Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Spring Comes to Central Iowa - Bob Kelly Photos

We have had many early spring wildflowers, and now spring songbirds are beginning to arrive. The Morel mushrooms are being found, fruit trees are blossoming or already have, and the farmers are planting crops. Most of the corn has been planted by now, and this week many farmers are planting soybeans.

The first photo shows a very large John Deer tractor pulling a 24 row planter, and he is planting soybeans at this time, which are stored in the large yellow tank behind the tractor, and then blown by air through hoses to get into the planting row. These tractors cost big bucks, as much as $250,000 each, and most all are equipped with a GPS steering capability, that literally drives the tractor down the field in perfectly straight rows. I could see one farmer was eating his lunch and drinking from a bottle of water while the tractor was driving itself
The second photo shows another giant tractor by Steiger that is pulling a grain drill and in a somewhat similar manner is injecting soybean seeds into the ground. In both of the first two images the farmers are using a "no till" method or a limited till approach so as to not drive back and forth across the field so much, as it not only saves fuel but also keeps the soil less compacted.
The third photo shows a Case IH tractor pulling a chisel plow and in this instance he is not planting anything but rather injecting anhydrous ammonia in a gaseous form into the soil as he tills and stirs it up. The anhydrous ammonia is a way to put nitrogen fertilizer directly into the soil. The last of the farm machinery photos shows a Hagie brand high sprayer, and in this photo the farmer is spraying a pre emergence herbicide over a bean field that was already planted, to prevent weeds from growing. In the background are the big TV transmission towers at Alleman, and on the horizon line is the top of the Principal tower, which is nearly twenty miles away. The magnification of the big telephoto lens makes far objects look closer than they are.

The next three photos show emerging corn plants, looking lovely in the afternoon sun. The first corn photo is looking straight down the rows, while the second one is in the same field, with the camera rotated 45 degrees to the right. I like the way it shows the rise and fall of the land, making the field look much like waves of soil, similar to what one might see on the surface of a lake. The third corn photo shows the graceful curves of the end rows on an irregular shaped field.


Also a sign of new growth was found on a lovely pond about ten miles northwest of Ames. This pair of Canadian Geese and their group of four goslings are out for a swim in the afternoon sun.

No matter whether one sees spring through wildflowers, new songbirds, mushrooms, baby Geese and other animals, or a dedicated farmer getting his crop in, all are tangible signs of the renewal of the growing cycle, a time of renaissance and new birth, after a long and harsh winter. To be out in it, and with it, is to sense the rhythm of the seasons, and right now the rhythms of Iowa have a very lovely beat! Go outdoors and experience any part of it, that is of interest to you, as it is all there to give us pleasure and insightful enlightenment.

text and photos by Bob Kelly

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