Sometimes we refer to ourselves as "Grass-Farmers". Take away all the modern-day drug culture and look at that description as it really is, word-for-word. We grow grasses. A multitude of them. Before we were farming full-time we didn't know how many grasses there were. There's timothy, rye, fescue...
and none of them that we grow are ornamental, they all have a specific purpose. Healthy blood, healthy heart, healthy coat, healthy eyes...the list goes on.
Dear Farmer lets the grass grow to seed head, and then he cuts it, tedders it, rakes it, and bales it. Because we are organic farmers, NOTHING chemical goes on the grass! Nature walks on it, that's it. This process of making hay takes time with sun and no rain.
Where we are Dear Farmer gets two good cuttings of hay. The first cutting is okay, it grows fast and is hard to get in. Spring usually rains a great deal, and to get in the hay amidst the rain drops is difficult. It needs to have a solid four days of sun. The second cutting is the best, it grows well because of the spring rain, and has the most nutrician. It's not usually difficult to bring it in, it's getting to it all, because it's all ready at the sametime. Sometimes there's a meager third cutting...it's only taken if Dear Farmer thinks we're going to be really short on hay from the winter.
The best part of hay-season is watching Dear Farmer skip out to his tractor, with a big grin on his face! He's going to be playing with his "toys" all day.
So, the family waves good-bye to him(dressed in our swimsuits), knowing we won't see him until the dew nearly sits on the grass. He's off to do his "Grass-Farming".
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