Written: 12/9/08
I finished the last field of soybeans with the 72' bauer before the planter hit the ground. As I was folding up the planter and as I shifted the weight to the drawbar, WHAM, the drawbar broke. I was glad it didn't do this as I was transporting or even planter, for it would have done quite a bit of damage to both the tractor and planter. Anyways, the planter sits out in the field currently as the drawbar gets fixed.
Well, we can officially retire the 72' bauer for this season. After a month, 20 inches of rain, no seed at key moments, and a tractor that didn't want to work for us at the beginning, we are finished with about 2500 hectares (6,250 acres). It's had its fun moments knocking out 750 acres in 24 hours, to its downfalls when you get only one round in and it starts raining. It was also very frustrating when the sun is shining and the ground is in optimal condition to plant and there isn't a seed on the farm to plant. Also very frustrating is when you get one problem fixed, and another arises the next round. Through these frustrations I have come upon a appreciation for convenience of parts, a knack for troubleshooting, and the need, the need for seed. ( haha, I love Top Gun) It has also been very fun running a planter twice the length and triple the number of units as my dad's planter. Disappointing that I wasn't able to run autosteer because of the nonexistence of the Tractors GAI ordered, I was able to hone my driving skills and hope to put them to good use back in the States.
For the next two days we will be helping out on the farm getting the additional soybeans planted with the smaller planters. On Friday all the interns will be in town for one last weekend out on the town. I am really looking forward to that since I have been out at Rondonia the last 6 weeks with only a couple of days in town. However I will miss Dino. Dino left the other day because his father is in the hospital. I won't see him again, but before he left I gave him my Iowa State hat for him. He always told me he liked it when I wore it. He didn't hesitate to return the favor. Today a package came from town, and it was from Dino. It it was a John Deere hat and a note that said, "friend, don't forget me". Anyways Dino will be missed, but I hope to keep in touch with him through e-mail.
Well back to my chocolate candy bar!!!!!!!!
Signing off.................
-Hrubes
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Friday, December 5, 2008
Back in the saddle
Written: 12/5/08
Well the last 2 days have been really good. Yesterday I got started about 11 am and went til about 8, when the rain opened up. At the beginning of the day I had somewhere around 400 acres to do. Day started off really good, and at noon it looked a little gloomy. Luckily I had my spurs on and I planted through the rain. It was raining hard enough at one time that I actually need my windshield wipers. The rain lasted only about 10 minutes, and I was back on track without missing a beat. Towards the end of my shift it looked gloomy again and just sprinkled on me. Good news though, I planted through that and finished the field!!! Only one more field left to go, and it is about 550 hectares (1400 acres). However, this field will be no tilled and it is corn stalks. I am pretty optimistic that we will be able to go 24 hours around the clock if the rain holds out on us. We will have to see if the planter does a good job cutting the stalks at night when they are soggy.
Well 2 weeks from tomorrow I will be back in the United States. I am really looking forward to that, but will miss two things. Dino has been one of the nicest people I have met and we have had a lot of fun together. I am hoping to keep in touch with him somehow. Secondly I am going to miss driving manual vehicles around. It is so much fun!!
Well back to my ruffles potato chips. They really need some chive dip. I will just go to Kum & Go and pick some up.
Brazilian Proverb: The only thing that arrives quickly here is rain.
Signing off.......
- Hrubes
Well the last 2 days have been really good. Yesterday I got started about 11 am and went til about 8, when the rain opened up. At the beginning of the day I had somewhere around 400 acres to do. Day started off really good, and at noon it looked a little gloomy. Luckily I had my spurs on and I planted through the rain. It was raining hard enough at one time that I actually need my windshield wipers. The rain lasted only about 10 minutes, and I was back on track without missing a beat. Towards the end of my shift it looked gloomy again and just sprinkled on me. Good news though, I planted through that and finished the field!!! Only one more field left to go, and it is about 550 hectares (1400 acres). However, this field will be no tilled and it is corn stalks. I am pretty optimistic that we will be able to go 24 hours around the clock if the rain holds out on us. We will have to see if the planter does a good job cutting the stalks at night when they are soggy.
Well 2 weeks from tomorrow I will be back in the United States. I am really looking forward to that, but will miss two things. Dino has been one of the nicest people I have met and we have had a lot of fun together. I am hoping to keep in touch with him somehow. Secondly I am going to miss driving manual vehicles around. It is so much fun!!
Well back to my ruffles potato chips. They really need some chive dip. I will just go to Kum & Go and pick some up.
Brazilian Proverb: The only thing that arrives quickly here is rain.
Signing off.......
- Hrubes
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
3 Legged Planter
Written: 12/3/2008
Everyone remembers the 3 legged dog running around their neighborhood right?? I know everyone knows what I am talking about. They won't win the county pet show, however they do get the job done right?? Well we have a similar case here, however with a planter. We received a spare tire from another American in the area and fixed it to the planter. So now the planter has one "super single" (type of truck tire) on one side and two original tires on the other. It hobbles like a 3 legged dog, but it does plant.
However after our hassle with the tire problem, we got back to planting. We are full bore on soybeans now with the big 72' and the other 3 smaller planters. Last night however gave us some trouble due to some rain, as well as the whole day today. Sounds like the next 5 days will be like this and then another break in the rain. I only have 6 more days on the farm, and would like to put a good dent in the 800 hectars (2,000 acres) we have left of soybeans to plant with the bauer.
Anyways, things are looking up. We had homemade doughnuts for BREAKFAST!! I almost fainted with excitement. It felt as if I was back in a real country!! HAHA
Signing off............
-Hrubes (full of doughnuts ;) )
Everyone remembers the 3 legged dog running around their neighborhood right?? I know everyone knows what I am talking about. They won't win the county pet show, however they do get the job done right?? Well we have a similar case here, however with a planter. We received a spare tire from another American in the area and fixed it to the planter. So now the planter has one "super single" (type of truck tire) on one side and two original tires on the other. It hobbles like a 3 legged dog, but it does plant.
However after our hassle with the tire problem, we got back to planting. We are full bore on soybeans now with the big 72' and the other 3 smaller planters. Last night however gave us some trouble due to some rain, as well as the whole day today. Sounds like the next 5 days will be like this and then another break in the rain. I only have 6 more days on the farm, and would like to put a good dent in the 800 hectars (2,000 acres) we have left of soybeans to plant with the bauer.
Anyways, things are looking up. We had homemade doughnuts for BREAKFAST!! I almost fainted with excitement. It felt as if I was back in a real country!! HAHA
Signing off............
-Hrubes (full of doughnuts ;) )
Monday, December 1, 2008
What a day......
Written 12/1/08
Well today started off with a step forward. We finally finished corn (which should have been done this time last week), and then we moved on to beans. First step was to calibrate the planter so we were getting the correct population. I wasn't thinking obviously when I forgot to change the transmission from low to high, and I was wondering why we couldn't get any more seeds. Dino was getting frustrated as I was too, however he wanted to blame it on the new precision discs that we put into the planter. These discs can do corn, soybeans, popcorn, and cotton, which is new to both Dino and I. We are use to a disc for each crop. Anyways after that fiasco, we were running. We finished a little spot in the afternoon before I was suppose to head to the other end of the farm to start on a 750 acre field.
Made sure I had Diesel, cookies, my ipod, tang, and everything else, then I headed out. As I was leaving the yard, the bead came off one of the main tires on the planter. (this tire had been junk for a while, not holding much air anyways, it was the only tire to have a tube as well.) Dino and I looked at it and decided to limp it to the other end of the farm (prolly 10-15 miles). About 3/4 of the way there I hear a huge BANG!! I knew right away what it was. Luckily I was right next to one of our fields, so I started to pull it in (40 feet or so). Well since both tires on one side were out, I was riding on rims and the planter wanted to tip over so bad. Of the other two tires, only one was touching ground. I was a little nervous to say the least.
We will have to see what tomorrow brings. Supposidly were going to try and plant with 2 main tires since when it is unfolded, there isn't much pressure on the wheels.
To add insult to injury, my ipod fried today. Now I will just have to listen to myself whistle while I work. Not happy!!
Brazilian Proverb (I made this up): Man who wants convenience, doesn't come to Brazil
Peace out!!
Signing off............
-(a frustrated) Hrubes
Well today started off with a step forward. We finally finished corn (which should have been done this time last week), and then we moved on to beans. First step was to calibrate the planter so we were getting the correct population. I wasn't thinking obviously when I forgot to change the transmission from low to high, and I was wondering why we couldn't get any more seeds. Dino was getting frustrated as I was too, however he wanted to blame it on the new precision discs that we put into the planter. These discs can do corn, soybeans, popcorn, and cotton, which is new to both Dino and I. We are use to a disc for each crop. Anyways after that fiasco, we were running. We finished a little spot in the afternoon before I was suppose to head to the other end of the farm to start on a 750 acre field.
Made sure I had Diesel, cookies, my ipod, tang, and everything else, then I headed out. As I was leaving the yard, the bead came off one of the main tires on the planter. (this tire had been junk for a while, not holding much air anyways, it was the only tire to have a tube as well.) Dino and I looked at it and decided to limp it to the other end of the farm (prolly 10-15 miles). About 3/4 of the way there I hear a huge BANG!! I knew right away what it was. Luckily I was right next to one of our fields, so I started to pull it in (40 feet or so). Well since both tires on one side were out, I was riding on rims and the planter wanted to tip over so bad. Of the other two tires, only one was touching ground. I was a little nervous to say the least.
We will have to see what tomorrow brings. Supposidly were going to try and plant with 2 main tires since when it is unfolded, there isn't much pressure on the wheels.
To add insult to injury, my ipod fried today. Now I will just have to listen to myself whistle while I work. Not happy!!
Brazilian Proverb (I made this up): Man who wants convenience, doesn't come to Brazil
Peace out!!
