Fertilizer Day

Back when Iowa was a territory, a fellow named Lyman Dillon plowed a furrow from Iowa City to Dubuque so travelers could find their way from one city to the other. Iowa City was designated the territorial capitol in 1839, and Dubuque was a center of commerce, notably for fur trading, lumber, and lead mining. I stopped at the only marker I know and took this photo while enroute along the former Dillon’s Furrow. I went to Monticello to buy garden fertilizer.

Midwestern BioAg distributes bagged, composted chicken manure which many friends use in organic farming operations. I bought 150 pounds for $57.78. It should last through the growing season. I don’t know their process, but this stuff is the best in terms of ease of handling and results.

Farmers have been out in gigantic fields preparing the ground for row crops. Monticello is in Jones County where my spouse’s ancestors farmed after the Civil War. A family cemetery is within spitting distance of Highway 151 near Langworthy. It is a small farm community cemetery where cattle had gotten inside the fence and knocked down some of the grave markers.

If I plant potatoes on Good Friday (today), I’ll need the fertilizer. I’m ready to start digging soil. We’ll see if frost is out of the ground later today.