3 Quarters Today

My Life, my photography, my passions

farming

#18/52: Cows in the Sunset

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The grass is belly high, the cow have calves by their side and the sun is setting on the horizon. How I love the Midwest!  Angus and “black baldy” cows are the norm around this part of the country and after “talking” to them a little I got their attention.

Evening in the country
Evening in the country with the cows

Editing notes: Used Lightroom 4 to increase the exposure and increase clarity in the grass and the brush to decrease the exposure in the sky. The last thing I did was use the masking brush and open up the the highlights in the cows, their black coloring was hard to separate individuals.

Information about Raising Cattle

A Field Guide to Cows: How to Identify and Appreciate America’s 52Cattle: A Handbook to the Breeds of the WorldRaising Beef Cattle For DummiesKnow Your CowsThe Backyard Homestead Guide to Raising Farm Animals: Choose the Best BreedsSmall Cattle for Small Farms (Landlinks Press)

Day 221/365: Shade Tobacco in the Connecticut River Valley

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Made in the Shade, Tobacco
Made in the Shade, Tobacco

Growing up in the 1970’s and 80’s in CT there weren’t too many jobs for teenagers between the ages of 13 and 16. You either worked the tobacco fields, the vegetable farms, or babysat. Since my Dad worked for Consolidated Cigar Company (warehouse) for over 25 years until they closed their Glastonbury Connecticut doors in 1986, he figured one person in the family worked in the tobacco industry was enough. So I picked tomatoes for two summers.

Thus my first hand experience is limited, I do know from listening to friends that it was hot, sweaty and tiring. Much like detasseling in Nebraska is now. The CigarLife website has a very good article called Shade Tobacco Days if anyone cares to live vicariously.

The Connecticut River Valley has been known for it’s shade tobacco for hundreds of years and it’s used primarily as the wrapper.

This picture was taken close to Broad Brook Connecticut, near South Windsor.

Day 195/365: Imagine Changing This Flat Tire?

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John Deer Floater with a Flat Tire
John Deer Floater with a Flat Tire

I have never seen a John Deere sprayer with a flat tire, so when I drove by it just called for me to stop. Each tire is over five feet tall and designed to travel between the corn and soybean rows without damaging the plants. These sprayers cost close to $200,000 and the tires several thousands of dollars.

Changing a flat tire in the field is no easy feat as you can see. The corner must be braced to keep the rig level. It’s a job I wouldn’t want. I’ve changed plenty of car tires in the past twenty years, but this is one I’d leave to the experts.

Day 193/365: Texas Longhorns in Nebraska

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Texas Longhorn Cows in Nebraska
Texas Longhorn Cows in Nebraska

The grass is as high as an elephants eye….oh sorry that’s from the musical Oklahoma, wrong state, on both accounts. Spring grass in Nebraska is like candy to these cows, I love seeing them belly deep with calves by their side hidden. Can you see him to the left of her?

This was taken north of Syracuse Nebraska which is located about 30 minutes east of Lincoln and 45 minutes south of Omaha.

Photoshop Notes: The background was a little blurrier than I liked so I accentuated the edges in the artistic filters and set opacity to 30%. Seemed to make the tops of the trees a little crisper.  It was an overcast evening with no sun what so ever.