| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Alee |
Posted - Mar 30 2009 : 11:10:36 AM
I love the "Keeping In Touch" portion of the magazine, and I really love reading the upcoming titles. Don't forget that if you have a story to share to check out the Keeping In Touch portion of the website-
http://www.maryjanesfarm.org/KeepingInTouch/
This current listing is Making Hay! What a great topic!
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our blog: www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
| 25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| paintnpencils |
Posted - Jun 22 2009 : 3:57:32 PM
My mom is out of town so it will be just my dad and I to take in the next field, I just hope that it will all fit in the wagons so we don't have to unload it right away!
each day is a new oportunity to create,improve, expand, and share. |
| paintnpencils |
Posted - Jun 13 2009 : 8:13:04 PM
yeah we do look over the hay and smell it before we rebale it, but sometimes my dad is so hard headed about "saving good hay" last year we had some really nice timothy alfalfa mix hay that we had to take in a bit wet, it really needed another day or two to dry out, but we were going to get some bad rain so instead of losing the hay we baled it and then waited a day for clear weather and then my dad had us break open and spread out the hay in the field to dry again! We "processed" about 150-200 bales like this. I can tell you I was not in a good mood but I knew it would be kept back for my horses, so the extra work would pay off. We did get the hay in nice and dry and I fed it all winter. The horses were able to maintain their weight without grain suppliment, because the hay was of such good quality.
each day is a new oportunity to create,improve, expand, and share. |
| Alee |
Posted - Jun 12 2009 : 9:34:24 PM
Wow Jessica- I hadn't ever thought of re-baling hay before. Do you check to make sure none of it is moldy before you do that or do you sell it as "not horse quality" at that point?
I sure love the bales of hay with the nice long grasses in it. I get grumpy when I cut open a bale and there are lots of short bits in it. They always seem to fall into my bra and down my pants! LOL I can have my shirt tucked in and everything and I will still have pokey hay bits in my undies! LOL
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
| paintnpencils |
Posted - Jun 12 2009 : 5:45:52 PM
Tonight we had to rebale some of last years hay, we were pulling hay off the stack and almost all the bales had one string broken and some had both broken. My mother sister and I pulled the broken bales out with pitchforks and loaded up a tarp. Once the tarp was full we pulled it up to the front of the barn where my dad had the tractor, bailer and wagon parked. This is where he fed the hay into the baler with a hay fork. During this process I discovered 4 kittens that had to be moved so I enlisted help from my 5 year old daughter to kitten wrangle. She loved it and made a few furry friends. We made it through half the stack of hay tonight and will finish the other half tomarrow. All this to sell it for $1.50 a bale! Just a Safety note: Remember to always keep your hands and loose clothing away from moving machinery parts!
each day is a new oportunity to create,improve, expand, and share. |
| paintnpencils |
Posted - Jun 12 2009 : 3:25:20 PM
Yes by the end of hay season I feel pretty buff! I too am short at 5"3 I can only stack the bales 4 high before I have to use them as steps to throw up the next layer! At the end of the evening I have hay everywhere even filling my bra! but I refuse to wear a turtle neck to keep the hay out because of the heat so I just deal with it and pick hay out of my bra and hair! It does smell wonderful though!
each day is a new oportunity to create,improve, expand, and share. |
| Alee |
Posted - Jun 08 2009 : 9:01:27 PM
Wow Jessica! You must have great arm and back muscles! I have a similar love/hate relationship with hay but mostly because haying makes me feel weak! Those bales sure can be heavy and it doesn't help that I am short short short! LOL |
| paintnpencils |
Posted - Jun 08 2009 : 7:58:37 PM
I have a love hate relationship with hay, I love it and love having the barn full of it, I love the smell, but I hate looking up at that first 150 bales piled high on the wagon, knowing I don't have much time to stack it as my mother throws the bales down because another wagon is comming in soon. Once I get that first wagon done I am warmed up so to speak and ready for the challenge. I even as a kid got the stacking job. My family has always farmed hay, if we ever had a field of corn, oats or wheat it was because my father had a neighbor rotate the field for us. The first farm we had was like a big round hill with one side very steep, well we only had a couple of wagons at the time and the old kicker baler we had could only get ther bales up to the front of the wagon so I had to ride in the back while my dad was baling and carry the bales to the back of the wagon and stack them. This was sometimes tricky on a hill as the bales would tumble about if I din't stack them right, especially when my dad was making a turn and all the while I had to watch I didn't get hit with a flying bale! I would not recomend anyone do this, but being young I thought it great fun, and I felt like such a farmer. :) The farm we have now is more flat, and the baler we have is so much nicer my dad can almost stack the wagon with it, but there are still times I wonder what am I doing! like the year before last when the kicker lever broke and I had to walk along for that entire field and manually trip the kick lever! This is also something that I would never suggest, but when the rain is comming and you can't take the time to fix the part right you make do with what you've got.
