To the left is a picture of me cutting ridiculously tall and dense grass in the pastures next door on my Dad's farm. I'm using my new Kubota tractor and Frontier disc-mower, which worked extremely well. you can see how the mower cuts the grass at the base and then lays it in a mat to dry. This field was one of the hay fields that was renovated over the last two years by my dad, including plowing, tilling, fertilizing, liming, and replanting a new mixture of Timothy and Festolium srasses as well as clover. The hay that came out of that field was the "Primo", best of the best hay that I've made so far. Though looking back now, it could have been made better, as it was my first year baling hay, and this was only my second field, after the initial "test field". The weather was breezy, sunny, and warm, and the hay dried very fast. Add to that I was having some issues with my baler (I had one setting set wrong, and that slowed down the whole process considerably) and this hay kept getting drier and drier. Hay is not supposed to be baled with too much moisture, but it also shouldn't be bone-dry or "crispy". It should have a small percentage of moisture left in it, and should not be completely bleached brown by the sun. It wasn't until my final hay field, some 2,000 bales AFTER this picture was taken, that I really figured out the correct amount of time the hay should dry, and when exactly to bale so that the hay has the right moisture content and proper "green-ness". Well, as I write this I just received a phone call from my Dad confirming it is going to rain later tonight and so I've got to get the last remaini
ng bales out of the field and under cover. I'll have to do a final check on my bale-counter when I'm done later today, but I know I made over 2,500 hay bales this year! I have to admit I am quite proud of myself. I was skeptical at first about taking on any fields other than my Dad's 20+ acres of hay for fear something might go wrong or I might be too overwhelmed, but everything worked out well in the end, and I hayed for 3 other people, one field of 15 acres, one 8 acres, and one about 2 acres. And everyone said I did a great job and hoped I would be able to hay their fields next year. So I'd say over all, making hay has been a success. I've really enjoyed creating the raw "product" (hay bales), but I also really like interacting with people who want to buy my bales, and it is very satisfying when someone says: "OK, I'll take 230 bales" and then to get a call later and hear how satisfied their animals are, eating "my hay", and how they will be telling their farmer friends that I have good hay, and that they hope to come back to me next year. I will be more outgoing in lining up some new fields for next year. If your interested in my services feel free to contact me for baling your fields in 2011. Right now I have hay for sale, for a LIMITED TIME ONLY $4.00 PER BALE. There is still a slight possibility that I could make a "second cutting" of hay from my Dad's fields. It has rained a few times, the grass is growing, and the clover continues growing even in drought conditions. Bales of "clover hay" would be quite high in protein and really desirable for all you horse owners out there! I'm hoping we have a big dry stretch again and the grass/clover keeps growing. HAPPY FARMING!
