Hi, I live 30 minutes away from Vevey (Switzerland) and I do also press hay manually, albeit not with a stationary one. From Vevey, we would not ship hay, but indeed fine Gruyère cheese towards Lyon further down on the Rhone river. Very interesting to learn that the idea of pressing square bales has been around since the early 19th century.
Hay that's not thoroughly dry will burn your barn down. 'Wet' hay still gets baled from time to time (and burns barns down), and I'm sure it did back then, too. But those old farmers were experienced enough to know that the hay needed to be good and dry before they put it in the barn. (I've seen a stack of loose hay heat up in the middle and turn black, although it didn't burst into flames, thankfully.)
I love this! So nice to see this old device in operation. It's better than a museum.
Hi, I live 30 minutes away from Vevey (Switzerland) and I do also press hay manually, albeit not with a stationary one. From Vevey, we would not ship hay, but indeed fine Gruyère cheese towards Lyon further down on the Rhone river.
Very interesting to learn that the idea of pressing square bales has been around since the early 19th century.
I just read this in your magazine. Very nice to watch this too
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great job. I love what you’re doing.
Thanks so much!
Impressive. Beats loose hay for space in the barn.
Hay that's not thoroughly dry will burn your barn down. 'Wet' hay still gets baled from time to time (and burns barns down), and I'm sure it did back then, too. But those old farmers were experienced enough to know that the hay needed to be good and dry before they put it in the barn. (I've seen a stack of loose hay heat up in the middle and turn black, although it didn't burst into flames, thankfully.)
Early rendition of the current press of how cardboard is compressed.