Farming with my Grandparents

Written by Azia Dietrich

Every year in April before we start seeding, we clean our seed, service our air seeder, tractor, and sprayer. We also load water tanks onto the back of our tandem for hauling water to spray.

In May, we start seeding our four crops: yellow field peas, canola, spring red wheat, and durum wheat. This is a very busy time of the year that requires a lot of planning. This includes figuring out where we are going to seed our crops and how many acres of each crop we are going to seed. This lasts for three to five weeks, depending on the weather. Before the crops emerge, we do a chemical burn-off. Once the crops reach a certain growing stage, we figure out what chemicals are needed to kill the weeds that are emerging.

Along with farming, 12-year-old Azia Dietrich helps out with their garden. Photo submitted by Azia Dietrich

Azia Dietrich from Mendham gets a front row seat on the combine with her gramma behind the wheel. For the past four years the family has been employing a new practice. Instead of fertilizer, they apply bio-carbon water mixed with Reverse Osmosis water while seeding and spraying. Photo submitted by Azia Dietrich

With our new practice in our farming, instead of fertilizer, we apply bio-carbon water mixed with Reverse Osmosis water while seeding and spraying. The purpose of this application is to grow a healthier plant without using fertilizer and inoculant. 

Throughout the growing season we monitor the crops for any pests and disease. If we find any, we contact an agrologist to help with advice for the control of them. 

At the appropriate time in the growing season, we apply more cultured carbon water for the crop’s health. The cultured carbon water is cultured from concentrated biocarbon water, molasses and Reverse Osmosis water.

Most crops take eighty to one hundred days to reach full maturity. Over this time, we check the crops routinely to see if they have reached maturity. When the crops have reached maturity, they are ready to harvest. A couple of days before harvest, we service the combine, headers, and grain trucks. During harvest, the three of us juggle combining, trucking, meal prepping, and delivering meals to the field. Harvest usually takes a month, depending on the weather. Right after the harvest ends, we service the equipment and store them in the shed for the winter.

In early winter, we order canola seed, chemicals, and cultured carbon water for the next spring.

Along with farming I help out with planting our garden. We plant all kinds of vegetables such as: yellow beans, tomatoes, carrots, peas, red and white onions, garlic, potatoes, corn, lettuce, beets, pumpkin, cucumbers, and zucchini. This also involves weeding and watering the garden as required. To water the garden, we make little furrows beside the rows. In the hotter months we water the garden every few days.

I also help with planting flowers in our flower pots. In mid-May, we go to a local greenhouse to pick out flowers to put in the pots. When at home I pick out arrangements of flowers I like to put in the flower pots. When this is done, we work and water the soil so it’s ready for the new flowers to go in. Throughout the summer, I help water the flowers. Earlier in the season we water the flowers every few days until June, then as it gets hotter and as the plants are on the south side of the house, we water them every day until it gets freezing.This is when the season really ends.

Written by Azia Dietrich
Age 12 
Grade 7
Lives on the farm near Mendham Sk 
Attends Leader Composite School.