Thankful Thursday

Our hay cutting season is getting off to a really slow start due

to our soggy weather but we did get started  with the field next to the 

house that is less soggy than many others.

It was important to get the mixture of rye grass and weeds cut 

so the Bermuda grass would

have a better chance to grow for the second cutting.

Even though our work has been slowed down

by the weather, I am thankful for the opportunity 

it has provided for us to  enjoy the company of those 

around us,

 let our imaginations run wild in the 

fairy garden,

                                                         
                                                            and celebrate a birthday or two!

Thankful Thursday

It may be too cold or  wet for pasture grasses or crops to grow,

but you can always count on the weeds to take advantage of the 

worst conditions!

We were grateful for the two days without rain that allowed 

Cody to begin weed control spraying in the pasture next to the house.

This pasture has a variety of Bermuda and other mixed grasses that

will grow much better with less competition from the weeds and make

a more nutritious  hay bale for our cows to enjoy.

If you look closely, you can see a couple of extra heads in the 

tractor cab.  

Hattie and Breck didn't waste the opportunity 

to ride in the tractor with their Daddy.

I am thankful that we can share life on the farm with 

our family and celebrate the milestones of 

each year  with those we love the most!

 

Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

Dairy farmers support practices that make economic sense,

 help the environment and are socially responsible to our

 communities and our world. 

 A great example of this farming  practice statement is the hay crop that

 we are cutting this week has been fertilized with the manure produced

 by our cows. Utilization of cow manure increases the water retention of 

the soil, adds needed nutrients for crop growth and protects

the water quality of our farm by following our farm plan 

designed for environmental protection.

I'm thankful for the hay crop that not only feeds the cows but

for the dairy farmers that work everyday using best management 

 practices to  insure that our land will be left in better shape for the

next generation of  family farmers.

 

August Hay Day

It looked like Saturday morning was the day,

an August Hay Day.

I could see the determination on  my son's face as he prepared 

the machinery and moved to the field.

No matter what, hay cutting was happening.

If you drove across Northwest Arkansas on this August Hay Day,

it was obvious that many farmers were feeling that same determination

 with hay fields mowed or in the process of being mowed.

We've been waiting for nearly two weeks for the prediction of 

scattered rain showers to move out so hay harvest could begin.

Drought conditions during April and the usual hay cutting 

months of May and June, have created a hay shortage for

 farmers across Northwest Arkansas.

It's the unexpected rain in August that has made our

makin' hay when the sun shines  possible.

It's even possible that August rains will produce enough hay to 

replenish what was lost in our  first cutting.

That calls for a celebration down on the dairy farm

--an August Hay Day!

                               
                                                   

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

When I saw Casey riding on the back of the square baler, I couldn't resist

 calling him to ask if he was just joy riding around the field.  I was lucky 

he didn't hang up on me but he nicely explained that he was making 

sure the bales kicked out so Cody wouldn't have to stop baling and 

correct the problem that had been discovered earlier.

It was the first time the small square baler has been used this year and 

we were fortunate that the mechanical problem was an easy fix.

We appreciate problems easily repaired!

I'm thankful for the way our sons can work together,  

for the cow that calved easily and waited for us at the gate,

and 

                                                  for the sweetest Halloween visitor that
                                          brings new meaning to "there's no place like home"!
                                       

Fall Harvest

Even though we had our first freeze of the season, we're still working

 to finish cutting hay in a few fields. 

It will take a few days of drying before it's ready to bale but it 

will still be good quality hay  that we can feed this winter.

                                Brown fields with a hint of green underneath are signs of the fall
                                season and also a reminder of how close we are to celebrating
                                the end of harvest for this year's crops down on the dairy farm.
                                                          Bring on the hot chocolate!
                             

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Planning a harvest time for any crop can be tricky when the weatherman

 is predicting a chance of rain everyday.

When it looked like we might have a day of sunny weather  to allow

 just enough drying time before chopping and hauling to the silo,

 the mowing began

Watching this process is fascinating when it goes according to the plan.

Most of the crop was hauled to the silo but  when mechanical

 issues stopped the process,

I'm thankful 

we still managed to harvest the crop by 

changing the plan to  wrapping and baling.

Dairy Going Green in August

It's hard to believe we still have green grass in August!

You won't find any Northwest Arkansas  farmers complaining about the great hay harvest of 2015 but the amount of rain that occurred in late spring and early summer and the intermittent showers through the summer have pushed our normal hay cutting schedule closer to fall harvest time of other crops.

Hay fields are part of our dairy farm recycling plan...

fields are fertilized with the cow manure from our dairy cows.

Once all the bales are removed from the field, we can apply cow manure based on our farm's nutrient management plan that guides the amount,source, placement and timing of manure on fields.

We're not only recycling  a nutrient, we're protecting the groundwater by applying the manure to a crop that will absorb it!

One great thing about August hay cutting--the hay dries very fast!

                                                 August heat doesn't help the farmers' attitude
                                                                            but
                                             you can see a smile when he's counting  the bales!

Hay Cutting Gambler

Although I love the May flowers brought to us by the April showers, dairy  farmers in Northwest Arkansas are more  excited to see the lush grass in fields and pastures!

We've been holding off getting started with our hay cutting due to the rainy days and cool temperatures.

Making the decision to cut hay isn't always "cut and dried" when you are uncertain of the rain prediction but it's a simple fact, if you're a farmer,you are also a gambler!

This hay field is a combination of rye and wheat which will be baled and wrapped  and will be enjoyed by our dairy cows.

                                  In fact, I think they've been hoping we would leave the gate open

                                    for them to graze in  this field  before we started cutting today!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

It's not unusual to have mechanical failures when farming but it seems to happen at the least convenient times. Monday's task was to bale 40 acres of good quality hay.  When the first bale kicked out of the baler, a bearing went out and stopped everything. 

I'm thankful for the generous neighbor who loaned us his baler so that we could get every bale harvested before the wind storm  struck just an hour after the last bale was rolled up!

Wrapping Up 2013

It's never to late to harvest hay in Arkansas if you plan it between ice and snow storms! How fitting it seemed on  Saturday afternoon to be wrapping up the last of 2013 's hay crop before beginning the New Year.  Our original plan was to cut, bale and wrap this field of fescue hay soon after the first frost but rain ,ice  and snow delayed that plan. Wrapping allows the hay to turn into silage--the young heifers and beef cows love it like candy!

 

Whether you're baling hay in June or December, it's not a good sign when you see pieces of the baler and the farmer standing beside it...

 

 

With no parts store open on Saturday afternoon, we were thankful for the loan of our friend's baler that made it possible to  harvest the hay.

 

 

It's easy to be frustrated when everything doesn't go as planned but

wrapping up 2013 with breathtaking sunsets isn't all bad,

 

 

and

 

                                 working by tractor lights is better than hoeing with a lantern!