Wind machines and smoke pots

[68Charger]

Dad always said that was why he never followed his dad into farming. Couple freezes, snow storms, hail storms in a row could send a guy to the poor house.

They have insurance for it... but that means your best year is only mediocre- the insurance can be very expensive. Wife is a beneficiary to a trust that owns a number of farms in Nebraska... they buy the insurance- and some years the insurance payment is more than what they profit on the farm (in other words, over half the profit went to insurance).. I think i'd be less risk adverse when the cost is so high. Some years, the only yield on some farms is the payout from the insurance.

[buffalobo]

Most of the the weather was close call and all turned out ok but everybody still had to monitor and go thru the motions just in case. As you pointed out, just a few degrees or slight change in wind often made the difference.

[buffalobo]

Crop insurance programs back in the 50's when dad chose not to become farmer were not really viable and much more expensive. Most farmers did not participate and were still exposed to the risks of nature.

In early 80's .gov changed program with greater subsidies to make it more viable and increase participation.

Only one branch or our family still farms full time and could not do so profitably if not for crop subsidies and subsidized insurance.

[TheGrey]

I can't imagine having an entire orchard at the mercy of the capricious weather in March. I fret and fuss over our trees (peach, honeycrisp apple, and a stick that is meat to be a Northstar cherry)- I hope your trees weather the Spring storms and produce bumper crops!

[Hummer]

Crop insurance programs back in the 50's when dad chose not to become farmer were not really viable and much more expensive. Most farmers did not participate and were still exposed to the risks of nature.

In early 80's .gov changed program with greater subsidies to make it more viable and increase participation.

Only one branch or our family still farms full time and could not do so profitably if not for crop subsidies and subsidized insurance.

I've wondered if you were actively farming; it seems that sod farms are big around Hoyt. It's interesting to hear about your background around Delta/Cedaredge. Before I began making wines we would buy wine by the case from Surface Creek. Over the years since I've regularly bought grapes from a vineyard on Cedar Mesa to make some outstanding Gewurztraminer.

We had federal crop insurance but didn't buy private. It didn't pay much but it would usually cover our chemical bill for the year.

[Hummer]

I can't imagine having an entire orchard at the mercy of the capricious weather in March. I fret and fuss over our trees (peach, honeycrisp apple, and a stick that is meat to be a Northstar cherry)- I hope your trees weather the Spring storms and produce bumper crops!

Thank you, Grey. We're down to a few apricot and peach trees now as I just finished removing the last of our orchards. To reinvest in peach orchard would cost ~$45K/acre with a return in 7-8 years. I instead I'll invest in retirement travel and property improvements. We'll lease the land to a neighbor for hay production. Easier on the old back.

Good luck with your fruit trees, and don't forget to spray the apples on schedule every 12-14 days to control coddling moth apple worms.

[D_F]

The only crops of any interest here in the uncompahgre valley are pot and hemp. Plus looking like they will start at 60% water. It's going to be a wild year.

[Hummer]

The only crops of any interest here in the uncompahgre valley are pot and hemp. Plus looking like they will start at 60% water. It's going to be a wild year.

It'll be a lean year waterwise, if we don't get more snow. Two of my adjacent neighbors are growing hemp, one for seed, the other for CBD oil. I think their hemp growing careers will be short as very soon the big farms on the eastern plains go into production and plunge profit margins for smaller growers. But who knows?

I chose not to contract with a neighbor hemp farmer because of the potential legal risks. People wait and watch as Washington sits.

[hurley842002]

Off topic, but God I love your part of the state Hummer, it's beautiful out there.

[Hummer]

Off topic, but God I love your part of the state Hummer, it's beautiful out there.

We do too, mostly the culture of freedom, more land and less crowding. We plan to move back here when my wife retires from the DA's office in a few years. The Grand Valley has just about everything....