Dale Paslawski, a farmer operating north of Weyburn is “living the dream” as seeding season approaches.
Paslawski began seeding operations this week, despite conditions on the moist side saying some lower areas are not quite ready for seed.
“I typically would have started on the 1st of May, but I decided to jump the gun a little bit and I'm doing what's called living the dream. It's been 39 years since me and my wife have been farming together and I still haven't lost that mojo. I love every minute of it.”
Preparing for the season
He explains there are a number of factors that he considers when deciding when to head onto the field, many pertaining to moisture. If heavy rains are expected they may hold off to avoid equipment getting stuck. Winds play a role in drying out the soil, and snow melt and runoff affect moisture levels in the soil.
The order that seeds go into the ground has much to do with soil temperature.
“Around two and a half, three degrees plus outside now, so we can all get some germination here, but peas and plants will be the first things going in for the majority of farmers. They can take cold soils, and if they do emerge even a light frost or down to minus four, it won't hurt that crop, where other crops like canola, it'll kill them.”
Paslawski explains that seeding plans are made one or two years in advance regarding seeding intensity and rotation. Thats when they begin cleaning seed. When it's time to prepare for the season, it's important to check the viability of the seeds to ensure it has adequate germination, and purchase seeds as needed.
Another crucial part of seeding preparation is getting equipment ready.
“Some of us have got three or four monitors, a lot of electronics in the tractor, GPS, variable rates, work on our equipment, there's hoses, there's rotating equipment, there's seed boots, there's tires, maybe that need to be changed out or pumped up. You got to go over all your, all your stuff, do a test run.”
Seeding safety
Paslawski stresses the importance of safety during the seeding season, beginning by getting enough rest and preventing fatigue. Other wellbeing factors he stresses include being well hydrated and well fed.
Unlike some other farming operations, he says he refuses to seed late into the night, which plays into ensuring enough rest, as well as reducing hazards resulting from working in the dark.
“I believe I have 31 or 32 power poles that I have to be very careful with. They're hard to see at night. There actually is some little indicators on there, but you still got to be aware of them. Some people put it into their machine on the computer so that they know that there's an obstacle coming up.”
This includes moving equipment, as he says many drivers aren't aware of the greater dimensions of a lot of farming equipment.
“We've got lights, flashing lights, slow moving signs. But that's kind of a newer thing in the last 10 years that we were implementing into our farm, is not moving equipment at night is starting to become a normal just because there's other people on the road and we've got to keep everybody safe.”
Regarding his employees, Paslawski is strict on safety, stressing the importance of employee training.
“There's a million things that you have to do to train them correctly. And you have to repeat yourself many, many times. And you don't want to give anybody a crash course on running equipment. There's rotating equipment, slip strips involved, pinch points, hydraulic injections. If you get stuck, that's another issue there.”
“You got to be awfully careful. It's the most dangerous occupation you have in the province of Saskatchewan, believe it or not.”