Hay Delivery

Due to our new (I will be calling our management 'new' for the rest of the year) pasture management, we no longer 'make hay.'  Our cattle graze 12 months out of the year.

But, just in case we have an abnormally severe winter; and we have had a few since establishing Mountain Glen Farm, we are purchasing some hay to store as a fall back supply.

The large, round bales, 61 in total,  were delivered, but our barn was not ready to receive them; so Glenn unloaded the trailers full into the yard. 

We have not used this particular barn for hay storage for years, not since we built a larger 4-bay pole-type one specifically for our hay storage needs.  Farm-related paraphernalia and other 'junk' soon filled the void.

I feel that putting this barn back into use for hay storage was just the excuse we needed to finally start cleaning out and organizing this outbuilding.  I had been hinting about such for years.

Glenn, Becky and I cleared the back right section, about 1/6th of the barn, for the hay bales.  The junk included at least 15 boxes of paperwork that I removed from the house.  Paperwork that was deemed 'no longer important'.  These boxes were moved out into the barn where they have been awaiting our next bonfire.  I am not quite a hoarder, but I am a self-proclaimed pack rat.  Moving those boxes from the house (and yes - I perused every single piece of paper before it was proclaimed for the burn pile and I removed every paper clip for reuse) was a giant leap for me. But I digress, back to the barn...also in that back corner was an old, gas barbecue that has since been replaced by a newer model sitting on our back deck; our onion drying rack which needs to be reset soon as the onions in the garden are ready for harvest; a gas-powered pruning saw which actually has a home on a hook in another location of the barn; an old,wall kitchen cabinet to be used in the basement hobby room which is currently under construction; three old, but still usable tires which were moved to a different storage building; a tank sprayer which was moved to a new storage location; and some miscellaneous trash that was actually  thrown into the trash container.  One-sixth is done, the easiest sixth, and the hay is stacked.  We only have 5/6ths of the barn left to clean.  I see this as a step in the right direction, don't you?

 

I have set a deadline, a goal, to complete the cleaning and organizing by the end of August.  August 2011 to be specific.  This is quite a challenge considering all the other farm chores and household work we have to do on a daily basis.  I am confident. But,

I will keep you posted.