Transcript A Year in the Life of a Farmer

A Year in the Life
of a Farmer
If I was to look at a farmer’s
calendar, what would I see?
April
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The farm year does not start in January. It starts in
April (spring time) instead.
Time for the farmers to get their year organized by
fixing machinery and getting seed and other supplies
on hand.
May
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The ground is finally warm! It is time to plant the
crops. This is called ‘seeding’.
Similar to planting a garden, but the garden is so big
that you need a machine to help.
First, the farmer needs to fertilize the soil and kill
all the weeds in the field.
Then the farmer uses his air seeder and plants the
crop. The ground needs to be warm and moist for the
crop to begin grow.
If a farmer or rancher has cows, this is
the time when most calves (babies) are born.
June
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Now that the crop has had some heat and moisture, it
has grown to have 2 – 4 leaves. Weeds will have
grown in the crop also. The farmer does not want to
have any weeds.
To get rid of the weeds, the farmer has to spray his
crop with chemicals to kill the weeds. A farmer has
to know the right chemicals to use so kill only the
weeds.
July
During the summer, the farmer watches his crop grow
to be strong and healthy.
 A farmer’s crop needs just the right about of heat
and rain to mature and become plentiful.
 If a farmer has cows, July is the best month for the
hay to be cut for food.
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August
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In August, farmers begin to get ready for harvest.
Harvest is when the grain is combined so the farmers
can sell it and make money.
Farmers need to get their combines, grain trucks, and
augurs ready by making sure they are working
properly and not broken.
The farmers do not want any rain during the last 2
weeks of August because they are relying on the sun’s
heat to dry and kill their crops.
If the crop is not given enough sun to fully mature
and stays cool and wet for a long period of time, it
will rot and spoil.
September – October
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The fall is known to be the time of harvest. We give
thanks to the harvest during Thanksgiving.
Sometimes, harvest does not take all of September
and October to complete. It all depends on the
weather.
A farmer can not combine his grain if it is
too wet because it will rot. Sometimes, a
farmer must use his dryer to help the
grain dry.
November - March
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The winter is spent repairing machinery and spending
time with his family. A farmer also will sell lots of
grain over the winter months to earn his living.
If a farmer has cattle or other live stalk, then the
winter months are spent feeding the animals and
making sure they do not get sick on the cold weather.