News — Hedge apples

          May turned out to be one of the wettest month farmers in our area have ever seen. As May came the facet was turned on and seemed to not turn off. We average 4.57 inches of rain for the month of may and received over two and a half times normal with 11.77 inches. This rain has been a mixed blessing. It ensured a good wheat crop but also has prevented us from getting the cotton planted.

           The wheat crop which was once on the edge due to an early season drought has bounced back and is looking to be a very good crop. It has gotten so wet that some of the wheat is drowning out. Wheat is only 2-3 weeks away from harvest at this time. To try to prevent break downs during harvest, we have been busy doing preventative maintenance on our harvest equipment (the dog is always a big help).

          Only about 20 percent of our fall crops have been planted thus far because of the rain. Including no cotton planted. The last day to plant cotton in the southern Kansas area is June 10^th so we are hoping that we can get a break from the rain so we can get it planted. The milo that has been planted is up and looking good so far. Hedge apple harvest is coming fast, though they are only the size of quarter right now, they will be ready for harvest in 3-4 weeks.

          Some company news to pass along. You may have noticed a new logo being rolled out in the last month; this will be our logo going forward. Also we are in the process of getting custom bags printed. They should be ready by the end of the summer. We believe custom bags will help promote or brand and help us grow and evolve as a company. Our very own cats are about to be internet stars. We are taking our own product shot using our own cats and we will begin rolling out these product images across all buying platforms soon.

          Finally looking ahead, June will be one of the busiest months of the year.  This first week will be planting cotton and continuing to get ready for wheat harvest. Wheat harvest will start around the 15^th and last for 10 -14 days depending on the weather.

In our Blog we plan on keeping you informed on what is going on. Currently on the farm we are working to prepare for wheat planting. Wheat is planted in the fall and harvested in early summer. This is a stressful time of year because we have to decide when to plant our crop.  It depends on so much on the weather. Some things we must consider when planting are How deep to plant, what variety of wheat to plant where, and when to plant. If we plant to deep and we receive a big rain then the wheat can become sealed under and won't come up. Planting too shallow can be problematic as well because the seed does not receive rain it will just sit in the dry dirt and won't come up until it rains. A wheat crop can be lost in the fall but it can't be made. 

A Quick note on hedge apple season; 

Hedge apples are in there absolute prime right now. If you have been waiting to purchase now is the time to do so. Soon many hedge apples will be falling to the ground. Also it may be hard to believe but a freeze is most likely only 6 weeks or less away.A freeze will be the end of hedge apple season.