Drought-SD update

[SDdave]

Anybody else getting affected by the drought? We are over 7" below normal and have reached the "highest" level of drought. I never knew there were so many stages. Trees are turning puke green/brown and leaves are dropping. Corn harvest is going strong and fast, low yields. Alot of corn will be out before pheasant opener.

Waiting for rain,
SDdave

[SDdave]

9-19-12

Got two shots of rain...I think you can call it rain, less than a quarter inch combined. Speaking of combines, corn vastly out by Sioux Falls area and I've heard the same as you travel west. Beans are starting to go as well.

Lot's of grassfires the past couple of days, so a warning to all pheasant hunters to be careful. Pheasant numbers are up from last year, since last year was pretty good it should be dynamite this year with the advanced corn harvest.

Waiting for some more measurable rain,
SDdave

[The Birdman]

We had it bad 13 behind. Starting getting rain at the end of August, 3.5 months with out. We didn't get enough to germinate my sweet corn seed.

[lastwoodsman]

East central MN really dry but at about normal yet according to history. But we need moisture now.

[SDdave]

Well it's been about 2 weeks and still no rain, and still no rain in the forecast. Crops are vastly out. Still reports of grassfires. Not much happening in SD just dry and windy.

Waiting for rain,
SDdave

[SDdave]

From the local news...

"SIOUX FALLS, SD - South Dakota's row crop harvest advanced again last week with the soybean harvest nearing completion.
The U.S. Agriculture Department says in its weekly crop and weather report that light showers teased parts of the state over the weekend but make no significant dent in the growing season precipitation deficits.
Precipitation was fairly widespread but totals were fairly limited. Topsoil moisture is rated at 5 percent adequate, 18 percent short and 77 percent very short.
The corn for grain harvest is 78 percent complete and the soybean harvest is 94 percent complete. Both are ahead of the five-year averages.
Cattle conditions are rated at 65 percent good to excellent, 30 percent fair and 5 percent poor."

The local weather guys are guessing the winter might be like in 1976...bitterly cold with no precip. Better stock up on the whisky!:D

SDdave

[SDdave]

It's been a few days so I guess I better update. We actually got a shot of rain about 10 days ago or so. Picked up 0.60". The last time we got close to a 0.5" rain was back in April, and then only that one time.

SDdave

[Homestead Maple]

I can't imagine what a drought like that would do here. Since the first of Sept. we have gotten a little over 22 inches in our area. There is an experimental forest station the next town over from here and they record all the weather there and that's the amount of rain fall for this area that they have recorded. We have been getting between 1 1/2 to 3 inches to a storm but it has been that way for the last 4 years during the fall.

[SDdave]

I should post more often, after the last post we picked up about a quarter inch, on the optimist side, of rain. Got a chance of precip this coming weekend. Right now I'll let rain ruin my weekend. Now I am asking myself since there was hardly any rain during the growing season (less than 2") and we get fall rains/snow is it enough to tap, or err on the side of caution and take a year off?

Take care,
SDdave

[SDdave]

I am going to keep on posting, cuz' it's good luck. Picked up about a 0.50" rain Saturday night. Man was it beautiful, but the ground really soaked it up as there was no sign Sunday morning. I like it!!

SDdave

[SDdave]

Well its been about 3 weeks since last post so better update....The only precip in the last 3 weeks was about 35 snowflakes on Thanksgiving. Not much in the forecast as well. I think a cold snowless winter might be in hand.

Waiting patiently,

SDdave

[maple flats]

SDdave, aside from the rain deficit, I have a question. I never thought of SD as a place to be able to make maple syrup. Tell me a little about what you have please.

[SDdave]

SDdave, aside from the rain deficit, I have a question. I never thought of SD as a place to be able to make maple syrup. Tell me a little about what you have please.

Well by looking at your signature nothing like that !! The vast majority of the maples down here is silvers. Few reds and sugars but they are going to be in town lots. Tapable trees are on farm yards. My trees are a couple of miles from the house. Besides that we have beautiful amber fields of wheat, golden sunsets...oh wait that is off the tourism pamphlet. ha ha.

Granted I have found one other person in SD that taps as well, and he is a horticulture professor at State. So there is not much interest to do it but huge interest in consuming it!!

