2019 Photos

Colin King

Well-known Member
Here are some photos from our growing season on the farm this year. We probably had one of our best seasons this year, in almost 40 years of farming between me and my folks. While most of the state was too wet, we were in a dry pocket, and the rains generally came when we needed them.

I had Federal jury duty the first week of June. Our district is the largest, geographically, in Minnesota. My commute was a short one at 180 miles round trip. Some folks on the Canadian border had a 5 hour, drive one way. During the trial, my wife, son, and parents did chores for me.
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We raised about 200 chickens on pasture this season. Down dramatically from years prior, as we focus more on growing our sheep and vegetable businesses. Here I am bringing water and feed on the 961D.
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A TW-35 we admired at a local sale. My wife and five year old son.
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Thomas getting a ride on the hayrack
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The first load of hay brought to the barn. Our neighbor does our baling using green tractors. As of yet we don't have the haying equipment.
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Our flock of Border Cheviot ewes.
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Getting ready to move a feeder on a wet October day.
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Late fall chores
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(quoted from post at 14:37:13 11/11/19) Here are some photos from our growing season on the farm this year. We probably had one of our best seasons this year, in almost 40 years of farming between me and my folks. While most of the state was too wet, we were in a dry pocket, and the rains generally came when we needed them.

I had Federal jury duty the first week of June. Our district is the largest, geographically, in Minnesota. My commute was a short one at 180 miles round trip. Some folks on the Canadian border had a 5 hour, drive one way. During the trial, my wife, son, and parents did chores for me.
<img src="https://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cvphotos/cvphoto41733.jpg">

Colin,
I haven t seen one of those one armed Ford loaders since I was a kid in Iowa 50 years ago. My dad had 2 red fords with wide front ends, and a tricycle front blue 4000. Had the loader on 600 series Ford. Blueford.


We raised about 200 chickens on pasture this season. Down dramatically from years prior, as we focus more on growing our sheep and vegetable businesses. Here I am bringing water and feed on the 961D.
<img src="https://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cvphotos/cvphoto41734.jpg">

A TW-35 we admired at a local sale. My wife and five year old son.
<img src="https://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cvphotos/cvphoto41735.jpg">


Thomas getting a ride on the hayrack
<img src="https://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cvphotos/cvphoto41736.jpg">

The first load of hay brought to the barn. Our neighbor does our baling using green tractors. As of yet we don't have the haying equipment.
<img src="https://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cvphotos/cvphoto41737.jpg">

Our flock of Border Cheviot ewes.
<img src="https://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cvphotos/cvphoto41738.jpg">


Getting ready to move a feeder on a wet October day.
<img src="https://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cvphotos/cvphoto41740.jpg">

Late fall chores
<img src="https://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cvphotos/cvphoto41741.jpg">
 
Great photos. It is so unfortunate that most kids grow up these days without a clue about work, responsibility, accomplishment, understanding, and satisfaction. Your child will be light years ahead of others..., congratulations.
 
I am assuming you move the chicken pens about and about. could said birds be considered "free range" ?

great pics BTW !
 
Great photos Colin.
Nice way to live too.
How did you do for the deer opener?
I sat in my blind for two days and saw one fox and one crow. That's it!
Not the best opening weekend.
 
Nice pictures. Good to see someone else still making the old Fords earn their keep. Thank you for posting.
 
What a bummer about your weekend! And it was miserably cold! Most of the corn is off around here, so they have to move around a bit more now. The neighbor took an 8 point buck off my uncle's on Saturday. I saw 7 deer Saturday (an 8 pont buck and 6 does), none Sunday, and 2 does today.

Better luck in the coming days!
 
Thanks so much! I guess we would call the chickens "pastured." We're actually a member of a trade association called the American Pastured Poultry Producer's Association. We move them every morning. Each pen has 15-20 birds in them. You should see the pasture grasses explode after those birds pass over them. The growth is incredible.
 
Thanks, Jim! I'm really proud of my son and his interest in farming. I know that it's unlikely that he'll follow the same path (he would be the 6th generation if he did decide to farm), but at least he'll hopefully have a good work ethic and he'll know how to be self-reliant. That's a disappearing trait in young men these days.
 
Thank you, Bruce! You mean you're not coming up next summer during haying season ;-) Christina was in Arlington last week at a conference. She said that the weather was beautiful!
 
