on her grief.

Tribute to a great-granddaughter

Editor’s note: In late June the Thomas family was cast into grief as Ammarie, the great granddaughter of Heather Smith Thomas, was found in medical distress. Emergency medical efforts in Idaho and at a Salt Lake City hospital were unable to revive the infant.

There will be a memorial service later for Ammarie, so I wrote a few things I’d like to say in remembrance of that special little girl, and I will share them here.

When Lynn and I first heard about the baby that would arrive in April, we were excited. When Dani and Roger had us guess if it would be a boy or a girl we were hoping for a girl — our first great-granddaughter. We have four great-grandsons and thought it would be very special to have a little girl.

We were given a pink heart and a blue star, to have us guess until they knew what the baby would be. When we found out, we put the little pink heart on our calving calendar that hangs on the kitchen wall, and wrote “It’s a Girl” on it. That little pink heart is still there as a reminder of that special time.

When she was born April 14, on Carolyn’s birthday and a day before Michael’s birthday, we thought that was special, too — a birthday that would be easy to remember in the family cluster of April birthdays — including Ammarie’s second cousin Joseph and her great-uncle Nick.

My favourite photo of Ammarie is the one Emily took the day Dani’s baby was born, with the smiling young mother cradling that precious new little girl in her arms.

Lynn and I got to see her when Andrea brought Dani and baby home from the hospital. We went out in the driveway as they drove past on their way home to Andrea’s house. They stopped briefly so we could get our first close-up look at that beautiful sleeping baby.

She was a sweetie, and charmed everyone who saw her and got to hold her. When Lynn was at Andrea’s house this spring on several occasions to help babysit Christopher, he got to see little Ammarie also.

We grieved deeply when we all lost that little angel, but there was one bright incident amid the grief. A beautiful butterfly hovered around our windows in the sunshine the afternoon before Ammarie was truly gone. Lynn noticed the monarch butterfly that continued to flutter around our kitchen and dining room windows for several hours, as if her little spirit was saying good-by.

We shall miss her deeply, and regret that we won’t have a chance to see her learn to crawl, and walk, and grow into a lovely young woman. But we shall cherish the moments we were able to enjoy her, in her short life, and the brief memories, and hold her forever in our hearts.”

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In 2022, New Holland gave its small square baler line an overhaul and brought back the Hayliner name. 

“With the new Hayliner small square balers, we’re fusing legendary performance and reliability with new modern styling,” says Jordan Milewski, conventional hay tools marketing manager for New Holland Agriculture North America. “These new balers are the next evolution in our commitment to enhancing the haymaking process and finding efficiencies at all levels of an operation.” 

To get a smoother and more even material flow through the balers, all three models, the 265, 275 and 275 Plus, use New Holland’s rotary feeding system. And a 14- by 18-inch bale case is standard on all three as well. 

The 265 gets a five-bar pickup. That changes to a six-bar version on the 275. Both models get a two-way “hydraformatic” bale tensioner. The 275 Plus, which is intended for producers or custom operators who put through a lot of hay in a season, uses a four-way hydra-formatic tensioner for firmer bales, which can be easily handled by a bale wagon without breaking. For added reliability, it also gets a bale case that is stiffer and 12 inches longer, as well as hardened plunger rails.

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“The Discbine Plus models have bold, new styling and yellow accents to signify commercial-grade performance,” said Jordan Milewski, conventional hay tools marketing manager for New Holland Agriculture North America. “… we’ve focused on enhanced cutting and swath controls for greater overall performance.”

The Discbine Plus models continue with the centre-pivot design and use the MowMax II Plus disc cutter bar with the QuickMax knife-change system. This is a newly redesigned cutter bar that delivers a cleaner cut. It’s similar to the one used on the brand’s Durabine Plus disc headers for Speedrower Plus self-propelled windrowers.

The longer knives on the cutter bar have a faster tip speed creating a better quality cut, and the cutter bar is capable of a 30 per cent lower cut height. That gets more crop material into windrows when working in down or tangled crop stands. For cleaner cutting in light- or late-season crops, the reshaped rock guards improve crop-to-knife contact.

[RELATED] New rakes and tedders from Kuhn

The ShockPro disc drive hubs help absorb impacts from striking rocks or other objects and protect drive components. The design of the cutter bar components makes them quicker and easier to replace in the field to minimize downtime if damage does occur.

The WideDry conditioning system used on the Discbine Plus models is sized for each machine to allow for uniform conditioning and smooth crop flow. And there is a choice of conditioning system options, which include chevron intermeshing rubber rolls or chevron intermeshing steel rolls with a torsion bar pressure system. For grass hay conditioning, NH’s LeaningEdge flail tine conditioning system is still available.

