We are harvesting two crops on Riverview this summer that could not be more different in character--sweet corn and pine saw timber. I'm going to spend a few minutes talking about each of them this morning. However, when I get to the part about saw timber, I'm going to have to be very careful. I have at least two friends who read my blog who both know more about timber than I do. One is my preacher, and if he catches me in a tale, he will place me in the penalty box.He already placed me in the pew for 'smart Allecs" at Wednesday night prayer meeting. The other person is my good friend,Earl(last name redacted for security reasons), who has purchased about three states and two small countries worth of timber in his life.
First, let's go back to sweet corn for a bit more information about this product. When we first started planting sweet corn on 1982, there were only two varieties of sweet corn, Bonanza yellow corn and Silver Queen white corn. All sweet corn is date harvest determinant. In other words if we planted 15 acres of sweet corn on March 10th, that 15 acres would need to be harvested on June 3rd. With the old varieties mentioned above, if you did not pick it on that exact date, the corn would not be harvestable the next day. It would "dry back" on the ends and would not grade USDA fancy.
With the advent of new seed technology in these shrunken gene, super sweet varieties of sweet corn, several improvements have taken place. First, and most important to the consumer, the new varieties are much sweeter than the old ones. The advantage for the grower of the new seeds is that they are a bit more forgiving on that date determinant harvest day. The one day window has stretched out to two-four days in which the corn can be picked and still grade fancy. However, even accepting the outer edge of four days, that's still a fairly short window to harvest a perishable crop when supplies are heavy and demand is light. Consequently, we sometimes have to walk by a planting of sweet corn in order to stay in fresh,fancy corn. Unless demand picks up very soon, we will begin skipping a planting shortly. Our sweet corn brokers are telling us that our supplies are not too heavy, but the demand is weak right now due to cool weather up in the northeast where the bulk of the nation's population lives. I did not realize that weather affects what one eats. I will eat chili in the dead of summer, but we have already established the fact that I do not think like most folks.
Now let's look at pine saw timber. We are conducting a much needed timber thinning program here this summer which will improve our quail hunting. We have not cut any timber on Riverview since 2004. We would have thinned again in 2008, but the "Great Recession" hit about then, and the housing market collapsed. Timber prices plummeted as much as 40%. Now here is where the big difference in sweet corn and pine trees come into play. While sweet corn has a four day window, timber has a 50 year window. That old pine tree did not care whether it was cut or not. It just sat there and continued to grow. Not only did that tree not spoil because we were unable to harvest it, the tree actually got more valuable while waiting for the market to adjust.
As I said earlier, I have a couple of friends who will read this that know a lot more about timber than I do. But I will guarantee you that neither of them enjoy watching a pine tree grow anymore than I do.One of the books that I was required to read in high school was written by a man named T.S. Elliott. There is a line in one of his books that says," I have measured out my life in coffee spoons". Well, I have measured out my life here by watching trees that we have planted grow to maturity.I see majestic pines in places that I once remember helping my Dad plant peanuts. There is one tract of mature pines on our Lakeview hunting course that I used to step over the tops of when I was teaching Cader IV how to quail hunt. While seeing those trees soar to such heights makes me feel old sometimes, I love the fact that we are cutting and replacing trees for the next generation.
God gave us the stewardship of the land. Trees clean the air and protect our waters and streams from runoff. I'm proud to be a tree farmer. I like growing sweet corn also. It's just more fun when profitable, but the fat lady ain't sung yet on the corn crop. We are just getting started good!
Friday, June 5, 2015
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
Musings
Well, I left the sweet corn field shortly after daylight and rode up to the chilling plant to see how many semis had shown up during the night after I went home. There were six big trucks in the yard, and I had been praying for about 20. Come on folks! You need to get corn hungry all over this great nation.
While Martha and I were sitting out on our patio last night following a brief and blessed shower, my mind got to wandering about some of the things that I had read lately of a political nature.
A month or so back our current administration in Washington stated that unemployment was at the root of terrorism. They indicated that what we needed to do was find jobs for these poor terrorists. I believe that millions of dollars have been poured into the city of Baltimore over the last decade using that same thought process. That's turned out to be a real winning plan, has it not?
Now and even more ludicrous, I read that President Obama calls climate change and global warming an indisputable security threat. He stated that climate change aggravated tensions and creates political insecurity. Let's think about this for a few minutes. First of all, when we speak of global warming, we are talking about a rise of temperatures in the tenths of a degree over a period of time. Does anyone honestly believe that someone who lives in a region where the temperature is 110 degrees in the shade is suddenly going to go stark raving crazy when the thermometer rises to 110.1? I bet that tenth of a degree is what pushed ISIS over the edge.
