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Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Bagging Hay

Good Morning!

Yesterday we started bagging hay.  In order to feed the sheep through the winter, we have to store a lot of feed for them.  We don't have a silo, but bagging does pretty much the same thing.  The hay ferments inside the bag, keeping it from spoiling, and it's easy access with a loader tractor in the winter.

A forage harvester picks up the cut hay in the field.  I didn't take a photo of this.

Then, another tractor brings the wagon full of chopped hay to the bag/bagger.
It drops the hay on to a belt that loads it in to the bagger.  The bagger packs the hay as it goes in the bag, and the tractor on the front is pushed ahead slowly as the bag fills.  It is also this tractor that runs the bagger.  Pretty neat I think.



At the end the bag is sealed and left that way.  It takes at least a month before you can reopen the bag.  I'll show you photos when the bag is full after the weekend.

Breakfast was usual at my house.
In the morning I had a Kashi bar and a piece of strawberry-rhubarb pie.  How can this be resisted?  Pie in the morning, good idea.


I was at home, so decided on 1 egg on a wg english muffin with cheddar.
In the afternoon I ate pictureless cherries and an apple.

No dinner photo, as it was simply veggie burgers in our work clothes on the veranda. 

Have a great one!
Jess

17 comments:

  1. When I saw your post yesterday I was wondering how the hay would be harvested. NEAT! And a good day for it, too. Unlike today. :/

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  2. I could go for a piece of that strawberry rhubarb pie right about now--yummy!

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  3. So cool. I never knew thats how you fed animals throughout the winter. That pie looks awesome. Hope you have a nice one ;)

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  4. That is so neat to be living right on a farm like that. I was just reading in omnivore's dilemma yesterday about how the sustainable farms cut down the grass/hay for feed over the winter.

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  5. I love the egg sammy! They are so good in the morning!

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  6. This whole concept of farming is so interesting. I love seeing all the pics of the machinery...very cool!

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  7. the baggin process is rreally interesting! i love living vicariously through the life on the farm!

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  8. Mmmmmm I wholeheartedly approve of morning pie.
    SO interested about the bagging. I thought "fermenting" and "going bad" were the same thing when it came to hay!

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  9. I love your stories about your life on a farm. So many chores and work I would never think of! It sounds like a wonderful life :) You baby is going to have such fun growing up with all of those animals and all that open space!

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  10. Your egg sandwich looks yummy! I need to start making those sometimes for breakfast. And I agree that your morning pie was a good idea! :)

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  11. Great photos - neat to hear about the process! Eggs and English muffins go so well together!

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  12. I actually love learning about farming/agriculture so I'm interested to see the hay :)

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  13. I LOVE leftover pie for breakfast - might be my favorite thing about thanksgiving :)

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  14. How neat! I really think it's fun to learn about how farming works.

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  15. I wish I could live so close to the nature. It is my dream and I hope to make it true at some point of my life

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  16. from one farm girl to another.....don't you just love the smell of tractor and dust??? the pic of the shepherd reminded me of that smell.
    your egg sandwiches never get old....
    yumm xoxoxo

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