Jessica
each day is a new oportunity to create,improve, expand, and share. |
| sherone_13 |
Posted - May 13 2009 : 10:35:39 AM
Farm life is an art that has been developed through millions of years. Interesting comparison can be made from the techniques of "old" to the high tech techniques of today.
We have used some of the "old" techniques during haying season on our ranch. One of my most fond memories are of driving the old rusty Ford tractor with a push rake on front. I would drive around the field, gathering the fresh bales and push them to the hay wagon, where our men folk would load the wagon. They used the "bucking" method to push the bales up on the high wooden wagon. This includes grasping the tie wires on the top of the bales, picking it up and using the knee to push the 40- 50 lbs bale onto the wagon. There was always another family member waiting to accept the bale. That man would lift the bale up to the stacker who was located on the top of the stack.
We used to ride on top of the stack on the way to the stack yard. The process of unloading the wagon would begin, by a brave soul venturing to the edge of the stack and throwing down the first bale to the tractor driver. He would begin the stack and continue until we had created an adequate "staircase" of hay for all of us to get off the wagon. Sometimes, the young men would just jump off the stack. A lady, however, would wait for the staircase to appear.
Our ranch is located in southwest Wyoming. Due to climate, we can get only two crops of hay. The second crop hay is always dusty and needed to be raked more than the first crop. Many hours have been spent driving the same old tractor pulling a traditional rake behind. The grasshoppers would jump out of the way when they heard the rattle of the tractor. Mosquitoes often swarmed on our unprotected arms and necks. The hot summer sun beat down on our backs for hours at a time. Haying is hard work.
One of the bright moments of the day was seeing the family matriarch, Lila, walking through the field with a big jug of ice water. She would come twice a day to refill our jugs. Every summer, she would pull her camp trailer over to the hay fields. We looked forward to the amazing lunches and dinners that were served daily out of that trailer. Farm women certainly know how to feed a hungry hay crew.
As we have gotten older and some of the younger family members have taken over the running of the ranch, we have gotten more modern in our techniques. We now have a swather that cuts the hay and arranges it into a nice wind row. We let the wind rows dry for a few days. The next step is baling, which is accomplished by pulling a baler behind a new John Deere tractor. The final step is to pick up those bales with a modern stacker, which loads the bales onto a wagon of sorts. Hydralics are used to move the bales off the wagon into the stack yard. Often times, we need to use 2x4's to prop up the stacks or use a fence to support it.
Our little ranch has evolved with the times as the world around us evolved. The hay stack staircases are gone as is the old push rake and rake. Family members have gone to greener pastures above and machines do our work for us now. When I get lost in my memories of the good old days, I must simply bring myself to the present and be happy for the future. We are still a family owned ranch and even though the old ways are gone, the traditions are still alive and well in our children.
Sherone
http://tinytaylorranch.blujay.com
http://tinytaylorranch.ecrater.com/
http://taylorscountrystore.blogspot.com/
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| Alee |
Posted - May 10 2009 : 8:44:15 PM
Sarah- Welcome to the forum! It sounds like your community is a "Keeper" for sure! Bringing in hay does mean lots of stacking for sure!