Signing off............
-(a frustrated) Hrubes
Friday, November 28, 2008
More waiting
Written; 11/28/08
Well the last time I wrote we ran out of seed. We got going again for about 12 more hours, but ran out of seed again. Word is that the supply chain of Pioneer or Syngenta do not have enough seed on hand currently to cover demand. So there is really nothing we can do about it. I thought it was probably a problem with the donkey delivering it, or some weird story. The most creative person couldn't even make a story unrealistic to Brazil. So this week we have been running the land roller ahead of the other planters planting soybeans. One day I had the opportunity to run one of the smaller soybean planters. Wow was it a change from the 72' bauer. I had to get more fertilizer every 2 rounds and seed every 4 rounds. Wow was it not as efficient as the bauer. Anyways, those planters are very critical to advancing the ground to being more productive. The first 2-3 years of new ground, soybeans and lots of fertilizer are used to bring up the nutrient levels to a level where you don't have to put on as much fertilizer the following years.
So funny story the other day, so make sure you listen up. I was planting corn with the bauer the other day and I needed seed at the end of the field. So a bunch of Brazilians drive past me in the pick-up full of seed. All of a sudden they are sliding sideways in the truck across the field. I was wondering what the heck, and then it gets better. The truck slides to a stop, 6 Brazilians jump out and start chasing something. I saw some kicking, diving, and others just looking ridiculous. After the dust settled, I saw one of them carrying a tatoo (armadillo). They didn't kill it, but they must like the excitement of the chase. They let it go for all of you animal lovers.
Seed is at the farm, but it has started to rain again. The forecast for the next 15 days is rain, so its going to be interesting. We leave for the coast on the 11th, so the rest of the interns would actually like to get some things done. We feel a little guilty, however we can't control the seed donkeys or the weather. Were in town now for a couple of days getting recharged with food other than rice and beans, and will probably be going back out to the farms tomorrow.
3 weeks left, and I'm sure it will go fast. It always seems like this, but we will be leaving now that I am comfortable around the locals and can speak enough Portuguese to get around by myself.
Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!!!
Signing off................
-Hrubes
Well the last time I wrote we ran out of seed. We got going again for about 12 more hours, but ran out of seed again. Word is that the supply chain of Pioneer or Syngenta do not have enough seed on hand currently to cover demand. So there is really nothing we can do about it. I thought it was probably a problem with the donkey delivering it, or some weird story. The most creative person couldn't even make a story unrealistic to Brazil. So this week we have been running the land roller ahead of the other planters planting soybeans. One day I had the opportunity to run one of the smaller soybean planters. Wow was it a change from the 72' bauer. I had to get more fertilizer every 2 rounds and seed every 4 rounds. Wow was it not as efficient as the bauer. Anyways, those planters are very critical to advancing the ground to being more productive. The first 2-3 years of new ground, soybeans and lots of fertilizer are used to bring up the nutrient levels to a level where you don't have to put on as much fertilizer the following years.
So funny story the other day, so make sure you listen up. I was planting corn with the bauer the other day and I needed seed at the end of the field. So a bunch of Brazilians drive past me in the pick-up full of seed. All of a sudden they are sliding sideways in the truck across the field. I was wondering what the heck, and then it gets better. The truck slides to a stop, 6 Brazilians jump out and start chasing something. I saw some kicking, diving, and others just looking ridiculous. After the dust settled, I saw one of them carrying a tatoo (armadillo). They didn't kill it, but they must like the excitement of the chase. They let it go for all of you animal lovers.
Seed is at the farm, but it has started to rain again. The forecast for the next 15 days is rain, so its going to be interesting. We leave for the coast on the 11th, so the rest of the interns would actually like to get some things done. We feel a little guilty, however we can't control the seed donkeys or the weather. Were in town now for a couple of days getting recharged with food other than rice and beans, and will probably be going back out to the farms tomorrow.
3 weeks left, and I'm sure it will go fast. It always seems like this, but we will be leaving now that I am comfortable around the locals and can speak enough Portuguese to get around by myself.
Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!!!
Signing off................
-Hrubes
Monday, November 24, 2008
Sit and wait.........
Written; 11/24/08
Well the last time I blogged we were in the middle of a huge 800 hectare (2,000 acre) field. Well today I am here to tell you that we have about 24 more hours left on that field. We really should be done with it and moved onto soybeans, however I am in Brazil. For some unknown reason to me, we had some sort of mix-up and ran short of corn seed. So, yesterday we were done by noon and basically sat all day until today. I jumped into the land roller to knock out some land with that as we waited for our shipment of mihlo. Mihlo has arrived and we are currently waiting for it to get treated before the other intern heads out for the night. If tonight is a complete go, we will finish corn tomorrow late.
The good news is that the other 3 smaller planters on the farm are going full speed with soybeans. It is really getting crazy here, hardly enough help anymore due to 4 planters needing seed and fertilizer (smaller planters apply fert with the seed due to new ground).
Lately I have been getting a spoon with my meals out in the field. No fork or knife. We are served meat, spaghetti, and rice (unfortunately every, single, day, after day, after day). How am I suppose to eat that with a SPOON. Who does the cook think I am, David Copperfield???
This completion date of December 5th is just around the corner.........
Signing off.............
- Hrubes
Well the last time I blogged we were in the middle of a huge 800 hectare (2,000 acre) field. Well today I am here to tell you that we have about 24 more hours left on that field. We really should be done with it and moved onto soybeans, however I am in Brazil. For some unknown reason to me, we had some sort of mix-up and ran short of corn seed. So, yesterday we were done by noon and basically sat all day until today. I jumped into the land roller to knock out some land with that as we waited for our shipment of mihlo. Mihlo has arrived and we are currently waiting for it to get treated before the other intern heads out for the night. If tonight is a complete go, we will finish corn tomorrow late.
The good news is that the other 3 smaller planters on the farm are going full speed with soybeans. It is really getting crazy here, hardly enough help anymore due to 4 planters needing seed and fertilizer (smaller planters apply fert with the seed due to new ground).
Lately I have been getting a spoon with my meals out in the field. No fork or knife. We are served meat, spaghetti, and rice (unfortunately every, single, day, after day, after day). How am I suppose to eat that with a SPOON. Who does the cook think I am, David Copperfield???
This completion date of December 5th is just around the corner.........
Signing off.............
- Hrubes
Friday, November 21, 2008
Pictures of planting and other current activities
Here is a link to my album on photobucket.com
Enjoy
Enjoy
Thursday, November 20, 2008
I think I'm famous
Written: 11/20/08
Well, I finished that 300 hectare field that the next morning, finished the headlands (they do the headlands last, weird I know), and headed to the next mammoth. The next task included 3 fields connected at their headlands again (to eliminate 4 headlands) and the total area is around 800 hectares(2,000 acres). Each pass is almost 6 Km!!! Well Tuesday I only got one round in due to more rain.
The next day (Wednesday) was a little delayed because of rain, but I was running full speed by 10 a.m. We had some trouble at first with some plugging up but that was cleared up when I had 4 Brazilians on the back of the planter of course "riding Brazilian". I went til about 7 when the next intern jumped in the tractor. He didn't get very far due to another shot of rain. Overall I think we took out about 200 hectares of the field.
Today, I was excited to take another big chunk out, but like the past week, it rained again. It pretty much rained all day today, and I am concerned if we will get to go tomorrow. I think only if the sun comes out, we will get a shot at it.
It seems like everyday that I have been out planting, there was someone there taking my picture that I didn't know. I don't know who told them that Ryan "The Lazer" Hrubes was going to be planting in the area, but it sure worked. I must be famous. I'm sure it had nothing to do with the 72' planter behind the tractor, that is at least 3 times the size of any planter in the country. (There are 6 Bauer Planters in South America and GAI has 3 of them)("The Lazer" is refering to my excellent driving skills.)
Dino jokes with the guys that I am learning the first time how to drive tractor, because in the United States all our tractors have AutoSteer. He thinks all we do in the United States is take naps in the tractors til the turning alarm goes off. Haha
Hope the sun comes out tomorrow to make some grain.
Take care everyone!!!
Signing off.........
- "The Lazer"
Monday, November 17, 2008
Hold the Staleness
Written: 11/17/08
Yesterday was a pretty good day considering that it rained. However after getting kicked out before noon by rain, I went back later in the day to finish the 750 acre field in the dark. This morning I was ready to hit it hard once again, but the rain gods decided to rain on my parade, literally. After almost 2 inches of rain and about 4 hours drying time we went back out to the field to see if we could go. Once out there I knew we could, so we did. This task included two fields linked at the headlands (the long way), making the total area around 300 hectares (750 acres) again. This means it will take another 24 hours to tackle this project. After 4 rounds, my shift was up and the other intern was going to give it a try. I really hope he gets a whole night in, but before I left there was lightning in the distance.
Today was another good day, except for the fact that my daily snack did not live up to par. I opened my little bag of Doritos in hopes of some satisfying chips. What I got was a very stale chip. These chips were more stale than the chips you would find at your grandparents house. The freshness date was Christmas this year. Well the local grocery store might be getting an early X-mas gift in the shape of a letter announcing my displeasure of stale chips. This isn't the first time I have gotten stale chips from this store. I hope it doesn't happen again, or Fruti Mart (local grocery store) might get a personal visit from me.
Anyways, goodnight and hope everyone is staying warm. FYI it's so warm here I sleep in my underwear with no covers!!
Signing off..........
- (a displeased Fruti Mart customer) Hrubes
Yesterday was a pretty good day considering that it rained. However after getting kicked out before noon by rain, I went back later in the day to finish the 750 acre field in the dark. This morning I was ready to hit it hard once again, but the rain gods decided to rain on my parade, literally. After almost 2 inches of rain and about 4 hours drying time we went back out to the field to see if we could go. Once out there I knew we could, so we did. This task included two fields linked at the headlands (the long way), making the total area around 300 hectares (750 acres) again. This means it will take another 24 hours to tackle this project. After 4 rounds, my shift was up and the other intern was going to give it a try. I really hope he gets a whole night in, but before I left there was lightning in the distance.
