Square bale fever

Our hay is nearly finished, two more fields are lined up and ready to be baled and the field where the donkeys have been has been cut, turned and lined ready to be bailed tomorrow for pig bedding as this field has a few too many docks and nettles that the cows will not eat.

Farmer J has worked his socks off over at La Contie and cutting our fields this year. Many farmers cut on Thursday, including farmer J. Friday it rained - a lot. But as it had only been cut the hay will be OK. Once turned to dry it then goes pants up if rained on, but no more rain is for casted, its been pretty hot so on with baling.

After dog walking this evening I came back to see not only farmer J with the new round baler in the field but also our friend down the road, Alex with his old square baler making a line of square bales. The sight brought a bit of a sweat over me, those memories of hot hard work but I thought I better go and help ( it was only one and a half lines of little squares)

Only 30 bales, enough for Alex to see if his old baler still worked well enough to be used for making straw bales for an Eco straw built house ( for the son of the partner of the farmer who is retiring at La Contie where we have taken over renting some of the land.- yes it is all a little bit everyone knowing everyone and everything about you here)

The square bales will come in handy for the sheep and donkeys as they can be carried by hand, rather then a round one which are a bit on the large side and unmovable by hand, unless they have been used and you are just left with the core in the middle, then its simple to lift into a wheelbarrow.

I am so glad we no longer have to make square bales, although those 30 do need to come off the field tomorrow - just in case it does rain on them, making them unusable.

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2ENJ093 - FRANKLIN

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The English Paysanne

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