The forage harvester and the rower have been. The grass has been rowed up and collected into the trailer and taken to the clamp on our neighbour's farm (He rents these fields from us). After tea tonight, when the weather is a little cooler, the farmer and I will take a walk across the fields and look at the clamp - so a picture will appear in due course. In the meantime here are some pictures the farmer took this morning - of the rower, the forage harvester and a little group of heifers enjoying the summer sunshine.
It is now evening and the farmer and I have been to the yard to see them tipping the grass from the trailers on to the heap, driving up and down the heap and flattening it down to make a clamp.
This will then be covered until next Winter, when it will be opened up, mixed with a blended ration specially formulated to produce milk, put into the troughs and fed to the cows
I have taken a picture of the pedigree Holstein herd eating tonight - they are eating last years silage mixed with ration. And so it goes on from year to year. It was so very busy in the yard, trailers and huge machinery roaring in and out as more loads of grass came in. Then these sub contract men, who work very long hours this time of year, were off to start on the next farm on their list. It is a far cry from those gentle horse and cart haymaking days isn't it?
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13 comments:
It is glorious weather here in Devon! Just the sort of day for lazing about...which I can't!
;-)
Are those egrets wheeling over the rower?
At least the cows have a lazy day! It looks sunny for the UK!
I love the photo of the happy heifers. Says contentment. The hay process looks familiar. Do you harvest any alfalfa or is it some other kind of grass? You probably said, but I have read several blogs about bringing in the hay so I forgot.
Particularly interested in the clamp: is it at all like a swede clamp as in 'Swedes', one of my favourite poems by Edward Thomas? Now I am talking about a covering for a harvested root crop here [from the Middle Dutch 'klamp' meaning heap]. I suspect, Weaver, that your clamp is rather different.
Your cows look great! It must be wonderful to live and work at a farm like yours even if it's hard work! The weather is also beautiful here. Thanks for showing a glimp of your farm.
...of sitting on top of the hay of the last wain and singing foldsongs all the way home...Lovely documentation of the noisier but more modern process. Lover the heifers in the pasture, cows are such soothing animals.
A fascinating insight into modern farming Weaver. I can remember watching a very small Fordson Major working in the field the other side of Granny's hedge. I'd probably find it in a museum now! I could almost smell that newly cut grass and am sure the heifers enjoy the sun on their backs as much as we do. I love the way the Holstein girls are looking at the camera.
Great post but Grizzled comments made me smile...trust the seasoned birdwatcher Grizzled to notice the birds in the photo, I had to go back to see the tiny dots in the photo.
What a sublime string of days you had recently. Such picture perfect days of summer!! I never tire of reading, and seeing the photographs, of your beautiful farm life in Yorkshire. I could be a happy heifer there, too!
I'm wondering of your husband. I marvel at farmers. Does he simply know what to do on a farm, what to anticipate, how to make changes that need to be made? Great diviners, farmers. How does he appear to you?
Amazing - my hubby's stories of life on the farm amaze me. No power, no plumbing...
That heap of lovely green grass looks rather tasty! I think if would go well with potato fritters followed by banana souffle.
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