The Farmer's Daughter USA

Hi, I'm Amanda! My family farms corn and soybeans in Southwest Michigan. I'm also a practicing attorney.

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Farming Fridays!

July 25, 2014

Let the Pollination Begin!

The soybeans are starting to fill out and begin the process of pollination. So, I’ll admit it, I was not actually aware that soybeans had purple flowers until this year. To my credit, the flowers are hid within the bush by leaves and are fairly small. But pull back the leaves and reveal the stem of the plant and you can see the tiny little purple flowers that will, eventually, turn into pods and soybeans.
Can you spot the tiny little  purple flowers?

 According to the North Carolina Soybean Producers Association, pollination works like this:

In July, August and September, the plants bloom. The flowers are small and vary from a white to a beautiful violet or purple. From these blossoms, the soybean plant grows small pods that contain the young seeds. The soybean is a self-pollinating plant, which means that each flower has male and female parts. A single plant can produce seed and essentially clone itself. Soybean plants produce many more flowers than they need, so many flowers never produce pods.

The flowers will eventually turn into the pods where the soybeans
are located.
Unfortunately, it has not been the best year for soybeans here. Summer has been cool and wet. Those weather conditions are definitely not ideal for soybeans. When the soil gets damp and the temperature stays cool, they react by slowing down growth. 
On the other hand, the corn is doing very, very well this year. Passing by so many of our corn fields is fun because they look so uniform, strong, and tall. Although corn benefits from hot days, all the rain has been beneficial. 
Too bad I’m not covering our corn
crop this year — it looks AWESOME!

 So tell me – how are your crops? Is the situation where you are similar to us here in Michigan?

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Farming Fridays!

April 25, 2014

Ready, Set…Plant?

No one in our area is planting yet. No one. 
According to the USDA, that’s not out of the ordinary for the rest of the country either. On Tuesday of this week, the UDSA reported that only 6% of the country’s corn crop had been planted so far; normally 14% of corn seeds are in the ground at this point in the season. 
Soybeans usually get planted after corn, so you can imagine that number is even lower.
But in a year like this, when the weather is still cold and dreary — and we had a snow storm just last week — it begs the question: how do farmers know when the plant their crop? Normally, April is much warmer, the snow is a old forgotten friend, and the planters are in the fields.
Our soil temperatures are still in the mid-40’s, so there won’t be any
planting happening here yet.
The answer is that you just have to know when the time is right. 
The soil needs to be at least 50 degrees. You can keep track of the temperature on your own, or you can rely on someone else. In our area, our seed and chemical dealer keeps track of the temperature, as does the Michigan State Extension office. The temperature is measured from about 3 inches into the ground. Currently, our temperature is in the mid-40’s. 
But you also have to make sure that when you put those seeds out there that it will germinate. That means our farmers have to play weatherman too — you certainly don’t want to plant right before a cold spell! Too much rain and not enough sun can definitely spell disaster (or, at least, a replant!). 
A farmer is looking at the current and upcoming weather patterns and the soil temperature.
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Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: corn, farming fridays, farming pictures, seeds, soybeans

Farming Fridays!

October 25, 2013

Welcome to Michigan….Weather

You know you’re from Michigan when you can experience every season in one day. 
Okay, maybe it wasn’t quite that bad today, but we’ve been getting….wait for it…snow. Even living up here, snow this early isn’t that usual, and certainly not the kind that will actually stick to the ground.
Of course, that might not look quite as impressive, but my mom took this one in the afternoon of our deck:
October 24, 2013…no, seriously.
The real problem this creates is that we can’t get into our fields because they’re wet, wet, wet. As you can probably tell from the photos I’ve posted before, the combine, wagons, semi-truck, and trailers are heavy equipment. When the ground is soft we try to avoid driving through the fields. It can cause ruts (you know, those deeps grooves in the soil) and also compact the soil. Compaction is an issue that can make the ground less productive.
Mud puddles standing right next to our corn…which is just waiting to be picked.
The corn stalks are also sopping wet, which can mean the plants get caught up in the combine
and make a mess during harvest.

 

Rain boots required.
The weather isn’t looking very promising either. Hopefully by Sunday the fields can start to dry out and we can get back to harvest. 
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Comments

  1. Colby D. Miller says

    October 25, 2013 at 5:37 pm

    This has been a weird Fall for sure. Luckily we haven't been snowed on down here…yet

Hi, I'm Amanda. My family farms corn and soybeans in Southwest Michigan. I'm an attorney and I'm passionate about agriculture!

