Hay, there

 

We had a wet winter.  The hot summer took its time getting here.  Lately it has been hot and dry and now it is time to cut hay.  Other parts of the county were cutting hay last month, but the area we live in warms up later from winter and they always cut here long after we see other farms cutting their hay.

 

There is local farmer that has cows and has cut our hay for years.  We used to have horses and he would make some smaller round bales for them, keeping most of the hay for himself.  Now that we no longer keep horses, he keeps it all. 

 

Some people wonder why we don't have him pay us or why we don't sell our share of the harvest.  He has always been most accommodating of our needs.  He has helped to bring the hay into the barn.  He also cuts the hay on our steep hills that is mostly a pain for him, but is free mowing for us.  So, he can have as much as he can cut and is welcome to it. 

 

We love the look of our place after the hay has been cut.  I also love to see the giant round bales of hay waiting in the fields until they are picked up.  When people ask us what we farm here at Shenandoah Gateway Farm, we say hay!