Hopefully you can find a deal on hay equipment. We bought a baler , rake, and sickle mower this year. Total spent..... Less than $800. Sure is satisfying to see those bales coming out.
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I'm doing well Colin, thank you! I do have a project for the winter.
Changing the engine in this 1841 industrial.
Loader frame removal is a chore in and of itself.

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Fantastic project! What's the story with the engine? That's a 172cid, right? I look forward to seeing your progress :)
 
Yes it's a 172 with a window in the block. :(
I don't know why it happened, it was that way when I bought it.

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I'm jealous! That's a nice looking baler. How do you think the 960 would do running a baler while also pulling a wagon? I think that the older NH haying equipment can be had for less than, say, John Deere. Around here, Hesston is also very inexpensive. I have more experience with the NH equipment, though, so I think that's the direction I'll head.

I paid $5/bale this year for grass/clover hay ... about $165/ton. That's a good incentive to get my own equipment!
 
Flat ground it should pull it all fine! I haven't tried it. Baler was $500. Needed 1 spring and it worked! I've never baled hay before so its all new to me.
 
(quoted from post at 16:44:42 11/12/19) What a bummer about your weekend! And it was miserably cold! Most of the corn is off around here, so they have to move around a bit more now. The neighbor took an 8 point buck off my uncle's on Saturday. I saw 7 deer Saturday (an 8 pont buck and 6 does), none Sunday, and 2 does today.

Better luck in the coming days!

Best of luck to you and Ultradog this season. I got lucky today, it was the New Hampshire firearms opener so I took the day off from work. It was cold, in the teens and low 20's but it was nice to be outside. Just before lunchtime this 8 pointer came in and stopped about 40 yards from me. I took one shot and he only went about 40 yards before he was done so it worked out great. My typical deer season involves seeing no bucks so this was a good change of pace.
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(quoted from post at 23:58:26 11/13/19)Best of luck to you and Ultradog this season. I got lucky today, it was the New Hampshire firearms opener so I took the day off from work. It was cold, in the teens and low 20's but it was nice to be outside. Just before lunchtime this 8 pointer came in and stopped about 40 yards from me. I took one shot and he only went about 40 yards before he was done so it worked out great. My typical deer season involves seeing no bucks so this was a good change of pace.
That's a really nice buck!

How do you like the modern rifle compared with the equivalent in old-style wood? What cartridge? (I've been considering a purchase.)
 
(quoted from post at 11:42:22 11/14/19)
(quoted from post at 23:58:26 11/13/19)Best of luck to you and Ultradog this season. I got lucky today, it was the New Hampshire firearms opener so I took the day off from work. It was cold, in the teens and low 20's but it was nice to be outside. Just before lunchtime this 8 pointer came in and stopped about 40 yards from me. I took one shot and he only went about 40 yards before he was done so it worked out great. My typical deer season involves seeing no bucks so this was a good change of pace.
That's a really nice buck!

How do you like the modern rifle compared with the equivalent in old-style wood? What cartridge? (I've been considering a purchase.)

Thanks! It's funny, there was a time when I wouldn't have considered anything other than a blued steel and walnut gun. I'm pretty old fashioned but I bought an AR a few years ago on a whim. The first time I went to the range it dawned on me why these rifles are so popular, they're easy to shoot! I shot the AR better than any rifle I've ever owned. From that point on I decided that gun would be my deer rifle. I highly recommend it if you're thinking about buying one.

The caliber is 5.56mm NATO but it also shoots .223. Because of the popularity of these rifles there is now a wide selection of deer ammo in this caliber. I used a hand loaded 60 grain Nosler Partition which is designed for deer hunting. Velocity is around 3000 fps with that load. The deer was dead in less than a minute and only went about 40 yards before it dropped. I wouldn't use this setup at 300 yards or anything but at woods ranges it does the job. Another bonus is practice ammo is very cheap for this gun and my hunting load hits in the same place as cheap practice ammo so I don't have to adjust the sights.

If .223 isn't legal in your area there are a host of good calibers available in these rifles. .300 Blackout is a good one, it has power levels similar to a 30-30. There's a new caliber called .350 Legend that has the same power as a .35 Remington. Then there's the. 450 Bushmaster which is capable of taking bigger game like elk and moose. You can also get the bigger and heavier AR-10 rifle which comes in traditional deer calibers like .308.
 

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