.JPG)
XtremeAg’s Chad Henderson dodges the weather to get his Alabama crop in the ground while Lee Lubbers sees dirt for the first time this since last fall in South Dakota.
CHAD HENDERSON – MADISON, ALABAMA
Chad Henderson is part of a fifth-generation farming operation in Madison, Alabama. Henderson Farms operates over 8,000 acres of dryland and irrigated corn, dryland soybeans, wheat, and dryland and irrigated double-crop soybeans. When not farming, Chad can be found carrying on another proud family tradition as a drag racer for Henderson Racing.
Our corn is going in the ground and we have planted 400 acres before getting rained out. We are hoping for dry weather this week to get back in the field. The ground has stayed wet. As soon as it dries up, we will start planting soybeans. It looks like it may be the middle of this week before we are able to get back in the field and resume planting.
We finished spraying our wheat at flag leaf stage. It looks like we are about two weeks away from developing head scab.
I’m looking forward to getting all the trials underway for XtremeAg. We have been planting strip tilled ground which makes for good planting conditions. The soil is firm where the tractor runs and loose where the row units are planting seed.
Hope everyone had a great Easter weekend.
LEE LUBBERS – GREGORY, SOUTH DAKOTA
Lee Lubbers of Gregory, South Dakota, grew up in the farming tradition, and remembers using leftover scholarship money as the down payment for his first tractor and rent for 200 acres. Today, he farms more than 17,000 acres of dryland soybeans, corn, and wheat. Lubbers says one of the most important things to him is to always be learning and challenging himself to build an operation and a legacy that the next generation can be proud of.
Photo credit: XtremeAg
It’s time for changing of the seasons in South Dakota. We skipped a season and went right from winter to pseudo-summer. We went from temperatures in the single digits and teens to over 70° F on Easter. The last two storms gave us some ice and all the snow went 100 miles north of us. They are covered up with snow, but we are getting ours melted off. We were so dry that the ground wouldn’t freeze last year before the snows started hitting in December, so luckily, we’ve been slowly melting from the bottom up all winter.
We are finally able to check on our winter wheat now that we can start to dig it out of ground. We have wheat all over the board. Some is spiking through, some is sprouted and inching up, and some kernels are just plain dead. As long as we don’t have big holes, we’ll be fine. I’m optimistic and think we’ll be thick enough.
Photo credit: XtremeAg
The girls like going along in the Gator and it gives us a chance for driving lessons. They always seem to find a mud hole somewhere! Splash boots, ring pops, and pocketknives get the job done. But my little agronomists cleaned up pretty well for Easter.
I’m in the process of moving out of my offices up town after renting them for 14 years. We decided to build a new office at my place. I wanted to be moved out before we get in the field. We should be moved into the new facility later this summer.
Photo credit: XtremeAg
This week we will start de-winterizing our spray pumps and hooking up connections. It can still freeze hard here this time of year, so we are in no rush to get it done. Chemicals will start getting hauled in and soybean fertilizer for the air seeders is on the agenda in the next seven to 10 days. It’s nice to see the grass starting to green up, it’s a welcome change. Stay safe everyone.
XtremeAg.farm is a team of the nation’s top producers who have come together to share their experience, expertise, knowledge, and farming practices with other farmers. Members get access to exclusive content from the team as well as one-on-one support for their own farming operation. Visit XtremeAg.farm for more information.
