Latest / Farm Tales Unplugged - Daily Farm Brief / Harvest Falls Behind, the Pawpaw Queen, Spider Silk & Persimmons Predict Winter | Daily Farm Brief

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Harvest Falls Behind, the Pawpaw Queen, Spider Silk & Persimmons Predict Winter | Daily Farm Brief · Farm Tales Unplugged - Daily Farm Brief

• 0:04
  SPEAKER_00: Good morning, Farm Nation, and hello, Truck City.
• 0:09
  SPEAKER_00: This is FarmTale's Unplugged Daily Farm Brief for Wednesday, October 7th.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_00: Brought to you by World TradeX, empowering farmers.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_00: I'm Rick Portonova.
• 0:18
  SPEAKER_00: Coming up this morning, a quick red diesel note and the latest on a harvest that's running behind the usual pace.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_00: Then a fruit grower with some unusual helpers and an Arkansas family whose show goats change the farm.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_00: Our high-tech moment looks at silkworms that could help make a new kind of sports clothing.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_00: We'll finish off with the old farmer's almanac and a little fall folklore.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_00: So grab your coffee, fire up whatever you're driving, and let's find out what was happening while you were busy actually working.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_00: Quick red diesel note.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_00: Monday's order calls for waiving federal penalties for highway use through year end, while state rules still apply.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_00: Markets! Corn harvest behind average.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_00: Soybean harvest further behind.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_00: Winter wheat planting, well behind.
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_00: And everybody still has to farm the field in front of them.
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_00: That's enough markets this morning.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_00: USDA released its latest crop progress numbers Monday afternoon.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_00: As of Sunday, 23% of the U.S.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_00: corn crops have been harvested.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_00: Normally we'd be around 27% by now.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_00: Soybeans are running farther behind.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_00: 25% harvested compared with a five-year average of 33%.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_00: And there's another number worth watching.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_00: Only 54% of the nation's corn crop is now rated good to excellent.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_00: That's down three points in a week.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_00: Another 18% is rated poor or very poor.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_00: Soybeans are holding slightly better, with 57% rated good to excellence.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_00: And while everybody is understandably focused on getting this crop out, next year's wheat crop is already falling behind.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_00: Winter wheat planting is just 36% complete.
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_00: Five-year average is 46%.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_00: 16% has emerged compared to 20% normally.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_00: None of that means harvest is in trouble everywhere.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_00: Some farmers are moving quickly.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_00: Others have spent way too much time watching rain, mud, and humidity dictate their schedule.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_00: That's why I'm always careful with these national percentages.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_00: 23% harvested nationally doesn't tell you much if your county is at 60%.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_00: And it definitely doesn't help if your combine hasn't moved in four days.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_00: But the USDA numbers do tell us something useful.
• 2:21
  SPEAKER_00: Nationally, harvest has some catching up to do.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_00: And once the weather gives farmers a window, expect a lot of combines and a lot of trucks to start moving at the same time.
• 2:31
  SPEAKER_00: Now to Hardwick, Massachusetts, where Abby White is known as the Pawpaw Queen.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_00: She grows pawpaws, a fruit that tastes a little like banana and mango.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_00: But here's the surprising part: the flowers are pollinated by flies and beetles, and Abby has used spoiled sausage and canned squid to bring the flies in.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_00: She's learned that a bad smell can be useful in the right place.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_00: Abby grows the fruit in her backyard alongside a full-time job.
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_00: Her former co-workers gave her the title Pawpaw Queen.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_00: In her latest harvest update, she expected most of this year's fruit to ripen around mid-October.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_00: People make the trip to buy it, but she asked them to check first the fruit has to be ready.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_00: A small backyard grove, a loyal following, and some very unusual help from the insect world.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_00: Next to Satterfield Farms in Norfolk, Arkansas, Mark Satterfield's daughter wanted to show goats through FFA.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_00: Her brother soon joined in and the project kept growing.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_00: In a story published Monday, Ozark's farm and neighbor says, goats have become the family's main focus.
• 3:38
  SPEAKER_00: Mark and his son Justin still raise cattle, but they now spend most of their time on showgoats.
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_00: There's plenty to learn in that business.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_00: Even fuzzy legs are among the things to look for in a showgoat.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_00: But the part I like is after the sale.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_00: The family keeps helping the buyers care for their animals and get them ready for the show ring.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_00: Think about what that means to a child getting started.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_00: There's someone to call when a question comes up.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_00: One child's interest gave this farm a new direction.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_00: Now the family is helping other children get their start.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_00: I like that.
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_00: Time for the high-tech moment.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_00: A company called Craig Labs is using genetically engineered silkworms to make silk with proteins found in spider silk.
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_00: The goal is a light, tough material that can be used in sports clothing.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_00: The worms spin cocoons, and that silk is made into yarn.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_00: The company says it has shipped a small order to a major sportswear brand for a test project.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_00: It hasn't named the brand.
• 4:37
  SPEAKER_00: On Monday, Craig Labs said all three of its production centers were running.
• 4:42
  SPEAKER_00: So now a customer can try out the material.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_00: It's still a test project, with more to prove before we know how well it works in clothing.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_00: But think about where this could lead.
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_00: A worm spins a cocoon.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_00: That silk may one day end up in clothing worn by an athlete.
• 4:56
  SPEAKER_00: That's a pretty interesting new job for a silkworm.
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_00: And now a little time in the old farmer's almanac.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_00: There's an old fall tradition that says you can get a hint about winter from a persimmon seed.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_00: You split the seed from a ripe American persimmon and look at the shape inside.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_00: A spoon means snow to shovel, a fork means a mild winter, and a knife means sharp cold winds.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_00: Now this is old weather lore.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_00: It isn't a real forecast, but it can certainly get a conversation going around the kitchen table.
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_00: And for what it's worth, I believe it.
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_00: And there's something useful to know about the fruit itself.
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_00: Native persimmons need to be soft and ripe before you eat them.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_00: Bite into one too soon and it will make your mouth pucker.
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_00: You may have heard that frost makes them sweet.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_00: Purdue Extension says they can ripen before the first frost.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_00: Use the ripe fruit in a pudding or a batch of cookies.
• 5:55
  SPEAKER_00: Remove the seeds and skin.
• 5:57
  SPEAKER_00: You can also freeze the soft fruit for later.
• 5:59
  SPEAKER_00: That gives you a little project for a fall afternoon.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_00: Something to look at, something to talk about, and something good for the table.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_00: If you have a grandchild or a curious neighbor handy, let them have a look at the seed too.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_00: Ask what they see, see if you agree.
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_00: And if it looks like a spoon, you could have a friendly debate about winter while the coffee is still hot.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_00: And there you have it.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_00: That's your FarmTales Unplugged Daily Farm Brief for Wednesday, October 7th.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_00: Brought to you by World TradeX Empowering Farmers.
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_00: I'm Rick Portonova, and we'll see you Thursday morning.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_00: And if you enjoyed this podcast, please give us a share, a like, or a review.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you.