CCF

FARM JOURNAL #7

Over the past week...many things have been happening down on the farm, even after some of the extreme weather temperatures. On Wednesday, the Farm Owner called work off at 9am, when the temperature was already 30 degrees and still rising. Even though the week has been extremely dry up until Saturday, the farm is still working as fast as they can to get the first cut of hay done at their own field, and to finish a few other projects that needed completing down on the farm.

By the time the farm owner had a few spare minutes to try to look at what was wrong with the 300U, the grass had grown all over the tractor so that it looked like it was sitting there for years:

After about 15 minutes, the farm owner finally got the tractor to start. He concluded that the tractor was very overheated, and the blade had hit a large rock causing the tractor to stall out. Fortunately the mower body and the blade were not damaged, so he called Marky down to come mow around the farm. The farm looked much better after Marky finished mowing around it:

After much waiting, we finally put out the John Deere 250 skid steer to go to the dealer for a servicing. Throughout the month of June, the engine had been making funny noises, and the machine was not operating satisfactorily. Hopefully a simple tune up at the dealer will be the end of our problems with this machine:

On Tuesday, Garret was sent to re-plant half of the onion field. Unfortunately due to warm temperatures and no rain, none of the plants sprouted from the ground. If we do not get rain by next Sunday, then an irrigation system will be rigged up to water the plants. First he hooked the planter up in the barnyard, then went down to the field to plant the rows:

On Wednesday, The Farm Owner called work off on account of the unbearable hot weather. On Thursday, a new employee joined the farm team. Seeing as the farm needed a safety officer and someone to take care of the farm animals, Mandy, the new safety officer was hired. So far, the boss is very pleased with her service to the farm. On her first day, she has already given Marky a $20 fee ticket for doing donuts on the John Deere ZTR lawnmower.:

The Farm Owner is also pleased that she has been taking care of the farm animals daily:

On Friday, Dave was sent down to the field to cut the hay:

As always, the 4995 made quick work of the small hay field:

Friday night had apparently been colder than normal, with the temperature dropping to 10 degrees. We found all of our pigs sound asleep inside the barn on Saturday morning:

On Saturday, Garret and Marky went down the the field to chop and bail the hay. As it has rained Friday night, they waited until the afternoon when the grass would be drier:

Garret only chopped half of a wagon for silage, as the farm already had more silage than they would need from their large field:

The rest of the field was baled by Marky:

Just as he was finishing, Dave came down with the Gator. Once Marky finished, Dave put away the haying machinery in the barn area, and Garret and Marky took a few hay bales up to the barnyard in the Gator:

When they got up to the barnyard, Marky jumped in the skid steer, and Garret climbed up to the loft. Once Garret opened the door, Marky passed up bales to him in the skid steer to be stacked:

By the time they were done, it was already closing time for the farm. They packed up the machinery and left for the day. Thus concludes another busy week down at the farm:

Hate to say it, but that's all for this week folks! Next week will focus on a bit of work in the fields, and a bit of work down around the farmyard and barn area.

Brilliant as always Tim.. I am proude to appear in it mate... as ever 

Am I up for a pay rise soon... or a medal for longstanding service or something

Thanks mate 

Afraid no pay raise right now...looks like you will be the one paying something in today's journal though... 

Happy birthday Joe 

Excellent work Marcus mate...amazing some of the things you can make just from spare household items...a really good idea you had 

The cauliflower plants are also a nice nice touch, nicely done. 

Another brilliant installment mate...great pictures you have 

Superb job will, fantastic job you made of that mate 

Sorry I am a bit late...Happy Birthday Jason 

I say...that is quite the piece of kit you have there mate. I have stopped anything plant related for my collection for several years now, but may just have to make an exception on this beauty 

They look very nice, may have to get my hands on some of them

Would you say that they are good value for the money?