Today was another good day, except for the fact that my daily snack did not live up to par. I opened my little bag of Doritos in hopes of some satisfying chips. What I got was a very stale chip. These chips were more stale than the chips you would find at your grandparents house. The freshness date was Christmas this year. Well the local grocery store might be getting an early X-mas gift in the shape of a letter announcing my displeasure of stale chips. This isn't the first time I have gotten stale chips from this store. I hope it doesn't happen again, or Fruti Mart (local grocery store) might get a personal visit from me.
Anyways, goodnight and hope everyone is staying warm. FYI it's so warm here I sleep in my underwear with no covers!!
Signing off..........
- (a displeased Fruti Mart customer) Hrubes
Saturday, November 15, 2008
VAMOS (Let's Go)
Written: 11/15/08
Well the last time I wrote we were in the middle of a broken down tractor. Well kids, I have good news. IT'S FIXED!!!
The day after (Wednesday) we took the tractor to the mechanics place, it rained on us a lot. In the last 4 days we have gotten over 4 inches of rain at Rondonia, however we have ran the planter the last two days. We are able to do this because of the types of soil (very sandy) and the power of the sun. Anyways, we are starting to get things done pretty fast. Today was a full day and hopefully a full night. During the day I was covering about 40 acres an hour, only stopping for seed every 4-5 hours. It's pretty cool when the sun goes down because you can see everyone else scrambling to get seed in the ground as fast as you can. It's different here because it's so flat that you can see a long ways, which you can see many farms in action. If we get 4-24 hour periods of planting, we will have our corn done. (around 8,000 acres total)
Funny thing happened to me today. I think a lot about what I want to eat when I get back to the states, and today when I got out of the tractor in the field I smelled maple syrup. I thought to myself, "boy wouldn't it be nice to have a big stack of pancakes tomorrow morning??" I think possibly the Furadan is getting to me........ (Furadan is a insecticide that we have treated our corn with. Oh by the way, its been banned in the United States for like 20 years)
Well I'm off to bed, hoping to wake up to a tractor still planting.
Signing off................
- Hrubes
Well the last time I wrote we were in the middle of a broken down tractor. Well kids, I have good news. IT'S FIXED!!!
The day after (Wednesday) we took the tractor to the mechanics place, it rained on us a lot. In the last 4 days we have gotten over 4 inches of rain at Rondonia, however we have ran the planter the last two days. We are able to do this because of the types of soil (very sandy) and the power of the sun. Anyways, we are starting to get things done pretty fast. Today was a full day and hopefully a full night. During the day I was covering about 40 acres an hour, only stopping for seed every 4-5 hours. It's pretty cool when the sun goes down because you can see everyone else scrambling to get seed in the ground as fast as you can. It's different here because it's so flat that you can see a long ways, which you can see many farms in action. If we get 4-24 hour periods of planting, we will have our corn done. (around 8,000 acres total)
Funny thing happened to me today. I think a lot about what I want to eat when I get back to the states, and today when I got out of the tractor in the field I smelled maple syrup. I thought to myself, "boy wouldn't it be nice to have a big stack of pancakes tomorrow morning??" I think possibly the Furadan is getting to me........ (Furadan is a insecticide that we have treated our corn with. Oh by the way, its been banned in the United States for like 20 years)
Well I'm off to bed, hoping to wake up to a tractor still planting.
Signing off................
- Hrubes
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Hurry up and.............wait
Written: 11/12/08
Well today we were up early in hopes of getting in the field with a tractor that will work flawlessly. In hopes of putting in a full day of planting corn. Well, it didn't go as well as planned.
Firstly, we had a mechanic look at the tractor. He thought it was the fuel pump or maybe the sensor. After pulling out of good sensor, we think we have narrowed it down. He wanted to ride with me to see what it was actually doing. So after the planter was greased, a tire put on the tractor, we were back in the field. Not 100 feet into the round the tractor acted up. So I shifted down to my previous snail pace and chugged along. The mechanic got out, did a couple of things, and it continued to be underpowered. So after our 40 min round (that should take 20 min or less) we took the tractor to the mechanic's shop. Hopefully tomorrow it is done and ready.
Next, we went out into the planted field to check population with the "technical" of the farm. Now the technical is a person generally with a 3 year degree in agronomy. All of GAI's farms have at least one technical to help the farm manager with the agronomy aspects of the farm. We did a couple of samples and our average was just what we were looking for. The seed that we planted Saturday is already emerged, even though we haven't had that much sunshine and rain.
The rest of the day included calibrating the sprayers that just arrived on the farm. These sprayers are called "Jactau". They have 70'ish booms, and I would call it a 400 gallon tank. Anyways, right as we were finishing calibrate the sprayers, more rain decided to fall. Dino was happy because now he knows it's time to roll.
We were having some fun talking to each other on the CBs, making fun of each other. I would make some fun at one of the technicals and all he would say back is that I can't drive the planter straight. It sure makes the day go by faster when this sort of thing happens.
Anyways, I am off to bed in hopes (I have been hoping a lot lately) of a big planting day tomorrow.
from Brazil.........
Signing off...............
-Hrubes
Well today we were up early in hopes of getting in the field with a tractor that will work flawlessly. In hopes of putting in a full day of planting corn. Well, it didn't go as well as planned.
Firstly, we had a mechanic look at the tractor. He thought it was the fuel pump or maybe the sensor. After pulling out of good sensor, we think we have narrowed it down. He wanted to ride with me to see what it was actually doing. So after the planter was greased, a tire put on the tractor, we were back in the field. Not 100 feet into the round the tractor acted up. So I shifted down to my previous snail pace and chugged along. The mechanic got out, did a couple of things, and it continued to be underpowered. So after our 40 min round (that should take 20 min or less) we took the tractor to the mechanic's shop. Hopefully tomorrow it is done and ready.
Next, we went out into the planted field to check population with the "technical" of the farm. Now the technical is a person generally with a 3 year degree in agronomy. All of GAI's farms have at least one technical to help the farm manager with the agronomy aspects of the farm. We did a couple of samples and our average was just what we were looking for. The seed that we planted Saturday is already emerged, even though we haven't had that much sunshine and rain.
The rest of the day included calibrating the sprayers that just arrived on the farm. These sprayers are called "Jactau". They have 70'ish booms, and I would call it a 400 gallon tank. Anyways, right as we were finishing calibrate the sprayers, more rain decided to fall. Dino was happy because now he knows it's time to roll.
We were having some fun talking to each other on the CBs, making fun of each other. I would make some fun at one of the technicals and all he would say back is that I can't drive the planter straight. It sure makes the day go by faster when this sort of thing happens.
Anyways, I am off to bed in hopes (I have been hoping a lot lately) of a big planting day tomorrow.
from Brazil.........
Signing off...............
-Hrubes
They call me........
Written: morning of 11/12/08
Well the past couple of days have been so so. We have been planting both of the previous days, however we haven't gotten much done. The reason is because our 8410 has been acting up. Ever since the first day of planting, the tractor seems to have a power issue. Somewhere in the diesel pump I presume. Anyways, I have been planting the last two days around 3.5 km/h. SLOW. That's 2.2 mph slow. That's the corn emerging on the previous pass before I get to the other end slow. That's getting out of the tractor while it's moving to go to the bathroom and still get back in slow. Thats even Francis Child SLOW. Regardless were getting corn in the ground, and we hope to fix the tractor today. We might get to plant corn today at, wait a minute ................ 6 mph!!!!
Sounds like the other farms are getting started as well. One of the south Farms, Global, has been planting popcorn for the past couple of days as well when there is no rain. So were slowly but surely getting things started down in Brazil. Hopefully they will quickly speed up and get all the seed in by the end of the month. I'm crossing my fingers!!!
Take care everyone!!
Signing off............
- Hrubes (aka Francis Childs)
Well the past couple of days have been so so. We have been planting both of the previous days, however we haven't gotten much done. The reason is because our 8410 has been acting up. Ever since the first day of planting, the tractor seems to have a power issue. Somewhere in the diesel pump I presume. Anyways, I have been planting the last two days around 3.5 km/h. SLOW. That's 2.2 mph slow. That's the corn emerging on the previous pass before I get to the other end slow. That's getting out of the tractor while it's moving to go to the bathroom and still get back in slow. Thats even Francis Child SLOW. Regardless were getting corn in the ground, and we hope to fix the tractor today. We might get to plant corn today at, wait a minute ................ 6 mph!!!!
Sounds like the other farms are getting started as well. One of the south Farms, Global, has been planting popcorn for the past couple of days as well when there is no rain. So were slowly but surely getting things started down in Brazil. Hopefully they will quickly speed up and get all the seed in by the end of the month. I'm crossing my fingers!!!
Take care everyone!!
Signing off............
- Hrubes (aka Francis Childs)
Sunday, November 9, 2008
And were off.......
Written 11/9/08
Today was a pretty good day. We figured out our hydraulic problem (which only involved switching some hoses around), and started calibrating the planter. The planter is a 3 year old new planter. Yeah it sounds wierd but heres the story. This 72' planter use to be just a 24 row/36'' spacing for the last couple of years. Well this offseason since GAI now has a 36 row/36'' spacing planter just for cotton, they decided to convert the 72' to a corn/soybean planter. What this entails is putting another 24 rows in between the existing rows. So we really have a planter half new and half 3 years old. Anyways, we got that calibrated and just before we headed for some more seed, it started to rain. This was what Forest Gump would call "big ol' fat rain" So we quit at about 6 and headed into town.
