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A lot of activity on our farms all across the state, from corn planting, cutting wheat for haylage and planting cabbage.
Lee Maddox: Corn, Haylage and Cabbage – Busy Time on the Farm: Welcome and hello again everyone, for Tennessee Home and Farm Radio, I’m Lee Maddox.
Robbie Baker, Obion County Farmer: Yes sir, we’re optimistic. Inputs have come down a little bit here locally. Fertilizer prices are down some, crop prices for fall aren’t terrible. So far, we’re looking pretty good for the year.
Lee Maddox: A lot of activity on our farms all across the state this spring. Corn planning is a major focus right now for Robbie Baker in Obion County.
Robbie Baker, Obion County Farmer: Beatiful weather taking a turn and finally getting some warm temperatures and dry ground. We’ve put 650 acres in the ground since Monday.
Lee Maddox: Tennessee farmers are hopeful to plant some 960,000 acres of corn across the state this year, 120,000 acres over last year. So far approaching 10% planted so far. In McMinn County, dairy farmer Riley Mason hopes to start planting corn next week. Right now he’s busy cutting his winter wheat crop for haylage for his cows.
Riley Mason, McMinn County Farmer: We don’t harvest it for grain, we harvest for forage. We let it get to 60-70% growth and then we cut it early before it heads out because once it heads out, it starts producing seeds, it loses a lot of quality for feeding.
Lee Maddox: In Greene County, Brennan Ricker is not planning corn just yet, but currently concentrating on some of his truck crops like squash and about 15 acres of cabbage.
Brennan Ricker, Greene County Farmer: We take it out of the transplant trays and set it and then we’ll harvest it is June, depending on the weather and how much rain we get. Then we’ll market, we’ll box it up and field pack it and we’ll take it to Jefferson City to the broker I use.
Riley Mason, McMinn County Farmer: This time of year, when it just seems so hectic, and I got that quiet time the tracker, man, I just really, really makes me smile and really enjoy it. Extremely proud to be a part of the industry. Definitely.
Lee Maddox: And, for Tennessee Home and Farm Radio, I’m Lee Maddox.
