Planting Time is Here!

The heat is on and its time to plant! This is a corn year and we can’t wait to see the stalks start to grow!

Memorial Day was hot hot hot this year and, as usual, Tom and I had some work to do out at the new distillery. We were excited to find the tilling and seeding equipment working the fields at the farm. Their large, and powerful, machines never cease to amaze me. The perfection with which they roll up and down the fields, creating the beautiful canvas that will become this years corn, is cool to watch. What starts as hard, lumpy, weedy, ground is transformed into rich, fine soil ready to accept a new crop. These guys work long, long days-even holidays- especially when trying to beat incoming weather.

Although I realize there is much discussion about till vs. no-till, our farmer, Rick, has been managing fields in Northeast Ohio for over a quarter century and his soil, and crops, are outstanding. So we're not going to argue with his practices. Tilling fields provides many benefits to the soil before seeds are planted, some of which include:

*Allowing roots of the plants to penetrate deep into the soil

*Providing aeration to the roots allowing them to breathe

*Assisting with growth of microbes and worms, which add nutrients to the soil and aid in decomposition

*Removing weeds and other waste materials, which can sometimes harbor disease and pests from the prior years growth

*Bringing nutrient-rich soil to the top and breaking the hard ground for optimum plant health

These guys work long, long days, even holidays especially when trying to beat incoming weather! All in all, we are looking forward to this years corn season! Sowing seeds of corny love! Cheers!