As this is my first year with growing winter corn in New England (pioneering has its humps and bumps)the estimate for a crop of my size given the low angle of a winter sun can be expected to be in the vicinity of 65% to 70% of a summer yield. Another factor when judging winter yield is the lack of hot summer days. A third and as yet unqualified component of an indoor crop is the lack of wind, though at this point in the discussion a hot breeze seems to have kicked up. The summer yield could be considered to be 511 kernels per ear with 6 ears/stalk(wild guess)=3066 kernels per stalk. Given the winter reduction factor and a wild hope of 4 stalks by harvest time then the yield from the first ever New England mobile indoor cornfield should be 357.7x4.2x4/1100 or 5.463 respectable bowls of popcorn. Jerry
Cheryl, a guy down the road has a herd of miniature Angus. I don't think they are great milk cows, but I'm willing to ask him if I can milk a few. I've a thimble I'm not using and I don't think the mini-Angus would kick it over. I might throw my back out, bending over that far . . . . Churning the cream into butter may be a problem. Anyone got a martini shaker I can borrow?
Our neighbor has cows, but I don't think they are the kind that you milk though. She milks one of the goats but I've never had butter made from goat milk. I don't have a martini shaker to loan you, Jane. dooley
Technical progress report on 9 individual corn stalks in the portable cornfield as of 12-13-11, Temperature is in degrees Fahrenheit: Ambient temperature 65.4°F 1. 66.8° 2. 66.6° 3. 66.3° 4. 66.1° 5. 65.4° 6. 67.1° (hot stuff, also the fastest grower) 8. 65.8° 9. 64.7° 10. 65.6° 11. 65.4° Sunflower 64.5° Jerry
New England farmers faced with an outbreak of the dreaded plant affliction 'droopi floppus overus' have enlisted the aid of a 40 megawatt (some zeros appear to have worn off) photon generator to provide additional heat and light to the ailing winter corn crop. The generator iluminates entire cornfields and may prevent further degeneration of the seedlings. The area around Chelmsford, Massachusetts seems to be the most effected. Temperatures have been unseasonably cool for this time of year. This has been a service of the New England Agricultural News
Today, we had to go to Huntsville and we stopped at the new Tractor Supply store. They had a gazillion small tractors of all sizes but the one that I sent you was the easiest on the purse. I did see one thing that I thought you would like. Alas, I could not buy it. It was a big thick book on Farmall tractors, everyone that was made is in the book. We used to have a Farmall tractor when I was a younger person, maybe 3 feet tall. My dad would let us ride with him sometimes. Mostly we had to walk behind and put things in the wagon while he pulled it. I think that I have always been a farm girl at heart. I do hope the extra heat revives your corn. dooley
Wow, and I have two tractors, a Farmall and a John Deere. Farm equipment is getting expensive. It's a wonder small farmers survive. Especially with winter crops. Right now the winter corn is leaning on each other for support. Some of the tips are burnt. I wonder if I mixed too much Poo with the soil when I prepared the field? The local agricultural extension is closed for the winter or at least they did not answer the phone, so I can't ask them. :-( Jerry
Jerry that tractor sold. Got another one in local paper-but higher price.Land sold up by son $9300 an acre.
The field is, for the most part, holding its own, The sunflower is taking a meandering route skyward and only one more stalk has given up the ghost. Several stalks now have corn crutches to support themselves. measurements have ceased until a stalk shows an interest in growing straight. On the brighter side the days are growing longer as the initial days of winter count off toward spring. Jerry
