Today’s Farming Update comes from Ben.

I’m back at the college. Back at ‘Work’ work. Which, at the least, gives me a little more structure to my day, so I can comment on the blogs in the mornings.

I’ve told you about the oats getting cut, and then harvested, and now all that’s left is baling up the straw. I thought it looked good and I’d have the pole barn full and enough straw left in the fields to make some round bales. Jokes on me. You’d think I’d know not to count my bales before they’re made.

The pole barn where I store the straw was nearly empty, and what was left on the bottom row had mildew on the bottom edge, and many had broken strings (Someone tell me why the mice always only eat through one string?) so I used the tractor and loader and cleaned it all out.

Then I put some house wrap on the ground hoping maybe it will keep those bottom bales from getting mildew. Found a snake in the corner, but no raccoons.

I baled the first field of 5 acres, and I got 96 bales; three quarters of a load. Well, shoot. I expected 250 bales off that field. But the next field did better. I got three loads, about 400 bales from there.

And then the last 2 fields were thin and I didn’t get much off them. But I expected that. They didn’t look very good before harvest. I finished with 615 bales total. 488 were put in the barn, with 127 stacked on a wagon for the neighboring strawberry farm this fall. The bales are more brown than usual due to the rain and rust fungus.

Baling went well, not too many issues.

The twine holding the bales together, comes in ‘bales’. Because of course.  It’s sisal twine, typically from Brazil (I don’t know why, it’s just what the bag says). Two spools of twine in each bag, because my baler uses two strings on each bale. There are some balers that use three strings per bale, making a little larger bale, but still considered a ‘small square bale’. The large square bales typically have 6 strings on them. Big square or round bales use a different twine.  

The twine is usually brown, but green isn’t unheard of. I have used plastic baler twine for the straw, but the mice would still just chew one string, and the plastic would get wrapped up on stuff and, of course, it never goes away. The sisal will eventually degrade.

You can see my baler holds four spools; the one being used and a spare spool. One spool feeds each side of the bale. Some balers might hold eight spools (more extra’s). And the larger square balers hold up to 15 spools. The twine comes out of the spool, through some guides, through the ‘needles’, which come up through the hay or straw and into the knotters, bringing the twine with them, in order to encircle the bale with twine. The knotters make a simple overhand knot, and cut off the string after the knot, while holding onto the next string to make the next bale. It’s pretty fascinating to watch and understand. And maddening when it isn’t working right.

A spool makes about 500 bales. And I don’t know why, but the spools never run out together. Which doesn’t make any sense. The needles always move together, the strings SHOULD be the same length, and I have started the bales together. But they never run out the same. Must be the spool itself.

Ninety nine percent of the time when a twine spool runs out and the next spool starts, for whatever reason, that straw or hay bale will not tie right. I haven’t figured out yet if it’s my knot that comes apart, or what happens. The next bale will work fine. But that bale with the splice, blows apart in mid-air. I was pleasantly pleased when it changed spools and the bale DIDN’T break once!

I had my two padawan’s help unload. Because the barn was empty and we only had the three loads, we could just throw them out of the wagon by hand, we didn’t need the elevator. I only had three rows on the ground, and I was stacking up three more rows.

The boys were trying to throw a bale over the top of the wagon. They got close, but never quite over. Next year I’ll bet they will be able to. I was just pleased I have ‘old man strength’ and I could still keep up with them.

The ducks are still doing well, and they come running when I call them and throw out corn.

Next week, everything else that’s been happening.

WHAT DO YOU HAVE NOW YOU DIDN’T HAVE WHEN YOUNGER? (POSITIVE ANSWERS ONLY)