Another reason that I struggle with this excuse for terrorism is that I live in a fairly hot part of the world. During the months of July and August, it is not unusual for us to go days on end with temperatures approaching 100 degrees each day. Coupled with that heat is high humidity which normally creates a temperature/humidity index of 105-114 regularly. To the best of my knowledge, I have dealt with this weather for 65 years without ever feeling prone to strap on a suicide vest or behead anyone. Lord only knows how much meaner ISIS would be if they had to deal with the heat AND our south Georgia gnats.
Finally, I need to defend the current administration by stating perhaps I am not wired to think like the rest of this country any more. While watching the local Albany news last night, I watched a clip where they were interviewing the police chief about a rash of lawn mower and lawn equipment thefts. He stated," Well, it is the season for these thefts". Color me stupid, but I did not realize that burglary had a season. I know there are harvest,football, and hunting seasons, but theft season is a new one on me.
While Martha and I were sitting out on our patio last night following a brief and blessed shower, my mind got to wandering about some of the things that I had read lately of a political nature.
A month or so back our current administration in Washington stated that unemployment was at the root of terrorism. They indicated that what we needed to do was find jobs for these poor terrorists. I believe that millions of dollars have been poured into the city of Baltimore over the last decade using that same thought process. That's turned out to be a real winning plan, has it not?
Now and even more ludicrous, I read that President Obama calls climate change and global warming an indisputable security threat. He stated that climate change aggravated tensions and creates political insecurity. Let's think about this for a few minutes. First of all, when we speak of global warming, we are talking about a rise of temperatures in the tenths of a degree over a period of time. Does anyone honestly believe that someone who lives in a region where the temperature is 110 degrees in the shade is suddenly going to go stark raving crazy when the thermometer rises to 110.1? I bet that tenth of a degree is what pushed ISIS over the edge.
Another reason that I struggle with this excuse for terrorism is that I live in a fairly hot part of the world. During the months of July and August, it is not unusual for us to go days on end with temperatures approaching 100 degrees each day. Coupled with that heat is high humidity which normally creates a temperature/humidity index of 105-114 regularly. To the best of my knowledge, I have dealt with this weather for 65 years without ever feeling prone to strap on a suicide vest or behead anyone. Lord only knows how much meaner ISIS would be if they had to deal with the heat AND our south Georgia gnats.
Finally, I need to defend the current administration by stating perhaps I am not wired to think like the rest of this country any more. While watching the local Albany news last night, I watched a clip where they were interviewing the police chief about a rash of lawn mower and lawn equipment thefts. He stated," Well, it is the season for these thefts". Color me stupid, but I did not realize that burglary had a season. I know there are harvest,football, and hunting seasons, but theft season is a new one on me.
Monday, June 1, 2015
Sweet Corn
Well, evidently most of you did not heed my plea to buy a lot of sweet corn in your local grocery stores. It looked like we had a perfect set-up for a profitable marketing season on our sweet corn. South Florida finished up earlier than normal, and shipped all of their corn out by Memorial Day weekend. The boys in south Georgia began harvesting corn with good movement and prices.
And THEN along came Riverview to harvest our first planting on May 28th. That was the very day we were placed on restricted harvest and falling prices due to weak demand. In some ways, it is nice to know that we have enough power to single handedly move the market. I tend to think that we are a jinx, and have offered to my two partners to cease planting sweet corn if they will pay me a substantial insurance fee to stay out of the market , and allow them to sell at higher prices. They did not seem interested in my deal
.
We never begin planting our sweet corn as early as most folks here because to do so would require us to begin planting shortly after Valentine's Day. We are still way too busy harvesting Yankees at that time to think about planting sweet corn. On the bright side, we are experiencing tremendous yields and great quality on the first three plantings that we have been allowed to nibble at picking each day. On the negative side, we figure that we are losing about 12 cents per crate on each harvested crate through today; so you folks really need to begin buying more corn. This is strictly a supply/demand business with no forward pricing and no safety net.
In closing this blog, I find it an interesting observation that for half of the year, I deal with the wealthiest and brightest folks in the world. At this time of the year, I am dealing with the other end of the spectrum. My problem is remembering which group I am talking to when trying to get our corn harvested. The only Haitian word that I understand is "Boss". They also call me by another name that I understand, but can't write in a public forum.
And THEN along came Riverview to harvest our first planting on May 28th. That was the very day we were placed on restricted harvest and falling prices due to weak demand. In some ways, it is nice to know that we have enough power to single handedly move the market. I tend to think that we are a jinx, and have offered to my two partners to cease planting sweet corn if they will pay me a substantial insurance fee to stay out of the market , and allow them to sell at higher prices. They did not seem interested in my deal
.
We never begin planting our sweet corn as early as most folks here because to do so would require us to begin planting shortly after Valentine's Day. We are still way too busy harvesting Yankees at that time to think about planting sweet corn. On the bright side, we are experiencing tremendous yields and great quality on the first three plantings that we have been allowed to nibble at picking each day. On the negative side, we figure that we are losing about 12 cents per crate on each harvested crate through today; so you folks really need to begin buying more corn. This is strictly a supply/demand business with no forward pricing and no safety net.