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
| simone947 |
Posted - May 10 2009 : 7:16:23 PM
making hay reminds me of hot afternoons in the hay loft, stacking and stacking and stacking and my skin breaking out into blotches, but listening to cows chew on the hay afterwards is worth all of those long afternoons. getting hay is one of my favorite things in the world now, we usually go after work to a nearby farmer who mills his own grain and sells roundbales, it usually turns into hours of talking and visiting with everyone else stopping by. it reminds me of how connected our community is. |
| Julia |
Posted - May 08 2009 : 1:23:45 PM
Yum! The Meadow tea sounds good. I think I would like to try it with Lemon Balm.
For tomorrow and its needs I do not pray, but keep me, guide me, love me, Lord just for today.
St. Augustine
#440 |
| Calicogirl |
Posted - May 08 2009 : 12:54:06 PM
I like to use Spearmint rather than Peppermint. I think the Peppermint ends up being very strong in flavor.
Alee,
It won't be long before that "little" plant is a big one :)
~Sharon
By His Grace, For His Glory
http://merryheartjournal.blogspot.com/ |
| Alee |
Posted - May 08 2009 : 10:00:32 AM
Wow! I can't wait to try it! I love mint and I have a fabulous little plant growing by my front porch. By the end of summer it should be nice size...or maybe not if I make this a lot! ;)
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
| Calicogirl |
Posted - May 08 2009 : 08:33:41 AM
Here it is Alee :)
Meadow Tea
2 cups fresh mint leaves, washed and packed
2-2 1/2 cups sugar
4 cups water
Garnish: fresh mint
Place all ingredients in a medium stockpot. Boil for 5 minutes; turn off heat and let stand for 5 hours. Strain through a coffee filter lined sieve, squeezing excess liquid from mint leaves.
To serve: add 1-cup concentrate to 2 quarts of cold water in a pitcher. Serve with ice and a garnish of mint. Makes 4 cups concentrate; about 8 servings per one cup concentrate.
*Concentrate freezes well :) I make this throughout Summer and freeze it so we can enjoy it all year round.
~Sharon
By His Grace, For His Glory
http://merryheartjournal.blogspot.com/ |
| Alee |
Posted - May 08 2009 : 07:47:00 AM
Sharon- I would love that recipe too!
I am looking and have yet to find an essential oil or fragrance oil that is scented like alfalfa. But I can put alfalfa extract in so I am thinking of buying a bottle to see if it smells good or gross!
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
| Calicogirl |
Posted - May 08 2009 : 07:22:47 AM
Alfalfa scented soap would be awesome. I would definitely buy that. I love doing dishes in the evening. I have my kitchen window above the sink and the breeze blows the fragrant alfalfa and I love it!
You could put a picture of Alfalfa (Little Rascals) on the label 
Teresa Sue, could you post your recipe? That sounds perfect for warm (or hot) weather. :) I have a recipe for "Meadow Tea" using mint if anyone would like it I would be happy to post it.
~Sharon
By His Grace, For His Glory
http://merryheartjournal.blogspot.com/ |
| windypines |
Posted - May 07 2009 : 6:42:42 PM
Making hay, everyone makes it sound so romantic! Ahhh, but it does smell good.
First you watch and listen to all the weather forecasts you can find. Trying to figure out who will get it right. You watch to see what your neighbors are doing, are they cutting hay, or waiting. Then you take the chance and cut, hoping the rain stays away for a few days. Then once it drys out good on top, you rake it, flipping it over so the bottom can dry out. We square baled all our hay when we were kids. The best we ever did was 14 loads of hay in one day. It was a long day, and we had to travel about a mile an a half from field to barn. But with enough help, the hay wagons were able to keep running. And as the hay mow fills up, the hotter it gets for the person stacking hay. Of course one of the best feelings is getting that last load of hay in the haymow, just before the rain starts. Two years ago we got a round baler. Boy did that make life alot easier. Though we still do square bale second crop for Summer and our sheep. Farm work is alot of hard work, but it sure is the best feeling in the world.
Michele |
| Alee |
Posted - May 06 2009 : 5:27:04 PM
OOO! Post it for us, Please!!
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
| Contrary Wife |
Posted - May 06 2009 : 3:36:21 PM
I agree Alee, that description is something I can relate to and I love it! I have a reciepe from a farm cookbook that is an old timey drink, you use raspberries, sugar, and water. It's really good too!