Tomorrow we will head back and really should get a lot done. No more calibration or little things to dink with. The tractor was having some power issues so we may have to change some filters, in hopes of solving that problem. It's funny, a person cannot really plan in Brazil, because nothing ever seems to go they way they are suppose to. It really sharpens a person's problem solving skills.
Ever since the rain started, the bugs have had a coming out party. They are RIDICULOUS!! You can't keep them off of you. They are more annoying than little brothers. (see Nathan, you aren't THAT bad....... ;) )
Other than that everything is going good. I really hope to get some planting done tomorrow!!!
Signing off..............
- ( a bugged) Hrubes
Today was a pretty good day. We figured out our hydraulic problem (which only involved switching some hoses around), and started calibrating the planter. The planter is a 3 year old new planter. Yeah it sounds wierd but heres the story. This 72' planter use to be just a 24 row/36'' spacing for the last couple of years. Well this offseason since GAI now has a 36 row/36'' spacing planter just for cotton, they decided to convert the 72' to a corn/soybean planter. What this entails is putting another 24 rows in between the existing rows. So we really have a planter half new and half 3 years old. Anyways, we got that calibrated and just before we headed for some more seed, it started to rain. This was what Forest Gump would call "big ol' fat rain" So we quit at about 6 and headed into town.
Tomorrow we will head back and really should get a lot done. No more calibration or little things to dink with. The tractor was having some power issues so we may have to change some filters, in hopes of solving that problem. It's funny, a person cannot really plan in Brazil, because nothing ever seems to go they way they are suppose to. It really sharpens a person's problem solving skills.
Ever since the rain started, the bugs have had a coming out party. They are RIDICULOUS!! You can't keep them off of you. They are more annoying than little brothers. (see Nathan, you aren't THAT bad....... ;) )
Other than that everything is going good. I really hope to get some planting done tomorrow!!!
Signing off..............
- ( a bugged) Hrubes
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Maybe too excited......
Written 11/8/09
Well today did not go the best. In the morning we got the land roller going good. Dino was concerned that it was going to compact the soil too much, but later saw that it was doing a good job. I would think it would be pretty hard for a farmer in Brazil to adapt to the new technologies us Americans are brining to this country full of opportunities. Dino does understand however, that these challenges (new technologies) will help advance production for Brazil and really put them on the map.
Early afternoon came very quickly, and so did the clouds. We had the planter ready, tractor ready (we found out later it wasn't), and some seed ready. It took us 45 mins just to move the tractor and planter to the field. Reminding everyone that this field is touching all fields belonging to Rondonia, it's just that much land!!! Anyways, we had filled the seed boxes with about 1/3 full of seed to start since we were going to calibrate. Out in the field, the planter unfolded, we were ready to get started. Well, the hydraulic hoses were leaking right out of the CVs. Just thinking they were loose fittings, we tightened them and continued. Eventually it led to the fill cap on the hydraulic fluid to fly off. Hydraulic fluid was everywhere. Obviously not a good thing.
We're back in town for the night because we do not know if we have a little problem on our hands or a big one. We are getting up extra early tomorrow to head back out to try something, but if that doesn't work, we have a big problem.
Lots of rain is forcasted to start at the middle of the week through the end of the week, so it would be nice if we could get 7,800 acres of corn in before it rains!! It's been pretty nice since the rain has started, the temps haven't been close to 100 for the past handfull of days.
Well, lets hope tomorrow the planting gods aren't hungover.
Signing off.........
- Hrubes
Well today did not go the best. In the morning we got the land roller going good. Dino was concerned that it was going to compact the soil too much, but later saw that it was doing a good job. I would think it would be pretty hard for a farmer in Brazil to adapt to the new technologies us Americans are brining to this country full of opportunities. Dino does understand however, that these challenges (new technologies) will help advance production for Brazil and really put them on the map.
Early afternoon came very quickly, and so did the clouds. We had the planter ready, tractor ready (we found out later it wasn't), and some seed ready. It took us 45 mins just to move the tractor and planter to the field. Reminding everyone that this field is touching all fields belonging to Rondonia, it's just that much land!!! Anyways, we had filled the seed boxes with about 1/3 full of seed to start since we were going to calibrate. Out in the field, the planter unfolded, we were ready to get started. Well, the hydraulic hoses were leaking right out of the CVs. Just thinking they were loose fittings, we tightened them and continued. Eventually it led to the fill cap on the hydraulic fluid to fly off. Hydraulic fluid was everywhere. Obviously not a good thing.
We're back in town for the night because we do not know if we have a little problem on our hands or a big one. We are getting up extra early tomorrow to head back out to try something, but if that doesn't work, we have a big problem.
Lots of rain is forcasted to start at the middle of the week through the end of the week, so it would be nice if we could get 7,800 acres of corn in before it rains!! It's been pretty nice since the rain has started, the temps haven't been close to 100 for the past handfull of days.
Well, lets hope tomorrow the planting gods aren't hungover.
Signing off.........
- Hrubes
Friday, November 7, 2008
It's Here
Written: 11/7/08
The day has come. We begin planting tomorrow!! A lot of hours have been put in already for the soil to be primed, planters to be ready, and my patience to run out.
Today was used to put the finishing touches on the planter as well as the tractor on the planter. We even had some time to take the planter out for a little test run out in the field. It rained this morning, so the field was a little sticky. That is why we have put a bullseye on mid-morning tomorrow to " let er' rip".
Today also included some assembly of a piece of equipment that the Brazilians have never seen. Shoot, I have barely seen these in action. GAI has decided to purchase a land roller for their Brazil operation. Our land roller looks like 3 giant drums rolling over the ground. The object in Brazil for this piece of equipment is to push down all the sticks in the field, and to make a perfect bed for our seed. Anyway, it was fun muscling all the pieces around. (Remember, here we have no power tools, no pneumatic tools, or forklifts.) Regardless, we have the whole thing put together and it will be ready to roll tomorrow. (yeah I said the land roller is ready to roll, hilarious I know) I have been having lots of fun with the Brazilian farm laborers since my portuguese has improved. It really makes the days go by faster, and I hope make their days more enjoyable. (tear)
At GAI we are treating all our corn seed this year. Simple does it here, and a cement mixer gets the job done. The Brazilians look like people off of E.T. dressed up in all their gear. E.T was a good movie some time ago.
Alright kids, I am off to bed, it has been a long day. I hope to wake tomorrow, learning of no rain, and be ready to PLANT MILHO!!! (FYI: milho is corn in portuguese)
-Signing off.................
- Hrubes
The day has come. We begin planting tomorrow!! A lot of hours have been put in already for the soil to be primed, planters to be ready, and my patience to run out.
Today was used to put the finishing touches on the planter as well as the tractor on the planter. We even had some time to take the planter out for a little test run out in the field. It rained this morning, so the field was a little sticky. That is why we have put a bullseye on mid-morning tomorrow to " let er' rip".
Today also included some assembly of a piece of equipment that the Brazilians have never seen. Shoot, I have barely seen these in action. GAI has decided to purchase a land roller for their Brazil operation. Our land roller looks like 3 giant drums rolling over the ground. The object in Brazil for this piece of equipment is to push down all the sticks in the field, and to make a perfect bed for our seed. Anyway, it was fun muscling all the pieces around. (Remember, here we have no power tools, no pneumatic tools, or forklifts.) Regardless, we have the whole thing put together and it will be ready to roll tomorrow. (yeah I said the land roller is ready to roll, hilarious I know) I have been having lots of fun with the Brazilian farm laborers since my portuguese has improved. It really makes the days go by faster, and I hope make their days more enjoyable. (tear)
At GAI we are treating all our corn seed this year. Simple does it here, and a cement mixer gets the job done. The Brazilians look like people off of E.T. dressed up in all their gear. E.T was a good movie some time ago.
Alright kids, I am off to bed, it has been a long day. I hope to wake tomorrow, learning of no rain, and be ready to PLANT MILHO!!! (FYI: milho is corn in portuguese)
-Signing off.................
- Hrubes
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
So close I can smell it!!!
Written 11/5/08
I awoke late last night to the rain pounding on the roof of my house out on the farm. I went to bed for a couple more hours and awaking again to the rain. At Fazenda Rondonia the rain did not stop for probably 4 hours. What this means is that planting is right around the corner, and I am really excited.
We still have a little work to do on the tractor and planter. The tractor needs a couple of tires, and the planter only needs a couple of seed unit parts and a new vaccum. We will have to calibrate the planter before we really get going. Eric our agronomist really wants to try some no-till beans this year due to the way last year corn ground looks after a light disc hits it. Talking with Dino today about this, he is concerned about getting the seed into the ground. Dino has never seen no-till beans before I think, because he asked me if we ever do it this way. I replied that my farm doesn't do it, however there are a lot of farms doing it this way now. He shook his head in agreement. Dino really cares about his farm, one day he wanted to know how we did things back in the states that would help his farm, and vice versa.
All the discing is done, and only a few more fields need fertilizer. We are sitting in really good shape to hit the ground running once this rain decides to stick around. Were thinking in about two days we can start planting corn. Once corn is taken care of, we will move to soybeans. I hope to be done with Rondonia in 15 days once we start.
Signing off........
- (an excited) Hrubes
I awoke late last night to the rain pounding on the roof of my house out on the farm. I went to bed for a couple more hours and awaking again to the rain. At Fazenda Rondonia the rain did not stop for probably 4 hours. What this means is that planting is right around the corner, and I am really excited.
We still have a little work to do on the tractor and planter. The tractor needs a couple of tires, and the planter only needs a couple of seed unit parts and a new vaccum. We will have to calibrate the planter before we really get going. Eric our agronomist really wants to try some no-till beans this year due to the way last year corn ground looks after a light disc hits it. Talking with Dino today about this, he is concerned about getting the seed into the ground. Dino has never seen no-till beans before I think, because he asked me if we ever do it this way. I replied that my farm doesn't do it, however there are a lot of farms doing it this way now. He shook his head in agreement. Dino really cares about his farm, one day he wanted to know how we did things back in the states that would help his farm, and vice versa.