In closing this blog, I find it an interesting observation that for half of the year, I deal with the wealthiest and brightest folks in the world. At this time of the year, I am dealing with the other end of the spectrum. My problem is remembering which group I am talking to when trying to get our corn harvested. The only Haitian word that I understand is "Boss". They also call me by another name that I understand, but can't write in a public forum.
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Weeds
There are three sure signs that summer has almost fully arrived in south Georgia: heat,gnats, and weeds. We have not had a rain in two weeks now. I just counted my two trillionth gnat today, and our temperature hit 92 before lunch. Almost everything is wilted and drooping around here with one exception, and that would be the weeds.
The famous writer , Ralph Waldo Emerson, once said," What is a weed.? It is a plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered". Mr. Emerson's friend, Henry David Thoreau, lived on Emerson's farm when he wrote his famous book, On Walden's Pond. I got curious and looked up where that farm was located, and it was in Concord, Massachusetts..
Now I hate to bust the bubble of anyone living in New England, but y'all have obviously never seen the kinds of weeds that grow in the south. I can almost guarantee you that Pigweed has no virtues whatsoever and no redeeming qualities yet to be discovered. It grows very fast, has a thick stalk, will stick the mess out of you, and plays havoc in a sweet corn field or even in a food plot. Nothing eats it, and nothing likes it. Once discovered in your field, if you do not already have a plan B to attack it, you have no plan at all since it is so hard to kill.
If Mr. Emerson was alive today, I would be glad to ship him a few tons of Pigweed along with a few billion gnats and wait for him to find their virtues!
The famous writer , Ralph Waldo Emerson, once said," What is a weed.? It is a plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered". Mr. Emerson's friend, Henry David Thoreau, lived on Emerson's farm when he wrote his famous book, On Walden's Pond. I got curious and looked up where that farm was located, and it was in Concord, Massachusetts..
Now I hate to bust the bubble of anyone living in New England, but y'all have obviously never seen the kinds of weeds that grow in the south. I can almost guarantee you that Pigweed has no virtues whatsoever and no redeeming qualities yet to be discovered. It grows very fast, has a thick stalk, will stick the mess out of you, and plays havoc in a sweet corn field or even in a food plot. Nothing eats it, and nothing likes it. Once discovered in your field, if you do not already have a plan B to attack it, you have no plan at all since it is so hard to kill.
If Mr. Emerson was alive today, I would be glad to ship him a few tons of Pigweed along with a few billion gnats and wait for him to find their virtues!
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Mother's Day
As we approach Mother's Day weekend, I just wanted to post a short blog in praise of mothers. My beloved mother went to be with the Lord in 1985, and I still think about her most every day. I truly believe that a mother's love is the closest that we will ever come to experiencing God's unconditional love on this earth. Growing up with Mom also taught me how to be a better husband since I learned that women are sometimes in doubt, but never wrong. I will never forget Cader IV telling me one day that " Dad, Mom is just flat wrong on this issue". I calmly backed him up against the wall, and explained to him all of the sacrifices, pain, and love that his mother had endured in raising him. I further threatened to pummel him into submission if he argued with her any more on the subject in contention. That is what I told him, but what I was thinking was this, "You have two older sisters and a mother, and you still have not figured it out. I sure have wasted a bunch of money on your education up to this point if you have not figured out the female mind yet".
My mother was my greatest cheer leader and supporter. She also taught me so many things:
She taught me religion--" You better pray that stain comes out of my carpet.
She taught me how to exaggerate---If I have told you once, I have told you a million times.
She taught me about anticipation--You just wait until your Dad gets home and he is going to tear your fanny up.
She taught me about receiving--You are going to really get it when Dad gets home from work.
She taught me that mothers do truly have a pair of eyes in the back of their heads,
She also taught me that women have "wolf ears" since she could hear a muttered comment from 500 yards away.
I still miss her, but she was very pleased with my choice for a life mate, and felt certain that Martha would continue my training. AND she has for almost 45 years now..In closing this tribute to mothers, I wish that I had the address of that mother in Baltimore who jerked her son out of that mob and slapped him back to the straight and narrow. This nation needs more Moms like that, and we definitely need Dads in the homes who have been properly trained to be good role models!
Happy Mother's Day to all of the mothers still with us, and to those who are with the Lord now !
My mother was my greatest cheer leader and supporter. She also taught me so many things:
She taught me religion--" You better pray that stain comes out of my carpet.
She taught me how to exaggerate---If I have told you once, I have told you a million times.
She taught me about anticipation--You just wait until your Dad gets home and he is going to tear your fanny up.
