I showed you that the waterway had been mown. Well, Friday evening when I got home, it had been raked into windrows.
I love the look of the windrows winding around following the edge of the cornfield.
I especially like the look when it has corn on both sides.
After it had a chance to finish drying, my nephew came with the baler.
It’s actually a pretty complicated machine. It pulls the hay into the baler.
Inside, it is compacted together and baling twine is wrapped around it, tied and cut.
Then the bale comes out the back.
He follows the windrows all around the buffer strip.
We didn’t have a huge amount of hay to make and there wasn’t additional help, so he just let these bales drop on the ground.
When he finished, he took the tractor and baler back.
He used his truck to pick them up.
Now they are neatly stacked in the barn and ready to feed the animals this winter.
There’s nothing like knowing the barn is full of hay.
Linking to You Capture where today’s theme is green.
Teresa
Sep 03, 2012 @ 16:54:55
amen to that! it’s almost time for me to buy more hay for the horses. at least i can still get it for $10 a bale this year…
Sep 03, 2012 @ 17:20:24
That price makes me very happy I live where I do and I have my own hay. Wow!
Sep 03, 2012 @ 17:14:15
Mmmm. I can smell it from here!
Sep 03, 2012 @ 17:20:49
It does smell wonderful!
Sep 03, 2012 @ 17:24:43
Pretty as a cupboard full of freshly canned veggies! It smells like money!
Sep 03, 2012 @ 17:54:07
Well, I don’t have the tomatoes off the counter yet, but they do both look wonderful!
Sep 03, 2012 @ 18:00:39
Your last sentence sums it up!
Sep 03, 2012 @ 18:22:16
Yep! It’s a good feeling.
Sep 03, 2012 @ 18:11:47
I am so jealous! We don’t have any yet. I must say, that pick up bed was FULL! LOL!
Sep 03, 2012 @ 18:22:43
I do hope you get some hay. I know it’s been hard to find in some places.
Sep 03, 2012 @ 18:43:16
Wonderful! Your photos are beautiful! I love every element of hay making, seeing it, smelling it, and knowing that the feed is there. I just stocked my little lean-to for my horse on Friday. I had to buy mine as we have no where near the acreage to be able grow our own, I wish we did. Great article, thanks for sharing!
Sep 03, 2012 @ 19:14:03
Hay was one of the best things about buying the farm surrounding my acreage. I really like being able to make my own.
Sep 03, 2012 @ 18:47:11
I noticed texwise girl was able to get hers for $10 a bale. Lucky Girl! I just paid $16.95 per bale for pasture grass…..I am working a second job at the moment just to pay for it. Good thing I love my horse, LOL!
Sep 03, 2012 @ 19:14:26
It’s horrible this year. I do know how lucky I am to have hay.
Sep 03, 2012 @ 18:52:55
I love these shots of the haying process.
Sep 03, 2012 @ 19:14:42
Thanks. I love seeing all that hay in the barn.
Sep 03, 2012 @ 19:08:51
My Uncle and Grandfather just baled our field. It does smell delightful. They should bottle the smell for perfume. Love the pictures! (then again, if Me or you smelled like hay our goats would eat us) B-)
Sep 03, 2012 @ 19:15:14
They do like it when I have hay all over my coat in the winter. I think Bud has had a good snack or two that way.
Sep 03, 2012 @ 20:09:52
He is a big boy big enough to reach up and grab a quick bite… And he’s cleaning your coat. What any (hungry) helpful goat would do, voluntarily for the human.
Sep 03, 2012 @ 20:41:13
Sep 04, 2012 @ 02:55:33
Must be quiet a lot of work ! I can smell the fresh cut hay ! Love this smell !
Sep 04, 2012 @ 06:37:43
It is a lot of work, but all I did this time was take pictures.
I have excellent help from my nephew.
Sep 04, 2012 @ 04:59:14
What a wonderful series captured! Thanks for sharing.
Sep 04, 2012 @ 06:38:02
Thanks. I love sharing my farm life.
Sep 04, 2012 @ 05:56:06
Nice. Love all the pics. Yes it is a stress reliever when ya have a barn or shelter area full of hay
Sep 04, 2012 @ 06:38:24
It’s certainly a great feeling going into winter with a full barn.
Sep 04, 2012 @ 14:29:49
I can smell it too- sweet hay! I just hope we can find it local this season-
Sep 04, 2012 @ 14:38:45
I hope you do too. That’s always such a worry. I think I have my barn filled with all I need. Of course, I had to buy a little bit of that.
Sep 04, 2012 @ 17:42:23
I LOVE the picture of the pretty bales laying in the field waiting to be picked up!!
Congrats on getting hay in the barn! Is that enough to last you all winter?
Sep 04, 2012 @ 17:44:12
Duh, never mind…I should have read your last reply first!
Sep 04, 2012 @ 18:22:14
I always do that. Make my comment and then notice someone else said the exact same thing. Glad I’m not the only one that reads after the fact.
Sep 04, 2012 @ 18:21:27
I did end up buying about 120 bales, but I should be good now.
Sep 04, 2012 @ 20:24:54
Awesome photos. I like the ones of the windrows too, they are great pictures. I can’t say that I miss hauling hay, it is hard work loading the bales onto a truck or wagon and then stacking them in the barn. Hauling tobacco and housing it ranks right up there with hauling hay too. Been there, done that, too old and feeble to do that work anymore. But, am proud to say that once that was my way of life and that I have done those things.
Sep 04, 2012 @ 20:28:54
It is a rewarding life. I am glad that my nephew, son and others get to do most of the really hard work.
Sep 06, 2012 @ 15:33:57
Wonderful post as usual! Very interesting. I grew up on a farm and I remember the hay baling days quite vividly. You described it and showed it pictorially quite well.
Sep 06, 2012 @ 17:32:01
Thanks. It’s always a good job to have finished.