All the discing is done, and only a few more fields need fertilizer. We are sitting in really good shape to hit the ground running once this rain decides to stick around. Were thinking in about two days we can start planting corn. Once corn is taken care of, we will move to soybeans. I hope to be done with Rondonia in 15 days once we start.
Signing off........
- (an excited) Hrubes
Sunday, November 2, 2008
con·ven·ient [kuhn-veen-yuhnt] - adj : (see any country except brazil)
Greetings, we have been pretty busy the last week putting the new 108' planter together as well as discing some cotton stubble. We ended the weekend "ridin' Brazilian" back to town.
Sunday morning the 2 containers arrived at the farm with our new planter. Bauer sent down one of their employees to help assemble our planter and another planter ordered by Americans. I some how drew the short straw without actually drawing straws, and ended up working the night shift discing. So I didn't get to help as much as I wanted, but got my fix in when I couldn't sleep during the day. It's really hard to sleep when its 100 degrees!!! Anyways the planter frame is all done and we have about 12-15 more units to hang on it and plumb. This thing looks HUGE and will be a planting machine. About the title; we put this monster together with hardly any tools. No impact wrenches were used in the construction. The rachets are not Craftsman, and we only had one. The wrenches that we did have were singles, no two of anything. So people were sharing wrenches, and you can imagine how efficient that is. The second inconvenience concerning the planter was the availability of the units. The John Deere dealership here told GAI that the units were here, and we could pick them up whenever we needed to. So when we needed them, they ended up only have 5 on hand. So nice!! They ended up ripping 12-15 units off of new planters on their lot to give to us and we still need 12-15 more to finish the planter.
The third inconvenience enters while I am discing at night. The disc that I am using this time is much bigger than the previous heavy disc. 36" discs are the ones that turn the dirt on this puppy. Anyways, every night I have to hook this thing up, because the field I was working on is a 30 minute tractor drive away from the farm with the diesel. The beggining of the week I was using 5 gallon hydraulic jugs as jack stands. Brazilians are very creative here!! Well towards the end of the week these jugs were not in good shape, and I had to muscle the thing up on the tractor. Well it ended up taking me about 45 minutes because the thing was so heavy and the tractor had to be positioned perfectly. Eventually I got it up there and the way I did it I think I deserve an honorary Engineering Degree from ISU.
On the ride back into town Friday, another intern and I "rode Brazilian". Now this could be many things by definition, because all a person needs to do in order to be "ridin' Brazilian" is ride where people shouldn't be riding. "Riding Brazilian" could be any of the following for I have seen it all; a family of 4 on ONE motorcycle, in the back of a fertilizer spreader, on the back of a planter making sure seed units are working, behind a donkey on a two wheeled cart, and of course in the back of a pick-up, We were in the back of the truck sitting on suitcases for 45 minutes back to town. Again as I mentioned before, these roads are not smooth as glass to say the least. My tailbone is bruised.
Friday and Saturday night the interns went out on the town for some dancing. The dance floor was still smoking the day after we tore up that thing the night before. I'm sure the Brazilians were taking notes. We had fun considering we got home just before the sun came up both mornings.
The meteorologists keep pushing rain back later and later. Currently they are talking the 14th of November so we might start putting in corn middle of next week. Everyone here is very anxious to get in and get things done, but as I have mentioned earlier it's risky.
Back to the farm tomorrow to finish up the planter and some other mechanical work. Again I will not have internet until who knows. It's soooo convenient.
Signing off...............
- Hrubes (aka Kevin Bacon on "Footloose")
Sunday morning the 2 containers arrived at the farm with our new planter. Bauer sent down one of their employees to help assemble our planter and another planter ordered by Americans. I some how drew the short straw without actually drawing straws, and ended up working the night shift discing. So I didn't get to help as much as I wanted, but got my fix in when I couldn't sleep during the day. It's really hard to sleep when its 100 degrees!!! Anyways the planter frame is all done and we have about 12-15 more units to hang on it and plumb. This thing looks HUGE and will be a planting machine. About the title; we put this monster together with hardly any tools. No impact wrenches were used in the construction. The rachets are not Craftsman, and we only had one. The wrenches that we did have were singles, no two of anything. So people were sharing wrenches, and you can imagine how efficient that is. The second inconvenience concerning the planter was the availability of the units. The John Deere dealership here told GAI that the units were here, and we could pick them up whenever we needed to. So when we needed them, they ended up only have 5 on hand. So nice!! They ended up ripping 12-15 units off of new planters on their lot to give to us and we still need 12-15 more to finish the planter.
The third inconvenience enters while I am discing at night. The disc that I am using this time is much bigger than the previous heavy disc. 36" discs are the ones that turn the dirt on this puppy. Anyways, every night I have to hook this thing up, because the field I was working on is a 30 minute tractor drive away from the farm with the diesel. The beggining of the week I was using 5 gallon hydraulic jugs as jack stands. Brazilians are very creative here!! Well towards the end of the week these jugs were not in good shape, and I had to muscle the thing up on the tractor. Well it ended up taking me about 45 minutes because the thing was so heavy and the tractor had to be positioned perfectly. Eventually I got it up there and the way I did it I think I deserve an honorary Engineering Degree from ISU.
On the ride back into town Friday, another intern and I "rode Brazilian". Now this could be many things by definition, because all a person needs to do in order to be "ridin' Brazilian" is ride where people shouldn't be riding. "Riding Brazilian" could be any of the following for I have seen it all; a family of 4 on ONE motorcycle, in the back of a fertilizer spreader, on the back of a planter making sure seed units are working, behind a donkey on a two wheeled cart, and of course in the back of a pick-up, We were in the back of the truck sitting on suitcases for 45 minutes back to town. Again as I mentioned before, these roads are not smooth as glass to say the least. My tailbone is bruised.
Friday and Saturday night the interns went out on the town for some dancing. The dance floor was still smoking the day after we tore up that thing the night before. I'm sure the Brazilians were taking notes. We had fun considering we got home just before the sun came up both mornings.
The meteorologists keep pushing rain back later and later. Currently they are talking the 14th of November so we might start putting in corn middle of next week. Everyone here is very anxious to get in and get things done, but as I have mentioned earlier it's risky.
Back to the farm tomorrow to finish up the planter and some other mechanical work. Again I will not have internet until who knows. It's soooo convenient.
Signing off...............
- Hrubes (aka Kevin Bacon on "Footloose")
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Flippin' Dirt
The last couple of nights working have been (knock on wood, which here can be used as a hammer, jack stand, or simply a stool) have been great. Full 12 hour shifts with at least 3 tractors light discing has really been getting things done. We started with 4 at the beginning of the night, but as usual in Brazil one of the discs breaks down. Anyways, with 3 tractors in a field it goes by fast because it actually looks like a person is getting something done. Fazenda (farm) Rondonia is sitting in really good shape to start planting whenever the planter is ready and the rain decides to fall.
It looks like in the next couple of days the other intern and I will be heading back to Fazenda Global to help put together the 108 foot planter. Bauer Built Manufacturing sent down one of their employees to help put 3 planters together ordered by Americans. Since he only speaks English the interns will be in charge of putting this monster together. 108 foot may seem like a weird number to you, but the row spacings are different. Cotton down here is planted on 36 inch centers while soybeans, corn, and popcorn are all planted on 18 inch centers. If you do the math correctly, that is a 36 row, 36 inch planter. Anyways, that's where I will be for probably the next week. So, for the next week I will not be able to communicate with the outside world. So hang on for a week and I will be back on. I know your lives depend on my blog.
So long!!
Signing off........
-Hrubes
It looks like in the next couple of days the other intern and I will be heading back to Fazenda Global to help put together the 108 foot planter. Bauer Built Manufacturing sent down one of their employees to help put 3 planters together ordered by Americans. Since he only speaks English the interns will be in charge of putting this monster together. 108 foot may seem like a weird number to you, but the row spacings are different. Cotton down here is planted on 36 inch centers while soybeans, corn, and popcorn are all planted on 18 inch centers. If you do the math correctly, that is a 36 row, 36 inch planter. Anyways, that's where I will be for probably the next week. So, for the next week I will not be able to communicate with the outside world. So hang on for a week and I will be back on. I know your lives depend on my blog.
So long!!
Signing off........
-Hrubes
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
2 Waterfalls and NO Diesel
Well folks, after a nice relaxing weekend after 2 weeks on the farm, I am back at it. But before the work began we were treated Monday with a very cool experience.
One of our bosses took us on a adventure to see some waterfalls in the area. The taller waterfall was only about 45 minutes from town, but the smaller, but cooler waterfall took another hour on a road where taxes are not paid. It was rough to say the least, but well worth it. At both falls the interns took a dip into the water hoping to not get eaten by either Piranhas or a giant anaconda. Haha!! I think those are only in the Amazon River/Rain forest. Anyways, it was a great trip and the pictures are even better. Some of them you might think that I didn't take, but would I lie??
Tuesday we headed back to the farm that I have missed. Dino was there and he was great as usual. He asked if our Portuguese has improved and I nodded yes and added "um poco", meaning a little. The rest of the day included finishing up on some work on planters, for Rondonia will be the first of GAI to be in the field. Something different an intern commented on; at home we wait for things to dry up to plant, but here we wait for the rain. Before we start planting, since its so dry here, we have to wait for enough moisture to be in the ground. Also, in Brazil we don't have a problem with the ground being too cool for germination, so moisture is the only thing were waiting for. Another thing you have to be careful about in this climate is getting too anxious. Putting your crop in too early because you think the rainy season is here can also be a costly mistake. It has rained in the last month, but it shuts off for 2-3 weeks. Meaning the crop would have germinated, but then will have to go through a 2-3 week drought in 90 degree weather everyday. Anyways, Eric our agronomist, is making sure the rainy season is here to stay before we get crazy putting in the crops.
