Wednesday 7 September 2016

Second cut silage.

A farming post today as once again farming takes a front seat.   Our first crop of grass was sold as 'standing grass', bought by our neighbour and baled and wrapped by him.   Now the silage fields have long grass again and they are ready for their second cut.

This one the farmer keeps for himself.   You may remember that, although he is retired, in winter he houses the in-calf heifers belonging to our friend and neighbour - he also looks after them.   So he needs the silage for daily feed.

The weather is good here, although a little humid, so yesterday he cut four of the silage fields and today, once the heavy dew had been burnt off by the warm sun, he has used his hay bob to shake it up well.  Tomorrow morning, once the dew has gone, our silage contractors will move in to bale and wrap it - then the farmer will lead it all back to the farm yard to stack it for winter.   Rather like getting in the logs for the stove this is another preparation for winter that gives one a satisfactory feeling once it is done.   There are still another four fields to do, but he wants the grass to grow a little bit more before he tackles them.  Also, it doesn't do to cut too much with our contrary weather.

Harvesting has begun down the bottom of the lane.   The fields opposite were cut a couple of weeks ago but they were for fodder.   The crops down the bottom of the lane are for selling, so had to be ripe.   I am sure this week's hot weather has helped them greatly.

After all my efforts yesterday I really was on my feet too much and my arthritis has been bad today.  But this afternoon I spent a couple of hours at the hairdresser, which was a nice restful time.   Now the farmer is just off for his shower and then we shall be watching Bake Off.   I wonder who will leave this week John.

11 comments:

Derek Faulkner said...

Gawd, the difference between your farming there, and here, is immense. Now taking second cuts of silage! - here every single field as far as the eye can see is burnt a white yellow by the sun and the drought, there is very little sign of anything green. I've cut my lawns once in seven weeks because virtually nothing has grown on them, they are, to all intents and purposes dead, although they will re-grow if we get proper rain. The cattle have all been rounded up on the reserve today and the bulls finally taken away and the cattle all given copper injections because the grazing here is very copper deficient.

Heather said...

I have cut our lawns today, thank goodness. The grass was nearly long enough for silage (slight exaggeration) and I had to wait until now for it to dry after the rain we had last weekend.
It always amazes me how farmers seem somehow to get all their work done in spite of our very erratic weather. Maybe they don't always manage it.
Hope some warm dry days will help ease your arthritis Pat.

angryparsnip said...

The Farmer is always working.
I wish we here could watch Bake Off as the same time as you.

cheers, parsnip

Cro Magnon said...

Nothing is growing here; far too hot and dry. On the other hand my vegs are romping away, thanks to constant watering. Still no rain in sight.

Librarian said...

Wheat and other cereal has long been gone from our fields, they have already been ploughed over. Corn is still standing, and very high at that - we can't see what's on the next field because it is like walking between high green walls, rustling in the wind! But the corn cobs do not look healthy.

It must be nice getting the second cut in and being in good time with preparations for winter. Like you say, a feeling of satisfaction. Hopefully, your arthritis will bother you less today after you have had some rest.

Sue said...

Doesn't sound to me like the farmer is retired! Hope your arthritis is not too painful today.

Gwil W said...

Pat, I had to second your recent comment at Cro's blog about his smoky cooker and those black things which we both took to be quails pictured on a plate. Only yesterday a booklet full of Alzheimer tests mysteriously landed on my desk. Test no. 28 involved identifying 9 foodstuffs by name. I managed to get 8 of them right: aubergines, cauliflower, garlic, broccoli, raspberries, melon, honeycomb, and peach. But one of the pictures had me stumped. Eleven little round things I took to be some kind of mushrooms but they weren't mushrooms and when I checked the answers I found they were in fact quails eggs - eleven of them. Having never seen a quail or a quail's egg I was stumped! Twice in two days the quails have beaten me down!

Yorkshire Pudding said...

It all sounds like an episode of "The Archers".

FARMER I'm reeght bushed Pat. I'm off up for me shower.
MRS WEAVER Don't forget to tek tha cap off luv! It'll shrink if you keep leavin' it on.
FARMER (Laughs) Oh arr.
MRS WEAVER Shall I mek thi an Ovaltine?
FARMER Aye an' a piece o that rabbit pie'd be nice.
MRS WEAVER Don't be long luv. "Bake off" is on in ten minutes.

Cue Archers theme music.

potty said...

They are getting all the kit out and sorted as the grapes are about to be harvested. When one chap starts they all follow suit fairly quickly. Good time of year for us even though the work can be done overnight.

Joanne Noragon said...

It's wonderful the farmer's health is back up to snuff; he does so much.

thelma said...

They were working on the fields till midnight yesterday, must be worried about the forthcoming rain. We have not had the rain you experienced in the West today, but it went very dark around lunchtime.