July August 2008

Construction has begun on the dairy/cheese making barn.  The ground is being sculpted, the pad has been compacted and soon the walls, roof, and concrete will be set in place.  Our goal is to get the exterior of the barn finished, add electricity, drill the well, and set the septic system all by the time winter sets in.  Then we can spend the winter working on the interior of the barn.

Grasses are growing!  We plan on getting one cutting of hay in late August.  We have been cutting the weeds off at the top of the grasses to keep them from blooming, once we begin baling and grazing the weeds should not be an issue.   We have purchsed a sickle bar mower, tedder, rake, and baler; so we are ready to go.  This year has been a joy to be a forage farmer, rain has been steady  and the sun pulls the grasses and legumes toward the sky.  We are setting posts, and soon will be hanging fence.  We are also getting bids on our  home construction.

Jess took this picture of a bee on one of the many sunflowers we planted on the exterior of the pastures.

Baling has begun! We have harvested our first acre of hay this week!  Mike is learning how to operate the sickle bar mower, tedder, rake and baler.  Experience seems to be the key as far as adjusting the settings on the baler, and since Mike has NO experience with the settings on the baler, the first day was rather trying.  He figured it out on the second day and we now have 62 bales in the barn!!  Our goal is get the rest of the pastures and hay fields baled by early fall!