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The Farmer's Daughter

5 days ago

The Farmer's Daughter

Green soybeans as far as the eye can see. I took this photo over the weekend. These beans should be turning yellow and drying for harvest. So why aren't they? Because...the spring drought.Seeds need water to germinate. But after we planted we didn't have rain for weeks. So those seeds just sat in the dirt and never sprouted. Then, finally, it rained. And the tiny plants started popping up.The problem? It was several weeks too late for planting. The question is whether they'll be ready to harvest before the snow flies. We have shorter seasons in Michigan, so it'll be close.

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The Farmer's Daughter

2 weeks ago

The Farmer's Daughter

In my latest for AGDAILY I take a look at that status of plant-based "milks" and the FDA's moves on labeling.

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'Almond Beverage': Yes, a label is finally doing it right! | AGDAILY

www.agdaily.com

The FDA's draft guidance on the milk label is a decent compromise on which the nutritional differences with actual milk must be clearly stated.

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The Farmer's Daughter

2 weeks ago

The Farmer's Daughter

This man is a menace to society. It scares me to see certain groups giving him a favorable look."Conspiracy stories are simple, whereas reality is complicated."

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Why RFK Jr.’s Science Disinfo Keeps Outrunning the Truth

plus.thebulwark.com

A conspiracy theory can be halfway around the world before a peer-reviewed replication can alphabetize its sources.

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The Farmer's Daughter

2 weeks ago

The Farmer's Daughter

It’s harvest season in Michigan. Remember that even if you have to slow down to 20 mph and follow a tractor for one mile, it takes only three minutes of your time – about the same amount as waiting for one stoplight.

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The Farmer's Daughter

2 weeks ago

The Farmer's Daughter

I'm just starting to look into the Agricultural Labeling Uniformity Act as a response to California's latest antics. This article is a good start.

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Don’t let California override the EPA and hijack national farm policy

thehill.com

Some states — California, in particular — are trying to circumvent EPA’s career scientists with pesticide labeling regulations that conflict with the EPA’s scientific conclusions.

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thefarmersdaughterusa

I'm Amanda. My family farms corn and soybeans in Southwest Michigan. I'm an attorney by day, and "agvocate" at night.

Amanda Zaluckyj
Green soybeans as far as the eye can see. I took Green soybeans as far as the eye can see. 

I took this photo over the weekend. These beans should be turning yellow and drying for harvest. So why aren't they? Because...the spring drought.

Seeds need water to germinate. But after we planted we didn't have rain for weeks. So those seeds just sat in the dirt and never sprouted. Then, finally, it rained. And the tiny plants started popping up.

The problem? It was several weeks too late for planting. The question is whether they'll be ready to harvest before the snow flies. We have shorter seasons in Michigan, so it'll be close.
Sunsets on the #farm are the best. 😍 Sunsets on the #farm are the best. 😍
💜💜 💜💜
Don't let anyone make you feel bad about not purch Don't let anyone make you feel bad about not purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables. It all counts.

#modernagriculture #foodproduction #usfarmers #usagriculture #usfarms #food #knowyourfarmer #knowyourfood #modernag #farms #sustainableagriclture #sustainablefarming
I visited one of my favorite local farm stands ove I visited one of my favorite local farm stands over the weekend. I thought I'd buy a couple zucchini and cantaloupe. But the zucchini looked more like clubs, and the cantaloupe was too ripe for my taste. So I passed on those and bought some tomatoes that maybe cost more than I would have preferred.

But you know what I didn't do? I didn't complain about the zucchinis' size. I didn't fuss about the melons' ripeness. I didn't criticize the tomatoes' price. Instead, I smiled at the lovely lady and made small talk as I paid and went about my day. 

Why? Because I remember what it was like being out by the side of the road hot day after hot day. I know that we all poured everything we had into that produce. I remember how defeating it felt when some criticized it. I know that the price is probably around market value, even if it's cheaper in the grocery store. And I know that the farm family behind that cash register is giving everything they have to chase a dream.

I won't be the one to rain on their parade. 

#Respect
Happy #nationaldogday from Mischa! #nationaldogda Happy #nationaldogday from Mischa!

#nationaldogday🐶 
#pittiemix 
#blacklab 
#mischa
Mischa and I are home on the farm for the weekend. Mischa and I are home on the farm for the weekend. And we're loving it.
It isn't one or the other. Farmers care about all It isn't one or the other. Farmers care about all of it.

#agriculture #farming #sustainablefarming #sustainability
I threw a birthday party for Mischa! It was over t I threw a birthday party for Mischa! It was over the top and wonderful. And she had so much fun surrounded by people that love her. 💕

Thanks to everyone who came out to celebrate my little love. 💜
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