Snow country farming?

[WVBill]

Saw something today on the field down the road I've not seen before.

Farmer was snow-plowing his field, making snowpile windrows. He was followed shortly by a bio-liquid fertilizer spreader up and down the rows.

We got 36" of snow two weekends ago, and another 12" a week later. It's still 18-20" deep.

I guess the farmer needs to get his field prepped for planting soon.

Tried to take a picture with my cell phone camera but it didn't come out....

 

[rockinmywaypa]

I've heard of farmers windrowing snow out on the prairies in order to catch ground drifting snow to increase the melt and subsequent moisture for the following spring and summer, no idea what the spreader would be for though.

 

[MossRoad]

Maybe he was just plowing the way for the manure spreader because the snow was too deep for it?

 

[bp fick]

Don't know if he was plowing in the snow, or just making rows, but snow if a wonderful source of nitrogen, as well as moisture. I have heard of plowing in snow to try to take advantage. My grandfather used to say this. He also said the nitrogen depletes with time in snow. He was a simple immigrant farmer, so I don't think he had any science behind his thoughts.

 

[WVBill]

Maybe he was just plowing the way for the manure spreader because the snow was too deep for it?

Maybe - that manure spreader has huge balloon flotation tires on it so as not to compress the soil. Don't know how it would fare in the snow. I'll see if he does the next field over tomorrow and try again for pictures.

 

[charlz]

I have heard in some places it is illegal to spread manure on top of the snow. Don't know anymore than that.

 

[dave1949]

Don't know if he was plowing in the snow, or just making rows, but snow if a wonderful source of nitrogen, as well as moisture. I have heard of plowing in snow to try to take advantage. My grandfather used to say this. He also said the nitrogen depletes with time in snow. He was a simple immigrant farmer, so I don't think he had any science behind his thoughts.

A farmer I worked for as a teenager claimed a late winter snow is like 'free' fertilizer. Your Grandfather may not have had science, and probably wasn't right all the time. But in the days before heavy chemical fertilizers, I think it's very possible farmers were more attuned to natural causes whose effects are more subtle than hitting young corn with anhydrous ammonia - for example. Chemical fertilizers as they are used today, tend to obliterate and mask many natural effects. I think those old fellers knew some things even if it was just intuition.
Dave.

 

[jimmyj]

I think those old fellers knew some things even if it was just intuition.
Dave.

Amen to that Dave. I hate the fact that so much of that knowledge is being lost.

Was the feild level? Otherwise when the snow melts the fertilizer will run off no?

 

[bp fick]

Apparently, Ag research does back up the old timers' suspicions.

A good snow will indeed add 2-4 pounds of N per acre.

 

[Gizmo2]

A farmer I worked for as a teenager claimed a late winter snow is like 'free' fertilizer. Your Grandfather may not have had science, and probably wasn't right all the time. But in the days before heavy chemical fertilizers, I think it's very possible farmers were more attuned to natural causes whose effects are more subtle than hitting young corn with anhydrous ammonia - for example. Chemical fertilizers as they are used today, tend to obliterate and mask many natural effects. I think those old fellers knew some things even if it was just intuition.
Dave.

We were always told, "late winter snow is a poor mans fertilizer"