SDdave

[Revi]

Do you have any "manitoba maples", also known as box elders? They are tap - able as well, and are everywhere. They lean a lot and have cut leaves, so they don't look like any maple you have ever seen, but they make a nice syrup to put on pancakes anyway.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acer_negundo

[SDdave]

Yes there is a few if I can stretch the word few as much as possible. Vast majority of trees around here are Green Ash, Silvers, and in the river valleys oaks. Back home in MN we had a good mix of box elders and silvers.

To say the least I am one of the very few "prairie sugarers'ers". We're a bunch of crazy folk that have taps several miles apart just to quelch that quivering we all get in the spring.

But we are expecting first measurable snow of the year Friday night! I am excited for the moisture, but not the snow removal portion of my job.

Till later,

SDdave

[SDdave]

Well better update...

We got snow, to say the least. Just under 1.5", I think the water conversion was less than a tenth of an inch. The Sioux Falls paper had an update on precip totals for the year. We have had less than 16" of precip in the last year. Just about 11" short of a last year, and that year was dry. Just might be sitting out this year, and working on getting a decent setup built. Any ideas on how to convince a wife who is paranoid about using wood (due to sparks and length of time to cool down) to use wood? Propane is getting expensive...

SDdave

[Homestead Maple]

SDdave, our area got another inch and three quarters of rain since last Thursday and a little snow. Snow is gone as of yesterday.

[SDdave]

Well crap o'la. I don't know how many times I have reclicked "reply to thread". So here I type again...

The weather pattern seems to be changing a little...with another chance of rain this weekend we've seen more rain fall (but not quantity) over the last month and a half. Good sign but too late for me for this season I think. Alot of nurseries around here are telling us landscapers to expect branch dieback this coming year. I think I will just start "working" on the old rig to make improvements.

SDdave

[Homestead Maple]

We've got some snow and a chance of a mix of snow and rain coming in this weekend through next Wednesday.

[SDdave]

Better update it's been about 2 weeks. We got 4" of light powdery snow a couple of days ago. That's about it.

SDdave

[Homestead Maple]

We have around 8 inches on the ground here and 15 on the ground where my maple bush is, with more falling now.

[SDdave]

Better update again...

Got spittle(rain) less than a tenth. Snow is gone from the big January thaw. Supposed to get cold with the artic front coming down.

SDdave

[SDdave]

We got some rain today!! 0.20"...more than expeceted and made things a little slick this morning.

SDdave

[Homestead Maple]

We got better than an inch of rain today. The rain took a lot of the snow we had. When things freeze up again tonight it will be easier getting around in the woods on the crust.

[doop]

Just looked at the radar, and looks like the weatherman is finally right. If we get as much snow as predicted it will put a dent in this drought were in.

[SDdave]

Hopefully for you doop. I really hope someone can get out of this drought. Got rain last night less t thhan a half inch, no snow falling yet. Weatherman said 3-6" snow ontop of the rain. Don't look like it's happening yet.

Talked to the farmer who owns the trees I tap the other day, a friend of his was digging a new stock pond. 14' down and no soil moisture. yikes.

Take care all,
SDdave

[doop]

We ended up with 7", but still 1' below average for snowfall. Not to mention the rain deficit since last summer.

[Homestead Maple]

About a foot of snow over the weekend. Parts of Connecticut and Mass. upwards of 40 inches with most places in Conn., Mass. and southern NH getting 24 inches.

[SilverLeaf]

Hi Dave!
Up this way we're not as dry as you, but still drier than we want. We do have another coating of snow on the ground which is good.

Just starting to get things prepped for the season. This year we will not get skunked!!! :-)

[SDdave]

Hey Dan, it's been a while. And it's been a while for me to update...We just got a dusting of snow!! They're talking big snow next Thursday, we'll just see how that one plays out.

Dan up there you are a little wetter than us, not much, but wetter. I'm taking the year off...so let me know when your firing up for the spring, gotta come up and check it out!

SDdave

[SilverLeaf]

I'm taking the year off...so let me know when your firing up for the spring, gotta come up and check it out!
SDdave
Will do! Why the hiatus this year?
Oh, and how's that baby doing?

[SDdave]

Baby's doing good turning one on Monday!

I don't really call it a hiatus but rather a sabbatical. Ha ha. Talked the wife into letting me "upgrade" for next year, so going to check out your rig and RileySugarBush's to get ideas and what not.

SDdave

[SDdave]

Wow what a few months can do...Ended May precip at 21.75" of rain. Mostly fell over the last week. The rains took us out of the extreme drought back to dry conditions. Looks like I better get my stuff together and do those "improvements" that I have been putting off the last two years. :rolleyes:

Take care all,

SDdave