In a Very Big Way
Just joining us for haying season? This is our second foray into the hayfield. But if you grab a glass of something icy cold, find a breezy spot in the shade, you can catch up with last week's first cutting and read more about the whole haying process—without having to lift a single bale—here and here.
© Copyright 2010 FarmgirlFare.com, the hay as far as the eye can see (whether it wants to or not) foodie farm blog where we're pretty private people—which explains why we don't mind living several miles from the nearest neighbor—but this time of year, the thought of taking on an energetic farm apprentice (or two) always starts to seem to both of us like a pretty good idea. And if we could find somebody crazy enough happily willing to go back out into the steaming hot hayfield after helping pick up all those bales and pick up the zillions of pieces of very annoying cactus that really need to stop taking over the farm, that would be a serious dream come true.
Cactus? Missouri has CACTUS?
ReplyDeleteThose cactus actually grow as far north as central Illinois. Although the dispersment is very scattered.
ReplyDeleteYou know when I was a kid I use to stack bales for 10 - 25 cents a piece (depending on the cutting of course, it gets hotter as the season goes on). Keep in mind this was only about fifteen years ago. Man was I dumb.
You might have a number of people willing to come out and help you bale/stack the hay. I for one would do it. Think it would be a great experience.
ReplyDeleteFinding help might not be too hard. Summer jobs are hard to come by in this economy... I'm sure that there are some reliable kids in your town who would love an occasional job. I agree with Nathan about paying by the amount of work done instead of by the hour. I was paid by the crate to pick grapes as a kid, and a fair per-unit price kept me motivated. I made a lot more than minimum wage because I was fast and avoided getting in grape fights with the other teens.
ReplyDeleteWe are very jealous of your haying from out here in Western Oregon where it hasn't stopped raining since...October. We are generally in-the-hay by now, but there isn't an 80 degree day in sight, let alone the 5 or 6 days in a row we need. We generally only get 1 or 2cuttings here (they get a 3rd in Eastern Oregon where it is much drier. Looks like it will be July before we are sweating, itching, and aching it out like you.
ReplyDeleteAll the best.
Cactus? I had to click over to your old post to see if was a joke. I had no idea cactus grew that far north. I've always thought of it as a desert type of plant. I continue to learn new things from you. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteOh my...my arms are starting to itch just remembering hay season from long ago. Okay, I'm not that old, but it was before cell phones so...:)
ReplyDeletemaybe some strong teenage neighbor boy who wants to earn a little extra summer money?
ReplyDeleteWe just finished our second session of haying too. We've got 16 tons in the barn already... and that's only half of what we have to do to finish first cutting. I think I'm going to die.
ReplyDeleteYou know, FG, I'm so tired of teaching right now that being a farm apprentice and spending my days working in 100-degree heat sounds good. Perhaps I need a good strong reminder of those horrifically hot months I spent in college working for my dad's golf-course irrigation company.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I know. I need an intervention.