Let's See... Who Can I Blame?

Raccoons... we're not too fond of the little masked marauders around the farm(stead). My mother always thought the little vermin were cute with the masks and little hands. Yeah... they have masks just like most armed robbers and those little hands are their weapons.

We've had a really great arrangement with our farming neighbors with respect to some ground behind our old barn. It's about 1/4 acre, and last summer they planted sweet corn, we watered it, and the tasty crop was shared across a wide swath of Furnas county and I understand as far west as Imperial.

This year our results have been somewhat different.

This summer the plan was the same. Sweet corn rows were planted in stages so we could have an extended roastin' ear season. We poured on the water during our recent dry spell, and the corn was really looking good. Just like last summer, we had a radio outside to help ward off raccoons, but this year, the danged thieves have cleaned off the current crop. Good thing there is another batch getting ready, but I fear it too will succumb to the evil masked varmints.

Now there is only one thing I can think of that is different from last years sweet corn crop that could explain the raccoons desire for the good stuff we've been trying to tend to this summer... Our farming neighbor, while planting corn on our place and down by Medicine Creek last season, this year didn't plant down by the creek. BIG mistake it seems.

Last year the corn planted by the creek was devastated by the raccoons, but the sweet corn on the hill went unscathed. Without the decoy corn down the hill, we apparently are doomed. I don't know why my neighbor didn't plant by the creek this year, but it's his fault there is no decoy, so it's his fault we don't have any sweet corn.

Yep... even though I could take responsibility and put up an electric fence, it's all my neighbors fault. I apparently need to point a finger at somebody else ... just like our political leaders seem so capable of.

The worst part of it I think he might agree... he stopped by today with some fresh ears obtained from a source protected from raccoons. We were obviously lucky last year, and MAYBE the decoy made a difference. I can see I need farming 201, which I understand includes electric fence design and implementation.