Spreading It

One of mid-March chores our farms require is the spreading of fertilizer on the hayfields. In the past, we've always had a big truck come in and do all three farms in a day. This year, my husband decided to rent a fertilizer spreader from Scottie's Fertilizer on Morgan's Fork Road.

A guy from Scottie's delivered the spreader and gave hubby a crash course in how to attach it to the tractor and how to regulate the flow of fertilizer.

After everything checked out, we started off to Union Hall. I was behind the tractor with my truck lights blinking. Traveling two miles on Novelty Road wasn't so bad because most residents farm and know not to crowd farm equipment. Plus, there's not much traffic.

However, going to Smith Farm and the Brown Place meant traveling for a fifth of a mile on Route 40, a very busy highway.

Again, most drivers were pretty courteous. However, some just couldn't wait, and—despite my blinking lights and the double yellow line—just had to pass both my truck and the tractor.  

Soon we turned off Rt. 40 and traffic was light again.

At Smith Farm, hubby made some adjustments. My job was to wait and make sure that fertilizer did indeed come out the way it was supposed to.

It didn't. I cut across the field and told hubby, who made some more adjustments. Then it worked fine.

A few days later, with a fresh load of fertilizer, we went to Polecat Creek Farm, which is a lot closer to us and accessible via a gravel road. Once at the farm, hubby made the adjustments . . . 

. . . and was soon good to go. 

A bluebird flying by (the speck at right in the above picture) stopped to see what we were doing.

He perched for a moment on the tractor's scoop before he flew away.

In a couple of hours, the fields at Polecat Creek were done. Look how green they've become in only a few weeks:

Fortunately, we've had enough the rain that the fertilizer could do its job.

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