Wednesday started off very slow, but it sure got exciting really quick. As I mentioned in an earlier post, Rondonia grows all the meat for itself and the other GAI farms. Well, they must have been getting low on beef, so we went to work. Lasso in hand, I eyed my first victim. He stands about 5 foot tall, black hair, hairy lips, big tongue, four legs, and some horns. I missed multiple times, but the other Brazilian didn't. He's good, I told him he could be a star in rodeos back in the U.S. We then tied him real close to a tree so we could knock him out and start carving. Very interesting process considering I am in Brazil and I have yet to see a steer killed and cut up anywhere. One down and one to go. The next one was a bit tougher to catch, but once it was tied to a tree, they wanted me to do the sacrificing. I didn't know what to think but I thought to myself; "just another experience I can talk about during an job interview". So I took the axe firmly, eyed my bullseye (ha ha that's funny, I really wasn't aiming for its eye) (wow, I am still laughing) and SWUNG, and obviously didn't hit it square. The steer stumbled a little, but was just laughing at me. So I regained my footing and swung again, again, and on the 4th hit he finally went to the ground. I was laughed at by all the Brazilians. All they do now is point and laugh at me saying QUATRO!! Besides the hazing, it was a good experience.
In the afternoon Dino told me to go sleep cause I will be taking the night shift Wednesday night. So I went back to the room and tried to sleep but couldn't. Anyways around 7 when my shift in the tractor was about to start I put all my things in the tractor. (ie, I-pod,cookies, & strawberry juice. Healthy I know) The Brazilians began totalk to me at this point and after getting our points across, I find out that we do not have a drop of diesel on the farm. I asked when it was coming, and all they said was maybe tomorrow, maybe the next day, or the next. This is the answer I have been repeatedly given while in Brazil after I have asked for something. Things are just slow, and not like the U.S.
Anyways, life is good down here. I am having a great experience!
It's around 90-95 degrees here about everyday, so all I am doing now is rubbing it in. Your Welcome
Signing off..............
- Hrubes
One of our bosses took us on a adventure to see some waterfalls in the area. The taller waterfall was only about 45 minutes from town, but the smaller, but cooler waterfall took another hour on a road where taxes are not paid. It was rough to say the least, but well worth it. At both falls the interns took a dip into the water hoping to not get eaten by either Piranhas or a giant anaconda. Haha!! I think those are only in the Amazon River/Rain forest. Anyways, it was a great trip and the pictures are even better. Some of them you might think that I didn't take, but would I lie??
Tuesday we headed back to the farm that I have missed. Dino was there and he was great as usual. He asked if our Portuguese has improved and I nodded yes and added "um poco", meaning a little. The rest of the day included finishing up on some work on planters, for Rondonia will be the first of GAI to be in the field. Something different an intern commented on; at home we wait for things to dry up to plant, but here we wait for the rain. Before we start planting, since its so dry here, we have to wait for enough moisture to be in the ground. Also, in Brazil we don't have a problem with the ground being too cool for germination, so moisture is the only thing were waiting for. Another thing you have to be careful about in this climate is getting too anxious. Putting your crop in too early because you think the rainy season is here can also be a costly mistake. It has rained in the last month, but it shuts off for 2-3 weeks. Meaning the crop would have germinated, but then will have to go through a 2-3 week drought in 90 degree weather everyday. Anyways, Eric our agronomist, is making sure the rainy season is here to stay before we get crazy putting in the crops.
Wednesday started off very slow, but it sure got exciting really quick. As I mentioned in an earlier post, Rondonia grows all the meat for itself and the other GAI farms. Well, they must have been getting low on beef, so we went to work. Lasso in hand, I eyed my first victim. He stands about 5 foot tall, black hair, hairy lips, big tongue, four legs, and some horns. I missed multiple times, but the other Brazilian didn't. He's good, I told him he could be a star in rodeos back in the U.S. We then tied him real close to a tree so we could knock him out and start carving. Very interesting process considering I am in Brazil and I have yet to see a steer killed and cut up anywhere. One down and one to go. The next one was a bit tougher to catch, but once it was tied to a tree, they wanted me to do the sacrificing. I didn't know what to think but I thought to myself; "just another experience I can talk about during an job interview". So I took the axe firmly, eyed my bullseye (ha ha that's funny, I really wasn't aiming for its eye) (wow, I am still laughing) and SWUNG, and obviously didn't hit it square. The steer stumbled a little, but was just laughing at me. So I regained my footing and swung again, again, and on the 4th hit he finally went to the ground. I was laughed at by all the Brazilians. All they do now is point and laugh at me saying QUATRO!! Besides the hazing, it was a good experience.
In the afternoon Dino told me to go sleep cause I will be taking the night shift Wednesday night. So I went back to the room and tried to sleep but couldn't. Anyways around 7 when my shift in the tractor was about to start I put all my things in the tractor. (ie, I-pod,cookies, & strawberry juice. Healthy I know) The Brazilians began totalk to me at this point and after getting our points across, I find out that we do not have a drop of diesel on the farm. I asked when it was coming, and all they said was maybe tomorrow, maybe the next day, or the next. This is the answer I have been repeatedly given while in Brazil after I have asked for something. Things are just slow, and not like the U.S.
Anyways, life is good down here. I am having a great experience!
It's around 90-95 degrees here about everyday, so all I am doing now is rubbing it in. Your Welcome
Signing off..............
- Hrubes
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Sand EVERYWHERE!!!
Hello everyone, its me and its been a long time coming for this next post. Sorry for the length of time between posts but I had no internet at the farm I was at. 2 weeks without being conected is a long time for me but it was quite the 2 weeks. This post will get lengthy but well worth the read.
So, the farm I was at for the past 2 weeks is called Global. Global is located south of Luis Eduardo and sits really close to "The Edge" (my picture that was above). 4 interns have been staying out at Global for the past 2 weeks to work on planters and getting them ready for the busy season ahead.
First off, the American misfortune that I was talking about at Rondonia was also going on here and another farm. The other interns ended up blowing out the front seal on their JD 8430 and another group of interns ended up having their transmission fail on them. So this is the reason why 4 of us were at the same place working on planters. Working on stuff here is not the same compared to back in the US. They can fix about anything here with a hammer and a couple of regular wrenches, and since they they like "lean manufacturing" (haha) they only think we need one of each wrench. I guess I get to work on my sharing skills while I am down here.
New equipment is on the way, 2 JD 8430s and a 109 foot JD planter. I hope to get in on the fun putting that planter together (it comes in a container in pieces) with the vast array of tools!! Another thing here, nothing happens very fast and it really tests a persons patience. It seems to take like 2 weeks just to get parts around this area.
While working on equipment one thing is very different and I really don't like it. SAND! Its everywhere my eyes can see and its blowing all the time. I was told that a month before the rains start the wind blows like crazy, and it does. When we were working on the planters outside you easily got sand in your mouth. It doesn't taste very good. After a whole day outside my ears would be full of sand. As my grandfather use to tell me as a young kid "you could grow potatoes in those ears". Im serious, I bet I could have. Another thing thats an annoyance to me out on the farms are the flies. I hate flies!!
Other things that have been happening on the farm include loading semis with some of our seed corn to be treated. Once again having convienient equipment around here is like a sin, so we load probably around 1,200 bags all by hand. Us Americans decide to take Henry Fords advice and make a assembly line to be more efficient. It worked very well and I think the Brazilians on the farm were impressed with our "new technology".
The food is starting to impress me still considering we have the same thing all the time. In the last 2 weeks we have had; cheesy potatoes, lamb chops, mullberry jam, and homemade french fries. Itwas AWESOME!! Yes they do have like 6 mullberry trees right by our sleeping quarters, so right after lunch another intern and I basically defruit these trees as much as possible. These are the biggest and sweetest tasting mullberries that I have ever had. I LOVE them.
To pass the time down here another intern and I have been playing baseball catch. The brazilians give us a weird look, but its relaxing and helps pass the time by. I also have been reading like its my job, and I hope I brought enough books with me to get to December. Another nightly activity that we attended was the making of popcorn (pipoka in portuguese) by the brazilians. This was no microwave job either, it was made over a small fire. This popcorn was special too, it was actually grown by GAI last year.
Well thats about it, for those who are curious my farmers tan is coming along nicely and will be happy to show it off when I get back.
Oh, I almost forgot. I was my clothes by hand. Its not very fun and I don't think I would have been a very good helper back in the times before the technology of a mechanical washer.
Hope everyone is having a good harvest back home!!
Signing off........
- (a domesticated) Hrubes
So, the farm I was at for the past 2 weeks is called Global. Global is located south of Luis Eduardo and sits really close to "The Edge" (my picture that was above). 4 interns have been staying out at Global for the past 2 weeks to work on planters and getting them ready for the busy season ahead.
First off, the American misfortune that I was talking about at Rondonia was also going on here and another farm. The other interns ended up blowing out the front seal on their JD 8430 and another group of interns ended up having their transmission fail on them. So this is the reason why 4 of us were at the same place working on planters. Working on stuff here is not the same compared to back in the US. They can fix about anything here with a hammer and a couple of regular wrenches, and since they they like "lean manufacturing" (haha) they only think we need one of each wrench. I guess I get to work on my sharing skills while I am down here.
New equipment is on the way, 2 JD 8430s and a 109 foot JD planter. I hope to get in on the fun putting that planter together (it comes in a container in pieces) with the vast array of tools!! Another thing here, nothing happens very fast and it really tests a persons patience. It seems to take like 2 weeks just to get parts around this area.
