Buying Hay

Glenn had an opportunity to buy a few, 109 to be exact, square bales of hay from a nearby neighbor/friend this week.   So, he did.

This is such an atypical year.  Usually, hay season is over by the end of September, some farmers try to push into October; but November...nevertheless, the grass continues to be green and growing.  The only hindrance is in getting the desirable weather to dry the cut grass adequately - that's the trick. The hot and dry days of summer are gone...

What with getting an early snowfall at the end of October (also very odd); Glenn thought, perhaps, having some extra square hay bales in the barn would be a good plan.  Better to be prepared than not.

Yesterday, Glenn W. delivered the hay.  As G.W. and Bryce (our high school senior help) unloaded the square bales from the wagon onto the hay elevator (which has not been used in years since we had been producing all round bales), Glenn stacked the bales in the upper level of the pole barn. 

The elevator, powered by an electric motor, saves a little (a lot if you are the one moving the bales) manual labor in moving the bales to the upper level of the barn.  The machine moaned and groaned and experienced one minor breakdown, but for the most part, performed well enough to get the job done.

Years back, when we were baling only square bales, I was the main help in placing those heavy bales onto the elevator .  We would bale and stack over 500 during the hot days of summer.  I like to make hay, but moving it was a different story - hot, sticky, itchy....and at about 50 pounds per bale, I was hurting.  I am not strong now, nor was I back in my younger years; but the bales had to be stacked out of the elements - in the dry barn.  I survived.  Today, I got to enjoy by watching all the guys - great timing.

So, even though we did not make any hay ourselves this year, and we never plan to make hay again; we have an ample supply in storage if needed, in case our grazing management alone will not get our cattle/sheep through this winter - whatever weather Mother Nature brings our way. 

Even though we purchased hay, in the overall scheme; we saved time, energy (fuel), and money.

Perfect ending to a perfect day!