Tag Archives: Wisconsin

Southwest Wisconsin Crop Report: April 18, 2012

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Corn was 2 percent planted this week as compared to 0 percent at this same time last year and a 0 percent 5-year average, according to the Wisconsin Almanac. I’d say that in the southern part of the state 10% of the corn acres have been planted.

Many of the coops last week spent every sunny hour spreading fertilizer or spraying pre chemicals. On Saturday night Sunday morning we got about an inch of rain across the state. Some places had a little more than an inch. Some growers that have planned to no till have had to hit the fields with a light disk or finisher do to the fact that the top soil is so hard because of dry weather.

Ninety-nine percent of new seeding alfalfa has been planted. Newly emerged seedling, as well as established forage, may be affected by low temperatures even if frost isn’t present. A few alfalfa fields suffered cold injury last week and low temperatures have also slowed the growth of existing alfalfa. That being said, the stands of alfalfa will not grow any taller until after harvest. I expect we’ll see growers cutting hay within the next two weeks. To help determine when to harvest first crop alfalfa, click here.

 

 

Southwest Wisconsin Crop Report: April 11, 2012

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Many growers have been chomping at the bit to get stated planting this week. But with cold weather moving in, most have decided to hold off at least until end of this week or into next week. Soil temps in southwest Wisconsin are ranging anywhere from 44 to 48 degrees, depending on tillage practices and residue cover. A sustained soil temperature of 50+ degrees is needed for corn to germinate.

Make sure soil conditions are optimal, as well. Wet soils can be a big issue. If you are planting in wet soil, the chances of getting side wall compacting is magnified significantly. If the soil is too wet, the chances of getting the seed furrow too close is not good either.

Many areas are experiencing especially dry soil conditions this spring, prompting some farmers to ask if they should plant their seed deep into the moisture. The answer is “NO.” Optimal depth for corn seed to be planted is 2 inches. If you plant too deep, the corn will potentially leaf out underground. If the seed is placed too shallow, then the plant does not have as good of a chance to develop a root system needed to reach nutrients, moisture or have the ability to utilize the full potential of the roots to brace the plant down for high winds.

I would say that 95% of new seeding alfalfa has been planted in Southwest Wisconsin. Many have had it in for about a week now, and some of the earlier planted alfalfa has just started to come up. Overnight have been down to 24 degrees from 2 AM until 5 AM, which is creating some real challenges for alfalfa here. The rule of thumb is if the temperature dips below 26 degrees for more than 4 hours straight, the alfalfa plant will go into dormancy or possible die off. This article from Iowa State University Extension gives tips on how to look at the field or fields that have been affected: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/CropNews/2009/0407barnhart.htm.

Hemann Family Lands in Mitchell County, Iowa

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After embarking on a journey that lasted five years and took him across six states, pilot Dale Hemann landed in Mitchell County.

Today Dale and his wife, Cindy, feel blessed to raise their four children in the remodeled farmhouse where Dale lived as a child. They also raise corn and soybeans plus sell Latham® seeds. In addition, Dale contract feeds hogs and finishes Holstein steers after starting them on the bucket.

“We love it here,” says Cindy, a native of Wellington, Kansas. “We’ve lived in enough places to appreciate the quality of life in rural Iowa.”

Like many high school graduates, Dale left his parents’ home in rural Osage, Iowa, and enrolled in college. Dale earned a bachelor’s degree in Aviation Technology and a commercial pilot’s license before moving to Arkansas where Dale worked for a freight outfit as an airplane mechanic, flying to other cities where he did maintenance right on the ramp.

After Dale earned a master’s degree in Aviation Safety from the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, he had a short stint as production manager at Kestrel Aircraft in Norman, Oklahoma. He then made the move to Tulsa, where he worked for American Airlines. It wasn’t long before a friend of Dale’s called to let him know that Raytheon had an opening for an engineer in Wichita, Kansas. Dale got the job and moved once again. Shortly after moving to Wichita, Dale and Cindy got married. Cindy then left her job at College of the Ozarks in Branson and joined Dale in Wichita.

After a year in Wichita, Dale was contacted by a friend with whom he had worked at American Airlines. He thought Dale would be a good fit for a newly created position in his department at FedEx in Memphis, Tennessee. Dale and Cindy packed up and moved to the Memphis area, settling in Olive Branch, Mississippi. The Hemann’s oldest two children were born while they were living in Mississippi.

With their young family in mind, Dale and Cindy began their journey “home.” They knew they wanted to raise their children around extended family members and in a rural area where there kids could play freely without some of the worries that come with city living. Dale took a position as a ramp/operations manager with FedEx and subsequent transfers moved the family to Madison, Wisconsin, and then to Ames, Iowa. They were thrilled when a position opened with FedEx in Rochester, Minnesota, just 60 miles from Dale’s hometown.

While commuting home from work one day, Dale had a heart-to-heart talk with his dad. Dale was growing weary of switching jobs and moving his family. He was seeking stability and believed that farming would provide that. Plans were made for Dale to begin farming with his dad. Meanwhile, his parents, Larry and Rosemary, made plans to build a house in town. Dale farmed long distance for the first year, commuting to Osage on weekends and using vacation days as needed to get the farm work done.

“None of this would have been possible without the help of my dad,” says Dale. It was an interesting time for all family members. Larry and Rosemary moved out of their house in the country one weekend, and Dale’s family moved in the following weekend.

That was eight years ago, and the family has done lot of growing. Dale and Cindy’s oldest daughter, Lindsay, is now 13. Emily will turn 12 on Feb. 29, and Whitney is 9. Their son, Alex, is 7.

“I love that we live in the country where our kids have lots of room to play,” says Cindy, who grew up in town where she enjoyed playing with neighborhood kids. “They find creative ways to entertain themselves, and we host lots of play dates.”

This time of year the children are busy making crafts, trying experiments and baking. Four active kids with a host of active friends means lots of kitchen time!

“We recently made clay. We had to make volcanoes two weekends in a row because our kids wanted to make them with their friends,” says Cindy with a smile. “Although we’re constantly cleaning up the kitchen, it’s worth it. We’re making memories.”

Cupcakes are one of the Hemann kids’ favorite things to make. The family’s favorite show is Cupcake Wars, which has no doubt inspired some of their fascination with muffin tins and decorating tools.

Although they enjoy sweet treats, the family’s favorite meal centers on beef. Today they’re sharing a recipe for Beef Brisket.

Slow Cooker-Barbecued Beef Brisket

Serves: 6

  • 3 pounds fresh beef brisket

DRY RUB:

  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp. onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp. celery seeds
  • 1/4 tsp. pepper

SAUCE:

  • 1/2 c. ketchup
  • 1/2 c. chili sauce
  • 1/4 c. brown sugar
  • 2 T. cider vinegar
  • 2 T. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp. liquid smoke flavoring
  • 1/2 tsp. dry mustard

Directions:

  1. Combine ingredients for dry rub and rub all over brisket.
  2. Place brisket in slow cooker.
  3. In a bowl, combine sauce ingredients.
  4. Pour half of the sauce over the brisket.
  5. Refrigerate remaining sauce.
  6. Cover and cook brisket on high for 4-5 hours or until meat is tender.
  7. Serve meat with reserved sauce.