While working on equipment one thing is very different and I really don't like it. SAND! Its everywhere my eyes can see and its blowing all the time. I was told that a month before the rains start the wind blows like crazy, and it does. When we were working on the planters outside you easily got sand in your mouth. It doesn't taste very good. After a whole day outside my ears would be full of sand. As my grandfather use to tell me as a young kid "you could grow potatoes in those ears". Im serious, I bet I could have. Another thing thats an annoyance to me out on the farms are the flies. I hate flies!!
Other things that have been happening on the farm include loading semis with some of our seed corn to be treated. Once again having convienient equipment around here is like a sin, so we load probably around 1,200 bags all by hand. Us Americans decide to take Henry Fords advice and make a assembly line to be more efficient. It worked very well and I think the Brazilians on the farm were impressed with our "new technology".
The food is starting to impress me still considering we have the same thing all the time. In the last 2 weeks we have had; cheesy potatoes, lamb chops, mullberry jam, and homemade french fries. Itwas AWESOME!! Yes they do have like 6 mullberry trees right by our sleeping quarters, so right after lunch another intern and I basically defruit these trees as much as possible. These are the biggest and sweetest tasting mullberries that I have ever had. I LOVE them.
To pass the time down here another intern and I have been playing baseball catch. The brazilians give us a weird look, but its relaxing and helps pass the time by. I also have been reading like its my job, and I hope I brought enough books with me to get to December. Another nightly activity that we attended was the making of popcorn (pipoka in portuguese) by the brazilians. This was no microwave job either, it was made over a small fire. This popcorn was special too, it was actually grown by GAI last year.
Well thats about it, for those who are curious my farmers tan is coming along nicely and will be happy to show it off when I get back.
Oh, I almost forgot. I was my clothes by hand. Its not very fun and I don't think I would have been a very good helper back in the times before the technology of a mechanical washer.
Hope everyone is having a good harvest back home!!
Signing off........
- (a domesticated) Hrubes
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Almost
Well, last night was going great until about 4 a.m when I looked behind me only to find no disc. Haha! I almost had one full shift!! Well the farm-made hitch pin did not hold up to my 10th gear speed across the semi-smooth field. So at 4 a.m I just drove the tractor back to the farm. I think this breaking spree deserves a song and it goes a little like this; "this is the song that never ends, it goes on and on my friends". Wow, Lambchops was a great show back in the day!!!
Today Michael and I head back to LEM for the weekend and then to another 2 farms for two weeks. Dino also happens to be in LEM tonight and he wants to go out for some drinks with Michael and I. This sounds like a great idea in hopes to meet some more people and keep advancing my portuguese. I am also hoping for a dip in Tyler's new pool and hot tub. Last night while oiling and greasing the disc I decided to knee the disc and it didn't want to move. So I am not walking straight at the moment.
Anyways, I am not sure when the next time I will be on here because I am not sure the next farms have internet. (I'm crossing my fingers) So everyone be safe and cheer on those Cyclones!!!
Off to buy more cookies at the store!!! Yummm
Signing off..........
-(a limping) Hrubes
Today Michael and I head back to LEM for the weekend and then to another 2 farms for two weeks. Dino also happens to be in LEM tonight and he wants to go out for some drinks with Michael and I. This sounds like a great idea in hopes to meet some more people and keep advancing my portuguese. I am also hoping for a dip in Tyler's new pool and hot tub. Last night while oiling and greasing the disc I decided to knee the disc and it didn't want to move. So I am not walking straight at the moment.
Anyways, I am not sure when the next time I will be on here because I am not sure the next farms have internet. (I'm crossing my fingers) So everyone be safe and cheer on those Cyclones!!!
Off to buy more cookies at the store!!! Yummm
Signing off..........
-(a limping) Hrubes
Friday, October 3, 2008
American misfortune continues on Brazilian soil
Well so much for not breaking anything. Last night I was only a couple of hours into my night shift when I noticed something wrong with the light disc. Well it turns out a spindle broke on this disc as well. Seems like nothing will go right for us Americans down here. Luckily for me, the diesel man was right there to save me and whisk me back to the farm on a half hour cab-less tractor ride. Luckily it was another beautiful night here in Bahia with all the stars shining brightly. Sometimes I wish I had a girlfriend to go on tractor rides at night down here. Wait a minute, I actually wouldn't wish that upon my worst enemy. Having a girlfriend that is.
Anyways, so last night I had again some time on my hands to get sleep. Today I had the opportunity to help grid soil sample one of the lotes (fields). One sample for every 2.5 acres or 1 hectare, and the fields are no 80 acres like back home.
Dino and I are really starting to become good buds, and I am having a lot of fun. Unfortunately for the next two weeks I will be working at the other 2 farms to get to know those farm managers before I come back to Rondonia to help Dino plant the crops.
Well back to work, one more night shift before I head to LEM tomorrow. Hope nothing breaks!!!
Signing off.......
-Hrubes
Anyways, so last night I had again some time on my hands to get sleep. Today I had the opportunity to help grid soil sample one of the lotes (fields). One sample for every 2.5 acres or 1 hectare, and the fields are no 80 acres like back home.
Dino and I are really starting to become good buds, and I am having a lot of fun. Unfortunately for the next two weeks I will be working at the other 2 farms to get to know those farm managers before I come back to Rondonia to help Dino plant the crops.
Well back to work, one more night shift before I head to LEM tomorrow. Hope nothing breaks!!!
Signing off.......
-Hrubes
Thursday, October 2, 2008
On the farm
Alright, sorry for the length of time between posts but this is the first time in 5 days that I have had access to internet. I didn't realize how addicted I was to being connected all the time by a phone or the internet. I've been pulling my hair out to have this moment back.
At the beginning of the week I was seriously wondering what the heck did I get myself into. No interaction due to the language barrier, the other intern was in the tractor while I was on the farm, and no access to internet to see if the world was ending somewhere other than Brazil. Most of you know me pretty well, but I need by social interaction to survive. I was really stressing out about it and really felt homesick, but as the week went on it got better because my Portuguese has been progressing.
Rondonian (pronounced hondonia) is the farm that I will be working at the majority of my stay in Brazil. It is the largest of GAI's farms at 5,000 hectares or 15,000 acres, Grown on this farm is popcorn, corn, soybeans, and edible beans. I should also include the 50 head of cows, 50 head of pigs, and 50 annoying chickens. Rondonia is the only farm north of LEM for GAI. The rest of them are south and a lot closer to town. The manager of Rondonia is Dino (pron. Gino) and he is a very likeable guy. He is very interested about the United States as both Michael and I have gone through our pictures with him. He is very hands on and I thank him for that everyday. He knows a little english but is very patient with us when we're talking in portuguese.
To describe the conditions on this farm I would have to start by saying that I have been getting away with not wearing any deodorante for 5 days!! HAHA Ok its not that bad, but besides the internet and electricity, I feel like I'm back in the 80s. Things I hear are all the same, kids whining, tractors running, cows mooing, chickens clucking, and the workers singing in portuguese. The food, well its below average just for the fact that its basically the same thing for lunch and dinner everyday. I get by not eating lunch, by nibbling on the cookies I bought at the super market before we left town.
My shift: 7:00pm - 7:00am!!!!!
The only positive about this shift is that it's not hotter than (you finish the anology) when I'm working. So during the day, when its really hot, I have to catch up on the sleep I lost while in the tractor. At night its hard to see, there is no help to be found when something breaks, and it is easier to fall asleep at the wheel. My weapon in turning over the dirt (60% sand) is a 8410 and a heavy disc no wider than the duals. Mind you, it takes me a half an hour to make ONE ROUND. No wonder why it seems like I am getting nothing done during my 12 hour shift. In the last 5 days Michael (another intern from Washington) and I have had some bad luck. One spindle on the disc has broken, on the same disc we have burned up a bearing, and lastly a stick has put a hole in the front tire of the 8410. You may wonder how could a stick do that. Well the field we are working on is on its second year of production. Before it was just cerrado, basically big brush scattered throughout. So this stick I talk about is actually about the size of my forearm.
We're on the verge of rainy season so tillage is going on at full speed, 24 hours a day with 3 tractors and discs. The P & K of the N-P-K (fertilizer) is also put on 24 hours a day with 2 tractors. Back at the farm the rest of the workers are either working on planters, cleaning soybeans to plant, or are doing general things around the farm. Tyler, the president of GAI, wants to start planting popcorn by the 15th of October. Looking at all the ground that needs to be worked and the problems we have been experiencing with equipment, I think thats gonna be a push.
It feels like spring here with all the planters being worked on and the tillage work being done. I am really excited to continue to work with Dino and his crew to get these 15,000 acres planted before the 5th of December. Contrary to the beginning of the week, I am actually starting to enjoy my time here.
p.s. could someone please send some peanut M&Ms, it would be greatly appreciated!!
Signing off.......
- (a skinnier) Hrubes
At the beginning of the week I was seriously wondering what the heck did I get myself into. No interaction due to the language barrier, the other intern was in the tractor while I was on the farm, and no access to internet to see if the world was ending somewhere other than Brazil. Most of you know me pretty well, but I need by social interaction to survive. I was really stressing out about it and really felt homesick, but as the week went on it got better because my Portuguese has been progressing.
Rondonian (pronounced hondonia) is the farm that I will be working at the majority of my stay in Brazil. It is the largest of GAI's farms at 5,000 hectares or 15,000 acres, Grown on this farm is popcorn, corn, soybeans, and edible beans. I should also include the 50 head of cows, 50 head of pigs, and 50 annoying chickens. Rondonia is the only farm north of LEM for GAI. The rest of them are south and a lot closer to town. The manager of Rondonia is Dino (pron. Gino) and he is a very likeable guy. He is very interested about the United States as both Michael and I have gone through our pictures with him. He is very hands on and I thank him for that everyday. He knows a little english but is very patient with us when we're talking in portuguese.
