The job of Canada Thistle is to loosen the soil. Therefore, in order to combat this Canada Thistle infestation, we must loosen the soil! To do so, we sprayed 90gm per acre of GSR Dormant Calcium*, and 4 pounds per acre organic cane sugar. Sugar is an excellent source of carbon, essential in soil health processes and plant growth. |
 | 130 acres are seeded to Summit Oats. Since soil moisture this spring was very high (fields were to wet to work earlier), seeds were placed at a shallower depth (1 inch) than in dryer years. By the time the last acre was seeded, the field initially seeded was starting to emerge from the ground. |
Looks like a beautiful day for loading, but the cold wind was nasty with a bite! The rye is on its way to the market in USA.
The Fall Rye seeded last year did so well, we decided to seed another 40 acres, hoping to control weeds, and achieve a decent yield.
Took four beautiful hot (30°C) days to get the rye in the bin, dry at 12% moisture. There were very few weeds, and the yield was excellent.
Inspecting the fall rye field gave me goose bumps! NO visible colonies of weeds! Apparently, fall rye has an ability to discourage the growth of weeds. Looks like it works. Last year, Canada Thistle was a problem in this field, this year, seems Canada Thistle can't compete (the rye is 4-5 feet tall). Looking forward to harvest!
 | Wildlife damage (mainly by deer and elk) appears to be minimal. Picture on the left shows one of their few trails thru the rye field. |
140 Acres of barley seeded.
Spring 2021 was very dry with low soil moisture, so pre-seeding preparations consisted of harrowing. Seeding rate was 3 bushels per acre, and barley variety is "Copper".
Load 2
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Load 2
Yippee!! The grain is sold and delivered. Now the planning starts for next summer.
About
Rusk Ranch is located near the middle of Canada in the Swan River Valley agricultural belt. This beautiful acreage is totally surrounded by conventional chemical farms. It is hoped that the information supplied here will aid farmers and gardeners to grow nutrient dense crops in a sustainable manner which is in harmony with Mother Earth!!
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