What A Life: Hay There

Well I hope your summer is going well and that you are taking advantage of the nice weather. The boys and I have been having a few picnics at the park after their swimming class and a few trips to the local skate park. So far, they do not seem to be missing school.

Adam is getting pretty busy with farm work since it is haying season. The hay we harvest goes towards feeding our cows during the winter. So the more hay bales we get, the better. It's a bit of a stress when winter is still going strong but the hay is all used up. So I would say it's a pretty important time for the farm.

For you guys out there who did not grow up on a farm (like me) there are really four stages to haying season. Cutting, drying/raking, baling, and moving. So first we have to cut the hay. This is what Adam is doing in the picture. Then the hay needs to dry, in this stage we rake the hay when and if necessary to dry the other side or to combine rows together to make the bailing process easier.

Then it's baling time, the hay gets rolled up into big hay bales ready to be used when we need them. The final stage is moving them. They need to be stacked together in an area that will be convenient to grab when feeding the cow without been accessible by the cow. Because otherwise the cows will eat them. You'll be amazed how far a cow can reach through a barb wire fence. So the bales can not be too close to the fence either.

So there we go, haying season. This is probably also the time of year where we are the most vulnerable to mother nature. The weather will dictate when it is time to hay. The rain will stop your progress. Hay doesn't dry well in the rain ;)

So if you are a fellow farmer, I wish you a good haying season. If not, enjoy your summer and pray for dry warm weather.