To describe the conditions on this farm I would have to start by saying that I have been getting away with not wearing any deodorante for 5 days!! HAHA Ok its not that bad, but besides the internet and electricity, I feel like I'm back in the 80s. Things I hear are all the same, kids whining, tractors running, cows mooing, chickens clucking, and the workers singing in portuguese. The food, well its below average just for the fact that its basically the same thing for lunch and dinner everyday. I get by not eating lunch, by nibbling on the cookies I bought at the super market before we left town.
My shift: 7:00pm - 7:00am!!!!!
The only positive about this shift is that it's not hotter than (you finish the anology) when I'm working. So during the day, when its really hot, I have to catch up on the sleep I lost while in the tractor. At night its hard to see, there is no help to be found when something breaks, and it is easier to fall asleep at the wheel. My weapon in turning over the dirt (60% sand) is a 8410 and a heavy disc no wider than the duals. Mind you, it takes me a half an hour to make ONE ROUND. No wonder why it seems like I am getting nothing done during my 12 hour shift. In the last 5 days Michael (another intern from Washington) and I have had some bad luck. One spindle on the disc has broken, on the same disc we have burned up a bearing, and lastly a stick has put a hole in the front tire of the 8410. You may wonder how could a stick do that. Well the field we are working on is on its second year of production. Before it was just cerrado, basically big brush scattered throughout. So this stick I talk about is actually about the size of my forearm.
We're on the verge of rainy season so tillage is going on at full speed, 24 hours a day with 3 tractors and discs. The P & K of the N-P-K (fertilizer) is also put on 24 hours a day with 2 tractors. Back at the farm the rest of the workers are either working on planters, cleaning soybeans to plant, or are doing general things around the farm. Tyler, the president of GAI, wants to start planting popcorn by the 15th of October. Looking at all the ground that needs to be worked and the problems we have been experiencing with equipment, I think thats gonna be a push.
It feels like spring here with all the planters being worked on and the tillage work being done. I am really excited to continue to work with Dino and his crew to get these 15,000 acres planted before the 5th of December. Contrary to the beginning of the week, I am actually starting to enjoy my time here.
p.s. could someone please send some peanut M&Ms, it would be greatly appreciated!!
Signing off.......
- (a skinnier) Hrubes
Friday, September 26, 2008
Ahhhhhh!!!!!
Holy cow, we just heard from the bossman from the top that we need to get out to the farms to start discing 24 hours a day with another intern. That doesn't sound so bad, but thats not the bad part, no one on these farms speaks a bit of english. AHHHHH!! We will be out there for about a week until next weekend trying to get caught up before planting begins.
Tyler hopes to start planting by the 15th of October and finish on or before the 5th of December. Tyler told us if we finish planting before then, he will take all of us the the beaches of Salvador for a 4-5 day vacation. Wooohooo!!!
Well, were heading out to a sports bar for a few drinks and supper. The funny thing is that the Brazilians do not start eating supper until about 8. It sure takes a lot getting use to since I always ate around 5-6 back home like the rest of you. Well, Im off for a night full of fun before I practice some more portuguese before Im baptized by fire tomorrow and the next few days!!
ps: say a prayer for me please
Signing off.......
-Hrubes
Tyler hopes to start planting by the 15th of October and finish on or before the 5th of December. Tyler told us if we finish planting before then, he will take all of us the the beaches of Salvador for a 4-5 day vacation. Wooohooo!!!
Well, were heading out to a sports bar for a few drinks and supper. The funny thing is that the Brazilians do not start eating supper until about 8. It sure takes a lot getting use to since I always ate around 5-6 back home like the rest of you. Well, Im off for a night full of fun before I practice some more portuguese before Im baptized by fire tomorrow and the next few days!!
ps: say a prayer for me please
Signing off.......
-Hrubes
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Luis Eduardo Magalhaes
Wow, what a pain in the butt traveling is. We were 2 hours delayed leaving Chicago, which put us in a bind when we got to Sao Paulo. We were late getting checked in, so late that we were called "no-shows" so we had to wait 5 hours for our next flight to Brasilia. After that was all said and done, we had a short tour around Brasilia which is the capital of Brazil. Similar to the United States, all the government offices (congress, department of defense, president, etc.) were located on the same campus. After our grueling travel, we were treated to our first Brazilian meal. I had steak and it sure was a treat after what I had gone through.
The next day (Wednesday) we were up early for a 6 hour van ride to Luis Eduardo Magalhaes (LEM). This trip started out just like our last, a mess. Within 30 minutes our van stalled, and the dirty diesel was to blame. After that we had a quick stop at a random diesel station for a snack and drink. After a few hours the van once again stalled, bad enough the driver actually had to check under the hood this time. After 10 minutes we were back on the road. The closer we got to LEM the more agriculture we were seeing. Syngenta, John Deere, Pioneer, Bunge, Case-New Holland were EVERYWHERE!! I really started to feel at home, except for the volcanic red soil color all over.
Once we arrived in LEM we continued to see things similar to the United States. Agriculture stores were everywhere. LEM 3 years ago was only 20,000 people, but because of the local agriculture boom it now inhabits 50,000 people!! A couple things; the Bunge crushing plant was once the 3rd largest in South America, and the John Deere dealership in town, once sold 40% of JD's cotton pickers in the world and has already sold 180 JD 8430s for the year!!! Holy COW!! The rest of the day was spent looking around town and visiting Global Ag Investment's office in town. We ended the night at the CEO's place having adult beverages and pizza. Surprisingly the the pizza was some of the best I have ever had.
Today (Thursday) we went out to a couple of the farms that are farmed by GAI. First off, their road system is not very good compared to the United States. Their secondary roads (like our gravel roads) are crap. Potholes everywhere and they are made out of that red dirt that I talked about earlier. Since it rained last night, we were in for a day full of "muddin" just to get to the farms. The farms were neat, out in the middle of nowhere surrounded by flat red dirt that can be seen for miles. GAI's biggest FIELD is 1500 acres, and nothing is smaller than 250 acres. Quite a bit of a difference to Iowa. Finishing the country visit, we took a look at a place called "The Edge". The Edge is a natural border between the states of Bahia and Tocantins. It reminded me of the Grand Canyon but smaller and greener.
Well that is all I have so far folks. I think this trip is going to become even more interesting as I learn more portugese and am able to converse with the locals. Thanks for reading and add posts if you would like. Take a peek at the photos as well....
Signing off..........
-Hrubes
The next day (Wednesday) we were up early for a 6 hour van ride to Luis Eduardo Magalhaes (LEM). This trip started out just like our last, a mess. Within 30 minutes our van stalled, and the dirty diesel was to blame. After that we had a quick stop at a random diesel station for a snack and drink. After a few hours the van once again stalled, bad enough the driver actually had to check under the hood this time. After 10 minutes we were back on the road. The closer we got to LEM the more agriculture we were seeing. Syngenta, John Deere, Pioneer, Bunge, Case-New Holland were EVERYWHERE!! I really started to feel at home, except for the volcanic red soil color all over.
Once we arrived in LEM we continued to see things similar to the United States. Agriculture stores were everywhere. LEM 3 years ago was only 20,000 people, but because of the local agriculture boom it now inhabits 50,000 people!! A couple things; the Bunge crushing plant was once the 3rd largest in South America, and the John Deere dealership in town, once sold 40% of JD's cotton pickers in the world and has already sold 180 JD 8430s for the year!!! Holy COW!! The rest of the day was spent looking around town and visiting Global Ag Investment's office in town. We ended the night at the CEO's place having adult beverages and pizza. Surprisingly the the pizza was some of the best I have ever had.
Today (Thursday) we went out to a couple of the farms that are farmed by GAI. First off, their road system is not very good compared to the United States. Their secondary roads (like our gravel roads) are crap. Potholes everywhere and they are made out of that red dirt that I talked about earlier. Since it rained last night, we were in for a day full of "muddin" just to get to the farms. The farms were neat, out in the middle of nowhere surrounded by flat red dirt that can be seen for miles. GAI's biggest FIELD is 1500 acres, and nothing is smaller than 250 acres. Quite a bit of a difference to Iowa. Finishing the country visit, we took a look at a place called "The Edge". The Edge is a natural border between the states of Bahia and Tocantins. It reminded me of the Grand Canyon but smaller and greener.
Well that is all I have so far folks. I think this trip is going to become even more interesting as I learn more portugese and am able to converse with the locals. Thanks for reading and add posts if you would like. Take a peek at the photos as well....
Signing off..........
-Hrubes
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Greetings
Family, friends, past co-workers, students, & faculty, this fall I have decided again to take a break from school, this time to journey far beyond Illinois and Iowa, but to BRAZIL!!! Since the first time this opportunity came to me, I knew I wanted to partake. Yes, it would prolong my graduation date once again, but also it will provide me with a once in a lifetime opportunity.
I will be working for Global Ag Investments ( www.globalaginvestments.com )down in Brazil in the state of Bahia. 5 interns as well as I have been asked to come down and help with the planting of almost 50,000 acres of soybeans, corn, cotton, and popcorn. While there, I plan to soak in the culture, learn about Brazilian agriculture, and see as much as possible!!
Feel free to comment on pictures and posts, it will be fun and exciting!!!
I will try to update the blog as frequent as possible with pictures and posts. Here we go and happy reading!!
I will be working for Global Ag Investments ( www.globalaginvestments.com )down in Brazil in the state of Bahia. 5 interns as well as I have been asked to come down and help with the planting of almost 50,000 acres of soybeans, corn, cotton, and popcorn. While there, I plan to soak in the culture, learn about Brazilian agriculture, and see as much as possible!!
Feel free to comment on pictures and posts, it will be fun and exciting!!!
I will try to update the blog as frequent as possible with pictures and posts. Here we go and happy reading!!
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