Weed notes: Point A to point B

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Published on Thursday, June 5, 2014

By: Sid Lewis

myWestman.ca

It has been a well-known fact in the Lewis family for years that even when not on the job and the family are going from point A to point B, old Dad is checking ditches for weeds or for some other related reason.

It seems when I am concentrating on a certain area I start turning the steering wheel in that direction. A well-timed and placed, “SID, WAKE UP!” from Terry usually brings me back on course.

So far when I am driving alone in the sprayer truck, I am keeping a safer travel course. Lately I have been watching for future brush control areas and luckily so far, memory recall has been good. Next summer if the replacement is a much younger person, they will just hit a button on their highly-expensive GPS unit (installed in the truck) to pinpoint the problem area for later.

Going past a certain area this week, I was checking the control on the south side of the municipal ditch that we sprayed last year for brush. I remembered a situation that had happened on this stretch of road in 2013 and it brought a laugh or two. I had just finished the five-mile application and was going to turn around to start the north side and continue until the tank was empty.

The adjacent producer pulled up beside me and rolled down his passenger window. As I had twice previously been on the receiving end of his wrath, I knew by the facial expression he had this time wasn’t going to be any different than before.

As usual, spraying the ditch aggravated him because he wanted to mow it for hay. I explained to him the period indicated in the local newspaper for roadside hay harvest was way past the end date and, same as the municipal mower operators, we were doing our due diligence then for various reasons.

Plus, I pointed out where his electric fence was soon going to be interfered with by growing brush, so I was doing him a favour by removing the brush before it happened! I agreed I would leave the north side of the ditch adjoining his property so he could still harvest the hay.

This year it is quite apparent that in two years the brush on that mile will be a problem for the municipal snow program. Having stalled him in his venting at me, he thought a minute then started again, saying I was ruining the chances of roadside hay for him a number of miles away from his farm.

That is when, rather than say what I was thinking and not help the situation, I told him this was holding me up so unfortunately, I was going to leave and continue my job further away. What 2014 has in store between the two of us... who knows?

If you have any questions or concerns for Midwest Weed District please phone 204-764-2128.