Let me know if you do mate, I would try to locate one of these 

Another very hot day, the temperature hit 35 degrees in the middle of the day! Currently sitting downstairs on a different computer in an air conditioned room as my computer is sitting in a 30 degree room. 

Very good entry Dennis, well done. I will be looking forward to the modern day entry.

That looks well mate, what scale is this one in? 

Welcome to the Forum Jorgen. Just had a brief skim through your website, it is a great site that you put together 

VERY warm today...34 degrees and humid..we are badly in need of some rain  :'(

Went out to buy a new spark plug for one of my lawnmowers that was not running, only to discover that I had been given the wrong size spark plug. Resulted in a bent electrode on the new plug, beginning to wonder if I will ever get that mower going again. 

Happy Birthday Jason. Hope the weather doesn't spoil yor birthday!

NUMPTY for Kevin...Jason's birthday is not until the 29th  :D

Was he ruder than this Timmy B....

Pwwwwwtttthhhhhhhhh  :P :P :P :P

Much...bad part is that I have been letting myself get pushed around by him the past few weeks..i've had enough of that! 

Warm today, 30 degrees out in the sun...literally had to peel my shirt off of me this afternoon when I returned from work  :D

Thanks Martin, Sean, Mandy, and Mark...Glad you all enjoyed the journal. More to come hopefully next weekend 

Someone at work who is constantly rude and acts like he is the boss of the whole place...just about had the last straw of him and his rudeness today 

Happy birthday Blake 

FARM JOURNAL #6

Now that hay cutting of our largest hay field has been accomplished, we can now focus on more tasks around the farm. As June wraps up and July begins, we are planting the rest of our fields, and finishing the first hay cut of the season. After all of the bad weather that we have been getting for the past few weeks, we were finally able to get out into the field and plant our onion and carrot crops. Although we have not been able to get onto the field, we have still been as busy as ever down in the farm yard, mainly trying to clean up bumpy parts of the road, and organizing parts to various pieces of farm machinery that was left around. Although the planting took place several week later than normal this year, we should still be able to get our crops harvested on time. More warm weather and rain showers are predicted for the coming week, so the seeds should get a jump start.

As Gavin was mowing by the pig and sheep pens two weeks ago, he suddenly heard a loud bang, and the tractor stalled. As he had several more important tasks to accomplish that day, he left the tractor without taking a look at it. Two weeks later, nobody has had the chance to look at the tractor, and the grass is already growing all around it. The farm looks like a mess again, the grass is badly in need of cutting:

On Friday, Zane plowed up the rest of the field that had not been plowed as of yet:

On Saturday before everyone went off to their jobs for the day, the farm owner let the pigs down into their larger pen in the hopes that they would mow down some of the grass that was growing in the pen:

Garret moved all of the haying implements out for the first hay cut at our smaller field next Friday:

Since the weather has been less than satisfactory, we have spent a great deal of time cleaning up around the farm over the past two  weeks:

Marky was sent out to plant the onion and carrot crops with the corn planter and the Massey Ferguson at noon:

Making a second pass:

Finishing the final pass:

Parking right in front of the field. The field took a little over three hours to plant. We will be planting some fall crops in the other half of the field in 2-3 weeks:

A view of the field after it was planted. Overall, it was a very productive day in the field:

Hate to say it, but that's all for this week folks! Next week's Farm Journal will focus on the first hay cut at the smaller field, and a bit of farmyard work.

What a great entry Mark, always can count on something interesting going on down at Ford Farm 

I hope we can still see a few more entries, there has been some real great photos on here so far. Only 11 days left, so what are you waiting for? 

Happy birthday Reece mate 

Cracking job there matey, chuffed as punch to see it........get into my Lime talk mode,,,,,,

Keep trying chap  :D

Looks very good Sean. A shame that Britains could not have done it themselves, but you made a good job of the front axle. 

tell all mate

Watch this mate...pretty much explains it all:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxvlOHOwtxk

Lesson learned: Save rock climbing for the 4 wheeler, not the lawnmower