KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The fall harvest is finished. The ground sits idle, but the work on a farm continues.
Jay Armstrong is the owner and fourth-generation farmer of Armstrong Farms in Muscotah, Kansas, and he is no stranger to the ever-changing Midwest weather. Each season creates new challenges and every winter takes on its own personality.
Farmers never stop working and learning how to improve their next harvest. Much of this preparation is completed during the winter, whether it’s in the fields or in the office using the latest computer technology.
Computer software allows Armstrong to monitor how much each track of land yields, along with the amount of time, energy and total expense of each yield.
“In the winter, we will take those yields maps, and we’ll turn them into planning prescription maps on the computer,” Armstrong said.
Armstrong uses his computer to map out the best approach to planting his crops in the spring.
“Where I have better soils, I will plant higher populations. Where I have the poorer soils, I will plant lower populations," he said.
Armstrong’s several decades of experience with the Midwest's weather has turned him into somewhat of an expert.
“You know, farmers are kind of their own weatherman,” he said.
This weatherman likes to predict snow for his winter wheat crop.
“I like a certain amount of snow. I don’t want blizzards,” Armstrong said.
Winter wheat needs a nice blanket of snow to create ideal soil conditions.
The weight of snow turns rough soil smooth, encapsulating the seed. The snow’s moisture keeps the seed alive while vernalization takes place. Additionally, the blanket protects the wheat from winter’s harsh winds.
In the end, a balance of technology and old-school intuition allow farmers to feed the country.
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