Winter Rye
This field belongs to a neighbor who runs the biggest multiple field farm operation in our county. He alternates between corn, soy, and cereal rye, also known as winter rye because it is planted in winter as a cover crop. Remarkable for its rich color, the field will be cut for hay and grain for cattle just prior to producing seed heads.
Fields like this, with almost undetectable rows and virtually no weeds, are planted with a seed drill, which isn't a drill. It's a wide complicated plow attachment that holds seed, cuts in multiple rows at a preset width and depth, drops the seed at even intervals, and then covers the seed with soil - all in one pass. Lots of moving parts. Primitive seed drills, pulled by man or animals, were used by the Chinese as early as 1200 BC. The modern seed drill was invented and patented by Englishman Jethro Tull in the late 1700s, revolutionizing agriculture - and two hundred years later providing the name for the classic English rock band.
Winter Rye
This field belongs to a neighbor who runs the biggest multiple field farm operation in our county. He alternates between corn, soy, and cereal rye, also known as winter rye because it is planted in winter as a cover crop. Remarkable for its rich color, the field will be cut for hay and grain for cattle just prior to producing seed heads.
Fields like this, with almost undetectable rows and virtually no weeds, are planted with a seed drill, which isn't a drill. It's a wide complicated plow attachment that holds seed, cuts in multiple rows at a preset width and depth, drops the seed at even intervals, and then covers the seed with soil - all in one pass. Lots of moving parts. Primitive seed drills, pulled by man or animals, were used by the Chinese as early as 1200 BC. The modern seed drill was invented and patented by Englishman Jethro Tull in the late 1700s, revolutionizing agriculture - and two hundred years later providing the name for the classic English rock band.