Gutknecht Family Farms
8226 Ranchero Rd.
Cedar Falls, IA 50613
Bill Gutknecht
319 - 404 - 5081
2016 Field Notes
Spring Notes
As it does always, spring came and went in the blink of an eye. We were fortunate to receive a stretch of warm, dry weather during the first half of April which allowed us to get into the field earlier than normal. Almost all of your planting was done by April 24th, which was great as we typically don’t even start till the 20th. With this bonus time, Dad, Jared, and crew were able to install drainage tile in a field with water drainage issues. This was much needed, and will help the soil be more productive. So far the year is off to a good start. To the left is Kane helping out back fill installation holes.
- Brett G.
Summer Notes
This summer’s project was the ongoing development of our grain handling setup. To complement the new grain drier installed last year, this summer a new storage bin and load-out was installed. This additional storage will allow us to be more efficient during harvest, better utilize the new drier, and more effectively market our grain. We all look forward to filling the new bin, as well as putting the entire system to use. With the warm weather, incremental rains, and strong crop health, it looks like we’ll need all of the new storage plus more.
- Brett G.
Fall Notes
The weather has been great this fall, and harvest is humming along well. We managed to escape the rain and flooding that took place north of us a few weeks ago.
The new bin and updated drying system has been a good thing. Bill seems to be really enjoying the new technology and the speed of which the system can dry and move the corn, along with having more storage on the farm.
Lee has moved in for the season and we are thankful for his continued help each fall. He is quiet as a mouse and I try to be also, as he works late hours and I am up before him.
Last night on the farm, Jared and I saw many meteors in the clear sky. So this morning everything was covered in a nice thick layer of frost! No more flowers! That took care of my flower pots until next year. Today was the first day I wore my winter coat to work, but the sun warmed things up nicely by mid-day. I hope they can finish up the fall field work before really cold weather sets in.
- Lori G.