Ode to Farmers & Freeform Friday

Haying The Field

The famers worked their butts off haying the fields on our road the last couple of days. Yesterday they really worked it from dawn to dusk, trying to get as many bales in as they could, before the rain overnight.  This means equipment including the mowing tractor and the baler.  Obviously, they mow the field first. Then the leave it sit for a bit, and then go back around and fluff the hay.  Then they leave that for a bit, I assume to dry out. Then comes the baler which takes all the hay and rolls it into big bales and shoots them out the back.  After that, it's time for the parade of trucks that come to collect the bales.

They didn't quite finish our field (ok, not 'our' field- just the field across the street which is conserved- yay!).  They got a good head start though.

The farm is just up the road a few miles, but it's not located on our road. Stuart Farm leases fields to produce the hay and corn he needs to feed his milk cows.  You'd have to have one huge farm to be able to produce all of it on your own property.

I very much enjoy living in a community that is still very much 'farm country'.  It's very different from where I grew up, only 10 minutes to the East.

If you've ever dreamed of having your own farm and how wonderful it would be to working in the sunshine and producing your own food, as well as food for others- let me tell you this: Farmers are some of the hardest working people you'll ever meet. Remember, it's not always sunny and you still have to work dawn to dusk, every day. And we're not talking 'casual' work from dawn to dusk, we're talking seriously, back breaking work.

I honestly don't know how they do it.

Dear Farmers,

(especially those who grow and produce food organically without the use of pesticides, without using GMO seeds, without the use of growth hormones, who honor the earth with sustainable practices, who sell their wares at farm stands and haul it to farmers markets so we can buy fresh food and know where it comes from)

Thank you for our food.
Amen.

Freeform Friday

Thought this was rather appropriate.  Hay Wrap! Get your jiggin' shoes on. "Daddy, can I go up top...Daddy, can I go up on top of the trailer? I swear to God I'll be good. Bale 'em Bale 'em."  The Saw Doctors are one fun band to see live. Danced the entire concert. Click here if you're reading by email.

And one more, just for laughs. Saw this during the morning news and it made me laugh out loud. Just wait for it. Smart bear. Click here if you're reading via email.





Happy Friday. Enjoy!

Ciao for now,