She taught me about receiving--You are going to really get it when Dad gets home from work.
She taught me that mothers do truly have a pair of eyes in the back of their heads,
She also taught me that women have "wolf ears" since she could hear a muttered comment from 500 yards away.
I still miss her, but she was very pleased with my choice for a life mate, and felt certain that Martha would continue my training. AND she has for almost 45 years now..In closing this tribute to mothers, I wish that I had the address of that mother in Baltimore who jerked her son out of that mob and slapped him back to the straight and narrow. This nation needs more Moms like that, and we definitely need Dads in the homes who have been properly trained to be good role models!
Happy Mother's Day to all of the mothers still with us, and to those who are with the Lord now !
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Rainy Weather
Since my home and most of our cottages overlook the beautiful Flint River, I am always keenly aware of the rainfall and how that affects our river. During the floods of 1994 and 1998, the river rose as much as 52 vertical feet and covered all of our facilities with the exception of my home, and it got way too close for comfort there. After the flood of '98 I promised myself that I would never pray for rain again. I am reminded of what my Dad always said about farming, " Son, dry weather will scare you, but wet weather will kill you".
Well, I have not broken that promise. However, I made one small mistake a little over a week ago. While saying my prayers, I casually reminded God that it was getting fairly dry at Riverview, and I was worried about the stress on all of our pine timber since we had just finished with our controlled burning. BIG MISTAKE ! It commenced to rain the following day, and rained either a little or a lot for seven straight days.
Now, we are in no danger of river flooding because our soil moisture was very deficit, and the river was quite low for the spring of the year. However, we are way behind on planting our sweet corn as it is wet enough to bog a buzzard's shadow at the moment. There are only so many "wet weather" jobs for 26 employees to do while waiting to get back into the fields and woods. Our employees have evidently learned the most important task that they can perform right now which is hide from the boss. I'm about to take a heat seeking device out and go hunt for body signatures on Rivevriew.
On the bright side( no pun intended), the sun is shining today, praise the Lord!
Well, I have not broken that promise. However, I made one small mistake a little over a week ago. While saying my prayers, I casually reminded God that it was getting fairly dry at Riverview, and I was worried about the stress on all of our pine timber since we had just finished with our controlled burning. BIG MISTAKE ! It commenced to rain the following day, and rained either a little or a lot for seven straight days.
Now, we are in no danger of river flooding because our soil moisture was very deficit, and the river was quite low for the spring of the year. However, we are way behind on planting our sweet corn as it is wet enough to bog a buzzard's shadow at the moment. There are only so many "wet weather" jobs for 26 employees to do while waiting to get back into the fields and woods. Our employees have evidently learned the most important task that they can perform right now which is hide from the boss. I'm about to take a heat seeking device out and go hunt for body signatures on Rivevriew.
On the bright side( no pun intended), the sun is shining today, praise the Lord!
Monday, April 6, 2015
Easter weeknd
What a gorgeous Easter weekend we just experienced in south Georgia. I have been attending Easter sunrise services at our little country Baptist church since I was in my early 20's. I can never recall a sunrise service with a gigantic Easter full moon setting at the same time that the sun was rising. It was a very poignant and needed experience for me because God called two young mothers in their early 40's home this weekend who lost their valiant fights to cancer. I had prayed and prayed for God to intervene in both situations, but He chose not to do so. I have always struggled with the concept of bad things happening to good people. I do know that I have no business questioning my God who has an infinite mind and perfect plan with my feeble and finite mind.
The sunrise services, the prayers, and the words from my pastor helped. I watched that moon come up Saturday night from my porch and thought to myself that it was brighter than normal. I realized that God was sending me a signal that he was welcoming two angels into His presence that would not have to struggle with any more pain or sorrow. One of my dearest friends sent me this quote as he was struggling with the same loss. The writer said, " Prayer works, but the Lord makes His own schedule and His own way.For angels who die young, I have decided that it is God's reward to them, not His punishment to us."
Now I realize that this is not my normal, tongue-in-cheek blog. maybe I'm writing this one for me, but maybe it will resonate with at least someone who reads it today. I promise that the next one I post will be on a lighter subject.
The sunrise services, the prayers, and the words from my pastor helped. I watched that moon come up Saturday night from my porch and thought to myself that it was brighter than normal. I realized that God was sending me a signal that he was welcoming two angels into His presence that would not have to struggle with any more pain or sorrow. One of my dearest friends sent me this quote as he was struggling with the same loss. The writer said, " Prayer works, but the Lord makes His own schedule and His own way.For angels who die young, I have decided that it is God's reward to them, not His punishment to us."
Now I realize that this is not my normal, tongue-in-cheek blog. maybe I'm writing this one for me, but maybe it will resonate with at least someone who reads it today. I promise that the next one I post will be on a lighter subject.
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