Soccer and Being in the First Grade (according to Bladen)

Organized sports are such a fun thing, especially when you are in the first grade and you get a neat shirt with your last name on it, “Like Dad has”. 

That is worry on his face, he was afraid he won’t do well.
“Only Dad’s say Football, or Basketball, or Track and also say Coach” I [...]

March Came in Like a Lamb and is Leaving Like a Lion

Sunday we got a 65 mile an hour wind from Utah, full of dust, sticks and weeds. 

Then we woke up to snow and ice this morning!  And it’s cold!  3:00 p.m. and the snow is still on the ground…brrr!  38*

A Short Little History Course about Our Farming Area

We live on the flat, just before you drop down into Roubideau Canyon.  Roubideau Canyon is three miles from our farm, and eventually connects with Escalante Canyon. 
At the end of our canyon, the Roubideau and before it turns into Escalante Canyon, was a railroad switch.  Here people brought their produce, animals and other goods [...]

Fourth Step—-Leveling

Here is where art meets practicality.  If this part isn’t done right, whoever irrigates will spend the rest of the summer fighting water. 

But if it is done right, the water will flow to the end of the field, subbing the ground along the way, without nary a hitch.  But if the ground doesn’t have [...]

Our Water is HERE!

Our water, for irrigation, comes about because of the Uncompahgre Valley Water Project.  The project has one storage dam, several diversion dams, 128 miles of canals, 438 miles of laterals and 216 miles of drains.   
The project canal runs right by our road and is the source of all water for our crops and my [...]

Apricots are in Bloom

And of course if froze, so that means no fruit.  The average in our area is every five years we get an apricot crop.

Still I can enjoy the blossoms, this is one type of apricot (Sun Gold, I think) and here is another, which I don’t know the name.

A Couple of Neat Ideas for Baked Veggie Fries

My family does not/did not like parsnips, but they eat these.  ( love to eat them, though).  I sometimes save this for company use, but they are JUST THAT GOOD!

Preheat over to 450*
Halve parsnips lengthwise and cut into spears.   (You can also add a red potato, sweet potato and fresh beets to the mix, [...]

Third Step in Spring Work

Rolling the fields, after they have been disked and plowed, and before the fourth step-leveling.

What the roller does is smash and break up the clods of plowed earth, leaving a mellow loam, perfect for placing little seeds to grow.

Of course, everything had been going along pretty smooth, so it was time for a mishap.  Two [...]

Cough, Hack, Sneeze, Wheeze

I will be soooooooooo happy when this burn season gets over!  For some odd reason most of the farmers around us have decided to burn off last years’ crops instead of grazing them off.

I’m sure there would be many sheep and cattle people who would have loved to have the feed!!!!
We graze and then [...]

Step Two of Our Western Colorado Farming

If you are opening up corn ground or tearing up an old hay field, all the farmers in our area plow. 
I know that plowing is a dying process back east, but we have heavy clay soil and must plow.
 
So after disking we Terry plows

BUT if a farmer is going from a former bean [...]