The new Discbines can leave windrows as narrow as three feet or as wide as eight feet. The windrow forming shields are also five inches taller than previous Discbine models and work with the swath gate to produce a tunnel effect. The taller design and greater curvature at the bottom provide more precise windrow control, helping to tuck the edges in for neater-looking swaths with improved dry down.

There are four models of the Discbine Plus mower conditioners available with working widths from 10 to 16.5 feet.

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The new GF 1003 series tedders include both pull-type and three-point hitch-mounted models. They use the brand’s new OptiTedd small diameter rotors that the company says are stronger than previous designs. And the smaller diameter also allows them to follow ground contours much better.

The DigiDrive coupling systems that turn those rotors make for an efficient driveline design capable of better transferring drive power while still allowing the tenders to easily fold up into transport position. The DigiDrive driveline design requires a minimum of maintenance without the need for daily greasing.

[RELATED] Updated balers from Claas

The new GA 13231 and 15231 quad-rotor rakes are available in working widths from just over 27 feet to 48 feet and three inches, making it possible to cover a lot of ground in a short time. Kuhn says the rotors on these rakes are now lighter, yet stronger. They also boast updates to some bearings and shafts to increase overall implement strength.

A “boost function” allows the front rotors to rotate 20 per cent faster than those at the rear, which reduces clumping and makes for a better windrow.

ISOBUS controls allow the operator to adjust all rake settings from the cab, including working and windrow width, simultaneous or individual front rotor lift, raking height and machine folding for transport. Two monitor options are available, the CCI 800 and CCI 1200. Both use touch screen technology. A programmable joystick and camera are also available as options.

Finally, the new lightweight GA 4201 and 4401 single-rotor mounted rakes are now offered for smaller tractors. They use double-curved tine arms to create fluffy windrows that allow more air movement through the windrows for faster drying. Rake height adjustments are made with a crank mechanism that is accessible from the tractor operator position.

These rakes also use a pivoting headstock that allows for tight turns of up to 48 degrees, making it possible to get into tight field corners. An improved gearbox makes for a more durable design and simplified windrow curtain adjustment allows for greater operator control.

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While Krone has experience with self-propelled forage harvesters, powered equipment hasn’t been something Lemken is known for on this continent.

[VIDEO] AgDealerTV: Combined Powers

Their Combined Powers project has resulted in the development of a fully autonomous power unit designed to work with Lemken tillage implements and Krone haying attachments on a three-point linkage. In all, the power units have three possible attachment points, rear and front linkage and a top connection point. The companies say the concept power units have been in field trials for a year, working in a variety of field conditions — and those trials are continuing. The goals being pursued by the project team are to eliminate the need for a conventional tractor and providing an autonomous machine that can do field work even better than a human operator can.

Focus on field work quality

Rather than just focusing on a power unit capable of accurate guidance across a field, the unit is designed with a primary focus on the quality of the field work it does, the companies say. The power unit is able to do that through complicated software that relies on AI (artificial intelligence). It uses a variety of sensors to gather data and interpret its surroundings.

“The speciality of the process unit is it is controlled by the implement and not vice versa,” says the description in the press release. “This detail was considered imperative for achieving optimum results. The implement and the drive unit act as one integrated smart system. Based on the long experience in the application of ISOBUS and TIM on Krone and Lemken machines, the drive unit and implement communicate and interact, sharing literally all types of data.”

The autonomous units are built around a 230-horsepower diesel engine, but power is transferred to the drive wheels and PTO via an electric drive system rather than a conventional mechanical powertrain. The companies say they chose an electric driveline because the industry is entering a “post-combustion engine era.” Using this approach will allow for an easy replacement of the diesel engine as a power source in the future with such systems as battery-electric or hydrogen power.

Three steering modes

The unit is capable of both pulling and pushing implements, and it’s compact — only 5.5 metres long and 2.7 metres wide. Three steering modes, front-wheel, rear-wheel and four-wheel steering, make the unit very manoeuvrable. It rides on four, 38-inch drive tires for maximum traction.

The intention is to have the machine’s progress monitored remotely through a mobile device, allowing it to provide progress reporting to the operator. At the moment, a radio controller is used to control the power unit for connecting to implements, but that function will eventually be enabled through a mobile device as well.

“Operators control and monitor the combination from a mobile device, transmitting jobs and job reports via a communication module and the agrirouter, the established data exchange hub,” the companies explain.

The Combined Power project is also aiming for a high level of reliability, with the intention of having the units capable of operating 24 hours a day.

As development and field trials continue, the companies are inviting comments from potential buyers about what functions they would like to use the units for through a survey feature on the website www.combined-powers.com.

“Thanks to its enormous versatility, the unit is designed for year-round work and a long service life,” said the companies this spring. “Intensive trialling in all types of conditions and seeking feedback from farmers and contractors will continue this year.”

