Hay Season

I haven't been blogging much lately, I hope you didn't miss me. Life on this farm is pretty laid back but during hay season everyone works. Above you can see my field before the grass is cut, and below, just after cutting. We had unusually cold and wet weather clear up until past the 4th of July so haying went on a bit later than average but it is a great crop, with most folks saying they had a bigger number of bales produced than normal.

After the hay dries out on top for a day or two or 3, depending upon the weather, next they fluff it and create rows, like below.

Here is the machine that does the fluffing and row making. It is called a tedder rake. I don't know why. Probably someone named Tedder invented it. I usually call it the fluffer.

Below you see the nice view (ahem!) of the newly baled field.

Above is a picture of Farmer Jan, bucking a hay bale.  They are about 60 lbs. I usually do my fair share of bucking bales (picking them up and putting them in the wagon and into the barn) and can keep up with the rest of the gang.  I can't throw them up high though, I leave that for the guys.  This year I hurt my hip somehow and had to refrain from heavy lifting.  I was able to drive the truck. 

Above you see the baler machine, raking the hay rows into the screw like mechanism, then into the magic box where the bale is formed and somehow tied up and

spit out the back.

Then it is time to stack the bales onto the trailer

and head for the barn.

I thought there might be some of you that had never have seen the process before.  You can see the land around my property is covered with forested rolling hills.  It is a great place to live and work.  I hope you enjoyed this little instructional journey.

Be well.