Seasons past
Usually, tiling installation seasons start at “frost-out” in the spring and go until the crop is planted. Work slows down until the start of harvest.
“We go until freeze-up, which is normally around Thanksgiving,” Jess said. They typically stop when the frost is eight inches deep, although that is affected by the soil type. Usually, the final week comes when outside temperatures go below zero for a couple of nights. Rain in October and November makes the frost really hard.
“We start breaking equipment at 8 inches of frost,” he said.
The dry fall conditions and a low water table this year allowed an extended season.
Christmas drainage pipe dreams come true
Subsurface tile drainage installation typically continues through Thanksgiving, but this year is going on toward Christmas due to warm, snow-free conditions in the Red River Valley. Field Drainage Inc. installs a project near Wahpeton, N.D., where Agweek reported on flooding in July 2016. 5:30 am, Dec. 14, 2020
WAHPETON, N.D. Dustin Mumm
on Dec. 4, 2020, watched a drain tile crew install subsurface drainage on a 400-acre field. He was as ecstatic as kid watching presents piling up under the tree.
“I just told my wife this morning, this is kind of like Santa Claus coming at Christmas, and I get to open them. I’m really happy and excited about having this project going,” he said.
Seasons past
Usually, tiling installation seasons start at “frost-out” in the spring and go until the crop is planted. Work slows down until the start of harvest.
“We go until freeze-up, which is normally around Thanksgiving,” Jess said. They typically stop when the frost is eight inches deep, although that is affected by the soil type. Usually, the final week comes when outside temperatures go below zero for a couple of nights. Rain in October and November makes the frost really hard.
“We start breaking equipment at 8 inches of frost,” he said.
The dry fall conditions and a low water table this year allowed an extended season.
The Mumms have been struggling with wet fields for years.
”Mother Nature hasn’t treated us the greatest in the past 20 years, hasn’t treated us the greatest, providing even rains consistently through the summer,” Mumm said. “We usually get a 4- to 5-inch rain at a time, and this heavy ground is so fine (particles) that the water can’t go through the soil very easily.”
Farmland in this region sells for roughly $3,500 to $4,500 per acre. Tile drainage projects run roughly $700 to $1,000 an acre, depending on spacing and pump requirements. The land selling price would likely make up for the tile price.
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