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The province announced Friday it will make such lands available this year for agricultural use “under certain circumstances.” Permits and land uses will be handled through the Agricultural Crown Lands Leasing program.

Livestock grazing on permitted land must be removed either when its natural forage is exhausted, or by Oct. 31, the province said. Baled hay must be removed by Nov. 15.

The province also noted that if producers with AgriInsurance contracts plan to put a crop to alternate use, such as for feed, they first must contact Manitoba Agricultural Services Corp. to arrange for a field appraisal before that crop is harvested.

“Crop producers should also consider making crop residue available to livestock producers,” the province said Friday.

Producers interested in applying for Crown land use can contact the Agricultural Crown Lands Leasing program at 204-867-6550 or call their Agricultural Crown Lands district office. — Glacier FarmMedia Network

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The MM 890 uses Kuhn’s IntelliMerge ISOBUS-compatible system. One of the features it offers, the OptiSense belt stall indicator, alerts an operator if the belts are starting to jam. It senses when they begin to slow down, so the problem can be addressed before the machine plugs, reducing downtime in the field.

A floating wind guard keeps windrows smooth and even, while the crop netting improves leaf retention in the windrow to help improve forage quality. A mechanical system on each head eliminates the need to use the “float” feature on a tractor’s hydraulic system.

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On August 4 my very good friends from the States came to visit: Lacey from Wyoming and Michelle from Tennessee. Michelle is Joseph’s Godmother, but they are both well-loved “aunties.” They had so much fun playing with the little guy, who isn’t as little as they remember him. I’m sure they both went home exhausted at the end of the week.

On Aug. 12 we moved a bin home that we bought from the neighbour’s auction sale. We used the bale trailer that John had built and Gregory’s Mack truck with the crane on the back. Gregory lifted the bin, which didn’t have a floor, with the crane and set it on the trailer and then drove it home and set it down on the bin floor we had purchased earlier. The bin is on a gravel pad. It took a bit of work to get it into place and ready to use, but it will be very nice to have this year.

Other haying options

Gregory tried to cut our very short haydfield in Landis Aug. 17. He took the 25-foot pull-type swather, hoping to put enough into the swath for the baler to pick up. He made it a round and a half before the sickle head broke. The grass had taken a bad beating from the hail and between the grass that was beaten down and the short regrowth it was bunching up on the knife. We knew that it was going to be hard to get the hay off after the hail but after trying to swath it, we decided that it would be best to graze it this fall and hope for a better year next year. We got almost half of our hay for the winter from that one field last year. It is going to be a struggle trying to get enough hay out of the ditches and the sloughs for this winter.

While John was swathing the home wheat field Aug, 22, Gregory and I hauled a couple of loads of ditch bales home. It is slow going picking them out of the ditches. We got two loads home and then it started raining. It ended up raining four-tenths of an inch that day. We got a few more loads home over the next few days, but it looks like bale hauling is going to have to happen in between other projects this year.

The end of August turned out to be wet. There really wasn’t any great amount of rain at one time but it was cool and overcast, making everything very slow to dry out. As we wait for the hay and the crop to be dry enough there is plenty of preharvest maintenance and fixing to be done.

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Citing “dry conditions in parts of the province,” the Manitoba government announced Monday that livestock producers “will temporarily be allowed to cut hay and allow animals to graze on Crown land not normally designated for agricultural use.”

Crown land can be made available for agricultural use “under certain circumstances,” the province said, by way of its Agricultural Crown Lands Leasing program, which will administer the use of available land and provide necessary permits.

Producers interested in such leases are asked to contact the program office in Minnedosa or their local Crown lands representative.

Eligible producers’ livestock must be removed from the land either “when the naturally existing forage is exhausted” or by Oct. 31, the province said, and any baled hay must be removed by Nov. 15.

“The dry conditions of the past couple of years have created challenging conditions for beef producers in terms of the amount of grazing days available on their pastures and the volume and quality of hay they have been able to harvest,” Manitoba Beef Producers president Tom Teichroeb said Monday in a separate release.

“This announcement will provide an important option for producers who require additional feed options and we thank the government for making this available.”

Producers with AgriInsurance contracts who plan to put a crop to “alternate use” must contact the Manitoba Agricultural Services Corp. office to arrange for a field appraisal prior to harvesting the crop, the province noted Monday.

Crop producers “should also consider making crop residue available to livestock producers,” the province added.

“I know there are many beef producers who would welcome those kinds of conversations,” MBP’s Teichroeb said.

MBP, he added, “will continue to engage with the government about the effects of the dry conditions and possible strategies to help producers deal with these situations, such as water supply challenges.” — Glacier FarmMedia Network

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