In between wrapping bales, we had the vet out to do some reproductive testing on our new bull. The three letters BSE can mean two (at least) different things in the cattle industry. BSE – Bovine spongiform encephalopathy – is also known as Mad Cow Disease. That’s a bad thing. We’re not here to talk
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Our flatbed can carry 10 wet bales. Final count on round bales to be hauled? 179. Do the math. So not only do we have to haul all this home, we have to wrap it as well. Fortunately, and totally unexpectedly, a hero with his shiny Red Rhino inline bale hauler. And between the Rhino
This morning I got to finish up some of the things we needed to get done before we get into our bale wrapping operation. I bought two rolls of bale-wrap, and a bucket of hydraulic fluid. I got the fuel wagon from one farm, filled it up, and took it over to the hay
As of Sunday, I was sure we were done with hay baling for the year, and was just letting myself ease into pre-holiday mode. But it’s Tuesday, and things change. One of our farming partners just baled up some wet bales for us, so we need to get them picked up and wrapped tonight. The
In August of 2014, a group of on-line friends started a Facebook page, then a webpage called Ask the Farmers, to help consumers find answers to their questions about agriculture. We had never met in person, but we had all come to recognize each other’s names as we bounced around, countering myths about agriculture. A
I should have known that I was on to something when my spell check didn’t recognize the word “scrapple.” But anyway, today, November 9th, is National Scrapple Day. I’m not sure who proclaimed it so, and by what authority, but as far as I’m concerned, scrapple is something worth celebrating. Like most things from your
I’m still trying to decipher all my mom’s projects, and I’ve gotten through about two boxes, leaving me about twenty or so to go. It would be a lot simpler if the instructions had gotten packed away with the projects, but that really would be too much to ask, and besides, on most of these
About 15 years ago, my mom moved into the rental house on the farm, bringing with her at least two generations of accumulated domestic projects, most of them not completed. She’s now in a nursing home, and I’m left emptying her house, sorting through darning eggs, my grandmother’s afghans, and boxes of zippers to be
In addition to obliterating one of my crepe myrtles, C93 found a few other ways to get my attention during her convalescence. Overseeing the cleaning of our basement was one of them. She’s actually standing under the porch. This is why we can’t have nice things.
C93 looks good now, and is in the pasture with the rest of the cows. But a month ago, it seemed she was as good as gone. On October 4, when I did my afternoon cow check, I found C93 in trouble. When cows are calving, they tend to get up and down to facilitate