Today was a short day as we made our way South and East from Dyersville, Iowa. We only passed through one town, Cascade. Our destination was Maquoketa where Herb and our Mom lives. Our biggest fan was on the porch waiting for us.
Herb’s neighbor and riding buddy, Brian, rode out about 20 miles from Maquoketa to escort us back to town. That was a thoughtful thing to do and was much appreciated.
Joe also lives near Maquoketa and he peeled off our route to pedal home.
Chad took a side trip this morning to see The Field of Dreams. He reported that the grass was very lush. The lights in the background is where the MLB diamond is located.
We saw (and smelled) many cattle feed lots and dairy farms. Because of all the cattle the farmers need to store cattle food. Tall silos and big barns were traditionally used to store silage and hay.
The large hay bales don’t fit inside barns very efficiently. So the hay bales are stored inside giant plastic bags. You have probably seen these long white or black sausages as you travel in farm country.
Silage is made by chopping up the entire corn stalk, including leaves and ears of corn. Corn silage is used for cattle feed. Here is a German (Claas Jaguar brand) forage harvester that cuts and chops the corn stalks. It then blows them into the wagon.
The silage is then transferred from the wagon into this machine that blows it into a big plastic tube.
These tubes are called bag silos and are a larger diameter than the ones for hay bales. They are also oval shaped and lumpy when filled. The ends of the tubes are “sealed” with a pile of dirt to keep out the air.
Here is a huge grain cart that is on tracks to keep it from sinking into the soil.
And a few other country scenes.
Stats
- Dyersville to Maquoketa, Iowa.
- Distance: 51.3 miles (83 km)
- Climbing: 2185 feet (666 m)
- Temperature: 53 – 71°F (12 – 22°C)
Adventures of 4 MAMILs* 