Gleaning is
the act of collecting leftover crops from farmers' fields after they have been
commercially harvested or on fields where it is not economically profitable to
harvest. Some ancient cultures promoted gleaning as an early form of a welfare
system.
Yesterday, Glenn was a gleaner.
Check out his haul…pretty impressive.
Glenn is helping a local dairy farmer
harvest his silage corn (upcoming blog).
There is a certain amount of edible plant material for livestock,
including whole ears of corn, remaining in the fields after the actual harvesting. This residual is due in part to some of the
corn stalks being blown flat to the ground during heavy winds throughout the
growing season and which cannot be recovered by the chopping harvester and in
part to a certain amount of wastage by the process of harvesting.
Glenn was invited to glean what he could
from the fields. This is the first truckload. Glenn estimates that he can retrieve another
five or six truckloads.
This morning Glenn scattered a portion of
his bootie to our cattle and sheep.
Within seconds, the cows were chomping down with determination. These corn stalks are a special treat for
them. Corn is like a banana split not
just a one-dip cone, is like an entire cake not just a sliver of a slice, is
like the entire candy bowl not one polite piece.
 |
| Licking the bowl... |
Yep, our cattle are happy today and will be
for many days to come.
Glenn a gleaner…yes, on welfare..no - more like
not letting this valuable food source be discarded, but gathered.
Waste not,
want not.
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