Monadnock is the most climbed mountain in the country...go figure. The way I see it, you have to drive around the field the same number of times whether the grass is light or heavy. That's why I don't like haying too late into September! I have done it but it never seems as satisfying in terms of yield. All my stuff is cleaned, greased and under cover long ago. Hope you post one more video and a final tally. And how it compares to a more typical season.
Sorry I missed this! Yeah, late hay is such diminishing returns, but also *almost* 100% profit if you pull it off (which I know is not totally accurate - equip wear and tear, time... though both can be hard to quantify, I always count it as a win if it comes out as good stuff and I don't break something, at which point 100 bales is $800 I wouldn't otherwise have. At that point in the season I'm also continuing because I love it). I definitely have a final video in the wings, just haven't had any time to edit it together yet. I hope to soon! Thanks so much for tuning in!
Just discovered your channel, great stuff. You mention elsewhere that you and others in your area do mostly grass. I’m curious, are any of your customers dairy farmers, and in general would dairy farmers in your area prefer more alfalfa legumes in their hay?
Thanks so much! Where abouts are you? Only dairy folks I have are dairy goats or occasionally a homesteader with a family cow. Even then, not a lot of alfalfa grown grown around here except by a few dairies that chop it. It's just hard to keep established in New England between cold winters and a lot of grass competition, and (though I've never tried it), I imagine really difficult to cure for dry hay with this climate, since we really have no choice but to work hay more than other regions with the heavy dews and often wet ground. Just my take, anyhow. Some folks do buy in alfalfa bales or pellets, but otherwise we try to encourage what clover we can and just good, well fertilized grasses. Hope that helps!
Monadnock is the most climbed mountain in the country...go figure. The way I see it, you have to drive around the field the same number of times whether the grass is light or heavy. That's why I don't like haying too late into September! I have done it but it never seems as satisfying in terms of yield. All my stuff is cleaned, greased and under cover long ago. Hope you post one more video and a final tally. And how it compares to a more typical season.
Sorry I missed this! Yeah, late hay is such diminishing returns, but also *almost* 100% profit if you pull it off (which I know is not totally accurate - equip wear and tear, time... though both can be hard to quantify, I always count it as a win if it comes out as good stuff and I don't break something, at which point 100 bales is $800 I wouldn't otherwise have. At that point in the season I'm also continuing because I love it).
I definitely have a final video in the wings, just haven't had any time to edit it together yet. I hope to soon! Thanks so much for tuning in!
Just discovered your channel, great stuff. You mention elsewhere that you and others in your area do mostly grass. I’m curious, are any of your customers dairy farmers, and in general would dairy farmers in your area prefer more alfalfa legumes in their hay?
Thanks so much! Where abouts are you? Only dairy folks I have are dairy goats or occasionally a homesteader with a family cow. Even then, not a lot of alfalfa grown grown around here except by a few dairies that chop it. It's just hard to keep established in New England between cold winters and a lot of grass competition, and (though I've never tried it), I imagine really difficult to cure for dry hay with this climate, since we really have no choice but to work hay more than other regions with the heavy dews and often wet ground. Just my take, anyhow. Some folks do buy in alfalfa bales or pellets, but otherwise we try to encourage what clover we can and just good, well fertilized grasses. Hope that helps!
That’s some nice looking hay...👍
Thanks!!