Teresa Sue
Farmgirl Sister #316
Planting Zone 4
"Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly." The Dalai Lama |
| Alee |
Posted - May 06 2009 : 1:01:01 PM
Annika- Sounds good! I am sure I can find a fragrance oil for that!
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
| Julia |
Posted - May 06 2009 : 12:45:21 PM
I loved haying season as a kid. My cousins from NJ always came and spent the summer on the farm. My older sister and brother and cousin Stephen would all hang together, as 'the big kids'. My little sister, cousin Caitlin and myself, hung together,know as 'the little girls'. We would watch as my dad would mow down the hay, making the field look puffy. Later we Little girls would ride on the back of the machine, which I am sure has a name, that turns the hay into rows. We would sit on a back bar, which was less than comfortable on wee bottoms with no padding, and lustly sing. One song I remember gracing the hay with was "My Bonnie lies over the ocean..." though for some reason we changed it to, "My body lies over the ocean." We would ride again on the row turning machine as Dad would turn it so the underside would dry. Later came the bailing day. We would walk behind the bailer to watch it spit out nice rectangle bails of hay. I recall times Dad would have to stop and fix the bailing twine as it would get tangled from time to time.
Then came the day of loading hay. We kids and Dad would throw the bails up on the truck, while the truck was driven slowly along. As we kids all had hay fever we would periodically run into the house to get the next dose of allergy medicine as it wore off. The truck would be driven to the barn, and it would ride up to the loft where it was stacked nice and high. Of course the best fun was playing on the hay, buliding tunnels and jumping from the hay loft down on to soft hay waiting to break our falls. We would spend hours jumping, running up the ladder to jump again. We had a rope swing tied to the main beam of the barn and we would swing from one side to the other, often letting go to land in the hay. We would be itchy by the end of the day, but nothing that playing in the sprinkler couldn't fix.
Though it has been years since I have made hay, and though I don't have a barn of my own right now, I still love the aroma of hay as I walk into my friends barn. The sound it makes under your feet, the crunch as you sit in it hold a baby goat, or bottle feed a new calf. Making hay is making memories.
For tomorrow and its needs I do not pray, but keep me, guide me, love me, Lord just for today.
St. Augustine
#440 |
| Annika |
Posted - May 06 2009 : 09:59:40 AM
The sound of contentedly munching animals is just a smile in its self. Horses are so welcoming and goats are a bunch of greedy guts :D but when all of the world is still and snowcovered it is such a cozy feeling to be in the barn with all of the animals eating summer hay...I especially LOVE the minty-sweet scent of alfalfa. Alee, if you want to make an old farmgirl smile just come up with an alfalfa scented soap!.....Opppsie, wrong thread :P
I usually just take a few moments to sit with the barn critters and listen to the sounds. Llamas look particularly cute with a tuft of hay in mouth. I love'um!
Hopefully this year will the year that I afford a horse  I LOVE horsekind...either an Arabian or an Appy....don't know yet....part of the fun is not knowing what fate will hand you.
Annika
Farmgirl & sister #13
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| Alee |
Posted - May 06 2009 : 09:42:26 AM
You know what I love? Breaking open a new hay bale to see the really rich green still inside! I love the smell of green hay in the winter and I especially love the sound of horses munching on hay while the world is so still and quiet that you can hear the snowflakes hit the ground outside the barn!
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
| Annika |
Posted - May 06 2009 : 08:25:35 AM
I end up helping to guide the big round bales as they come off the truck and put them in to place for the tractor. The BIG bales are a little daunting when you know how much they weigh! And with them bouncing around and all erratic and everything, but I love hay season and wouldn't have it another way. It's all precious gold for the winter ahead. =) I have learned really well when to get out of the way!
Annika
Farmgirl & sister #13
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| Alee |
Posted - May 06 2009 : 08:04:07 AM
That is so exciting Kim! Are you doing it yourself or are you having people come help? Bucking hay bales is probably the best workout in the world! Oh my! I don't think I have ever worked so hard.
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
