Seeding mistakes

Speaking of hail insurance, how do they do coverage if day only half of the field comes up? I doubt they would pay out on acres that have nothing? I guess I should give someone a call to find out for sure. We’ve had hail 3 times now, nothing major, but it all came when it was too cold for hail so might be a problem ( or a saving grace) when it actually warms up.

Was that a thin crop all over? My concern is that just for example, say 50% of the crop is completely gone, nothing in the low spots or runs, just the hills grow, if it hails and they come to adjust it, will they just cover the 50% that grew on the hills even after you paid for coverage on all the acres? I’ve always been happy with our hail insurance, it’s not through MASC, but it could be one of those years where all insurance companies are pulling tricks out of their back pockets. Have a friend who had a bin blow over in the last blizzard, just had an auger blow over in the last storm, and found some dead cows that had been killed by lightning. He said already it’s becoming a fight to get the bin settled. Feel bad for him, sure getting hit hard.

This may be the scenario where the farmer and adjuster can agree!

I thought seeding went pretty well this year, except for one hose pulling out of boot but still flowing on the blockage sensor. The way it was tucked in there it took a couple fields to notice it. Had a hose wear through under the manifold so part of the seed was spraying downward and it would appear that it all grew.

My biggest frustration is rolled fields that are prone to blowing. This year I waited until my peas were almost up to roll them and once up I was hoping that I was out of the woods, but on Saturday the hurricane wind messed up a few hills and headlands. Hoping it comes back but the 28C on Sunday didn't really help. Anybody roll peas after they are up? I have done soybeans before but it is a narrow window and weather can mess it up.

I’ve noticed this as well. Guys used to roll peas after out of ground 3-4” tall. Now the majority of the guys the roller follows the drill in peas and cereals in our area. The bigger farms anyway. I don’t grow peas. I roll rocky fields when in cereals at 3-4 leaf. I don’t roll after seeding as my rocky fields are very hilly and worried about erosion (typically a high rain area).

Used to roll when they were a few inches tall. This was from necessity. We rented/borrowed a roller much like most other guys of the time so you waited in line till it was available, when you got your hands on it you did your field. Crop stage was irrelevant in this situation, it was equipment availability.

Dad bought a roller about 12 years ago so that took care of the one issue. And so I roll as soon as I can. It seals the moisture in that much better and dirt moves easier than after say a 1/2" rain so mole hills for example get leveled off a bit better if rolled soon vs later.

As for crop insurance, there is a decision early on to make. The establishment benefit pays you to reseed, or you can take the payment and not reseed in which case you wave any future claims through crop insurance (hail insurance being seperate) . Went through this with those dry years last couple years with no rain till late June. I let things go and eventually flax came up well except for some Sandy areas two years ago. Had about 30 acres out of 300 that didn't grow and what that did was factor into to my guaranteed yield. I ended up with more bushels than guaranteed so no pay out. If that field got hail, and I had one plant per 10 square ft and that plant was damaged then 100% hail. Hail insurance would dovetail into establishment component of crop insurance so when you look at those two components as a whole you kind of see how it works and some situations are rather rare. If a crop really is that sparse most guys would have reseeded so that removes discussion as to what happens if a thin crop got hail.