Here’s a shot for all of you who always wondered what a soybean plant looks like right before harvest.
This field is ready to harvest. You can see each pod contains about 3 beans and each plant has multiple pods. These are not the edible soybeans more commonly known as edamame, nor are they specialty beans destined for tofu, but soybeans that will probably be used for oilseed production or animal feed.
Most of the neighboring farmers are out in force now harvesting soybeans. The corn was planted very late and is not yet dried down.
The scale of today’s commodity agriculture is exemplified in this photo – a modern tractor and wagon to transport the beans to the elevator can l no longer fit in the barn built around the turn of the century – the doors are neither tall nor wide enough to accommodate this equipment.
This is the obligatory town celebration weekend of the year for Marshalltown, called “Octemberfest.”
Here the drum major of the Bobcat marching band leads them town main street.
Have you ever soon a better group of tubas?
The clarinet section leader keeps the players in line!
Emma’s school at West Marshall recently revived their marching band and participated this year.
Emma and some other 8th graders walk behind the high school band – their official title “Band Aids” and their job was to help load equipment etc.
A few weeks ago a school tour came and I neglected to show the “harvest table” that shows some of the goods and products harvested from our farm.
This table, set September 14, shows apples, onions, potatoes, raspberries, blackberries, garlic, tomatoes, beans, shiitake mushrooms, eggs, watermelon, lambskin, peppers, flower bouquet, and a bunch of canned goods. We are ready for winter!
I was in Marshalltown shuttling kids and had about 45 minutes to kill, so I stopped in at a couple of garage sales.
I found these stainless steel milk jugs shoved under a table of clothes. I didn’t hesitate too long before buying them for 5 bucks each. When I got home and did a search on Ebay I found one that still had a day left on the auction and was already up to $77.00. I’ll have to decide if I can really use them or list them for sale next spring.