That Special Day

Today is that special day of the month, the day they announce the class III base price for our June milk.  The June price for 2009 was $9.97, 2010 was $13.62 and todays price is $19.11 or $1.65 per gallon.  Given the fact that we have milk contracted at $16.38 we have lost opportunity for just over $2000.  Only three times in the last 15 years has the price been higher than what we contracted for.  We are fully aware that the markets are better than our contract for the next few months.  In the big picture it is all good.  In the little picture : (     The historical 15 year high was $20.25 in 2008 and the low was $9.46 in 2000 with the 15 year average being $13.36.

It was another warm day with a bit more breeze than yesterday. I am glad to report my calf gets up and down when he wants to without my help.  He still has a sore leg but is functional and eating so he will do fine.  Bruce needed parts today for ongoing maintenance so we scheduled a couple appointments for him as long as he was going. Generally farmers don't volunteer to go to town any more often than they have to so we made good use of the outing. The haylage silo has an unloader that is 35 years old and still working well with the exception that the bottom of the blower has worn through after 11 years since its last replacement. It is easier to do those kinds of repairs on unloaders when they are at the bottom and we now have the parts here.  Bruce got a call this morning that the shaft for the blower is also ready.  The blower shaft tends to move and wear due to "poor engineering" according to Bruce.  He decided to have the shaft redone and use bearings that he feels they should have used in the original design. After he got home he moved a couple groups of heifers to new pasture.  Joe was here this afternoon and evening to mow lawn and do some cleaning along with helping me milk while Bruce works on repairs.  Vicky checked our seeding and feels it is ready to be cut so that will start tomorrow.  We got just over 3/10 inch of rain tonight about supper time. After having such a wet June, we really could use some rain again.  If we could order rain we would have 1 inch every Saturday night.  I highly doubt the vacationers and campers would agree!