Hay Today

The front field at Smith Farm yesterday evening.

The spring cutting is done. Total for three farms: 241 round bales. Each round bale is equivalent to 17 square bales.

The hay quality is excellent. The mid-90s sunny weather the last few days made sure the hay on Smith Farm and the Brown Place cured out. While there was a bad storm on the other side of the lake last night—and I heard thunder in the south yesterday afternoon—no rain fell here.

Yesterday evening, the hay was finished at Smith Farm—86 bales from three fields.

The side field at Smith Farm.

Another view of the front field.

John left around 9 this morning to start raking at the Brown Place. He returned a few minutes before 4. He never stopped for lunch. Bobby, a guy who’s worked on shares with us for several years, owns the big tractor, the haybine and the baler. John owns an old tractor. The procedure is that Bobby cuts, John rakes, Bobby bales.

I blogged a few days ago that Polecat Creek Farm yielded 60 bales. (For comparison, last fall’s drought-damaged cutting produced 8.) Add Smith Farm’s 86 bales and the Brown Place’s 95, and we did OK.

Maybe this year, we’ll get back what we spent on lime and fertilizer.

Farming's a gamble. Some years you get lucky.

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