I tested out the new drag on July 4 and I am pretty pleased with the results. Since then I have used it again and I have a better feel for it's strengths and weaknesses now. The 4" danish sweeps are fantastic--it's really picking up sod chunks and working the soil. It runs very well in clean soil but can clog quickly if there is trash, especially old roots and clods of soil. The rear cross bar could be moved back or eliminated to alleviate this issue. I also want to experiment with hydraulic lift--there are different possibilities at Harbor Freight, I think. Double action would be best, but spring lower might also work. The second time I was hitching up to it, I looped the reins over the raise lower lever and the team bent it up when they walked off. It's been very buggy (small gnats, etc) and these sessions were not real fun for me or the team. I hope we can get better at summer field work. I have no idea how horses can work mid day making hay! We only ever work in the morning or evening, and I always pick cool days.
I'm thinking of planting buckwheat into this strip, not as a cover, but to harvest and eat. That would be fun. The book says it is easy to thresh and clean.
To give you an idea of where this soil started, this video from Fall 2014 is kind of funny:
Somebody cleaned out the self-serve stand on Saturday. Aaargh! I was so proud that this had never been a problem before. Oh, well. Lost about $5 I suppose.
Zucchini has started up--hold on tight! Actually, it won't be as crazy as last year since not that many plants made it. But cucumber, winter squash, and even cantaloupe could still be epic. We'll see.
I have the sythe and cradle all ready for the wheat. The Turkey in back is really starting to turn. Maybe 2 weeks out??
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