In My Fields Preparing the Hay for Baling
Here at my Cantitoe Corners Farm in Bedford, New York, the weather is warm and my hardworking outdoor grounds crew is getting all the hay cut, tended, and ready to bale.
One of my objectives at my farm is to practice self-sufficiency. When I moved here, I designated three separate areas as hayfields, so I could grow lots and lots of delicious, nutritious hay for my horses and donkeys. I planted the fields with a mixture of timothy, orchard grass, Kentucky bluegrass, ryegrass, and clovers - all great for producing good quality hay. The hay is also treated with agricultural lime, a soil additive made from pulverized limestone or chalk that works to correct the acidity of the soil, eradicate any noxious weeds, and raise the overall health of the land. This year, we have a bumper crop and the fields are ready for the first cut of the season.
Enjoy these photos.
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- This is one of three large fields at my farm. The first step is to grow the hay. This photo is from last May when we seeded the lawns.
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- This seed contains Kentucky Bluegrass, Perennial Ryegrass, Timothy, and orchard grass.
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- This year’s seed is from Hancock Farm & Seed Company, a 44-year old business that grows its own seed and ships directly from its Florida facility.
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- And here is my run-in field yesterday. Look at all the hay – beautiful and well-grown. This photo was taken just before the hay was cut. This time every year, we hope for at least a week of good, dry weather, so we can get the first cut of hay from the fields. Timing is everything when cutting the hay crop. The first cutting should be when grass has greened up and reached 12 to 16 inches tall.
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- Here is a closer look. It’s important to consider the time of day that’s best for mowing. The plants’ sugar content is highest at dusk but because of moisture, it’s not ideal to cut hay at night. The best time is to start as soon as dew is off in the morning, which will maximize drying time.
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- I am fortunate to have all the necessary equipment here at the farm. This is our mower-conditioner. Mower-conditioners are a staple of large-scale haymaking. It cuts, crimps, and crushes the hay after it is cut to promote faster and more even drying.
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- Chhiring checks the mower-conditioner before it’s used. These discs and blades are located behind the protective shield of the mower-conditioner.
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- Chhiring makes sure every blade is sharp and in good condition.
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- Next, Chhiring hooks up the mower-conditioner to our trusted Kubota M4-071 tractor. Chhiring is now in the cab of the tractor ready to cut. the process of cutting should take about a half hour.
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- When weather conditions are ideal, these machines allow farmers to cut wide and fast – the best formula for quality field productivity. Chhiring goes over the field slowly and evenly with the mower-conditioner.
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- As the mower-conditioner goes over the grass, it cuts it and then conditions it – all under the protective hood of the machine.
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- Here, one can see the mounded rows of cut and crimped grass.
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- Meanwhile, in the back field, this freshly cut hay is ready for tedding, also known as fluffing.
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- Chhiring is ready to go over this field with the hay tedder. A tedder spreads and fluffs the hay in a uniform swath after the mower-conditioner has made the windrows.
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- Here is a closer look at the tines, or moving forks, which aerate or “wuffle” the hay and speed up the drying process even more.
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- Chhiring is our resident hay expert. This year marks his 20th year working with me at the farm.
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- Here is the tedder moving up and down the field taking all the greener hay from the bottom and turning it over to dry.
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- Here is another view – look how the tedder picks up and fluffs the hay with its forks.
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- Here is some of the fluffed up hay, which will continue to dry and turn colors from green to tan over the next 24-hours. On average, it takes about three days per field, depending on the size of the field and the weather, to complete the entire process of mowing, raking, and baling hay.
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- Here is a view from above. Our camera operator, Brett Albright, took several photos with a drone. The mounded rows are called windrows – rows of cut hay or small grain crops. They are so beautiful and all perfectly straight.
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- From this vantage point, one can see how the tedder works to turn the hay around. The left side shows the tedded hay. the right side shows what Chhiring has left to ted. (Photo by Brett Albright)
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- After the hay is tedded, it is then raked. Raking the hay is the fastest part of the process. And then the hay will dry again until it is ready to bale. Stay tuned for more photos of that process in another blog. (Photo by Brett Albright)
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