July is here

So how have things been?  This pretty much sums it up:

No, not really that bad.  In fact looking around and talking to others we are in pretty good shape.  Finished cutting wheat

all but done with double crop beans

We still have about 2 acres at my house, and there is water standing on the east end.  But talking to others we have no complaints.  We put about half the crop in the bin just to keep going.

Now some fool has to get in a bin in July and run a sweep auger.  We could wait until January when the basis traditionally improves, but we anticipate running out of bin space this fall. But we have made it through July 4th with no injuries or incidents, so maybe it will be an uneventful summer.

 

Land auction Tuesday

They sold 1035 acres in 16 tracts Tuesday evening. 16 tracts doesn't quite explain it.  There were basically 2 parcels, 792 contiguous acres in 14 tracts inn Indiana and 243 contiguous acres in 2 tracts in Illinois. My understanding was the mineral rights were all retained by the seller.
Auctioneer's web sites are http://www.schraderauction.com/auctions/6211 and http://murraywiseassociates.com/auction/sullivan-and-clark-counties
I think at least one if not both plan to post results and possibly video.

Total sale price was $6,385,000 plus a 3% buyer's premium, or $6,576,550.
Here are the results per tract

Tract number	acres	total with premium added	per acre
1	36.922	$ 309,000	$8,368
2	34.947	$257,500	$7,368
3	46.162	$303,850	$6,582
4	20.797	$72,100	$3,466
5	20.630	$61,800	$2,995
6+7+8+14	277.509	$2,039,400	$7,348
9+10+11+12+13	355.802	$2,678,000	$7,526
15+16	267.440	$854,900	$3,196

Tract 1: 37± ac Mostly tillable frontage on 2 roads.
Tract 2: 35± ac All tillable frontage on one road
Tract 3: 47± ac Mostly tillable frontage on one road
Tract 4: 21± ac With 15 acres of mixed hardwood trees. Potential building site, recreational or hunting tract.
Tract 5: 21± ac Features 14 acres of mixed hardwood trees. Potential building site and/or recreational/hunting tract.
Tract 6: 41± ac productive farm land.
Tract 7: 71± ac all tillable productive farm land.
Tract 8: 46± ac All tillable farm land with frontage on one road.
Tract 9: 49± ac Mostly mixed hardwood trees, excellent hunting/recreational tract with frontage on one road
Tract 10: 32± ac Mixed hardwood trees excellent hunting/recreational tract with frontage on one road
Tract 11: 47± ac Mostly tillable productive farm land with frontage on 2  roads
Tract 12: 73± ac Mostly tillable productive farm land frontage on one road
Tract 13: 155± ac With approximately 130 acres of productive tillable farm land balance of acreage in woodland. Frontage on one road
Tract 14: 117± ac Mostly tillable productive farmland.
Tract 15: 36± ac With approximately 34 acres of productive tillable farmland. Small grain bin and outbuilding located on the Southwest corner of this tract.
Tract 16: 207± ac With approximately 179 acres of tillable land with frontage on River Road. This tract has approximately 1/2 mile of frontage on the Wabash River. The balance of acreage is mixed hardwood trees creating an excellent habitat for hunting and recreational opportunities.

No mention was made of a "productivity index"

The road taking off at an angle from the top left corner  of tract 11 is the entrance to the former Breed power plant.

I'm more familiar with the last 2 tracts.  15 is very sandy. That may be considered an understatement.  The property directly north has an old gravel pit on it.  16 is easily flooded ... in fact will possibly not be planted this year. It was being logged this winter until the river flooded it. It sets directly north of the former Strohm property now in the Wetland Reserve Program.

Been a while

I just realized it has been a while since I wrote anything here.  If you are on Facebook Aman and I have been putting updates on our farm page fairly regularly.  Visit us on the Bumpus Farms page on Facebook.

This has been one of those years you use whatever it takes to get the job done. We have planted with about everything from a one row planter

a 3 row (haven't used the 2 row yet)

a 4 row, a 6 row,

 a 12 row

All the way to a 23 row planter

We ... I've gotten stuck

and generally have planted as fast as the ground dried out ... or faster. Although some of the ground isn't drying very quickly.

We've had flat tires

Wheels have fallen off while going down the highway

Barn roofs have been repaired

 (no Aman and I didn't do it)

 as well as buildings somebody backed into

 (no need to say who...)

and one of these days we will either get finished or quit for the year.

Moonrise

Aman took this Friday evening

Well, bought another John Deere

In fact I gave more for it than the 3010 or the 170 Allis Chamlmers I sold this winter.

But I'll probably get more use from it than them.I decided it was time to replace the Husqvarna while it still had some value

To be honest I was tired of being beat up every time I drove it.  This isn't a Ferris, but it rides LOTS better than the orange one. And it will out perform the old one!  I really wanted a 997 diesel, but I stretched my budget as far as I was comfortable.

We Are Different

Just when I was getting a good feeling ...

I know, so far we have missed the downpours.  But the latest river forecast is 23 ft by the weekend.

We missed the rain but not the water