Still Working the Land

The seasons may change, but the work stays the same.  Ed has been using horses to work the land here at the farm for over thirty years - that's him, above, doing some long-ago spring harrowing down by the old barn. When so much of this area has been put under development in recent years, with strip malls, giant chain stores and fast-food dispensaries now growing on what used to be productive farm land, Littlefield Farm remains an oasis in a changing landscape. Below is Ryan harrowing yesterday, before planting the winter wheat.

Bringing in the Sheaves

We harvested the oats last week, and despite a little bit of rain, everthing is now safely in the barn. Thanks to Ed for these photos.

Good Breeding, But No Manners

Our new Berkshire weaner pigs have only been on the farm for a week or so, but they've already become quite content in their new surroundings.  Of course, who wouldn't be happy with an all-you-can-eat buffet of chopped mangels, grain and table scraps?  We'll keep these two in the barn for a few weeks, and then move them outside to the portable pig house where they can get serious about rooting and digging.  The Berkshires are an old and rare breed, and today's animals are supposedly descended from a herd owned by the House of Windsor more than three-hundred years ago.

Cutting and Binding

Now that the hay is in the barn (finally), and summer is fast slipping away, we've started harvesting here on the farm. In these photos we have Ryan, along with Clark and Fred, finishing up the wheat. There is also an adjacent field in oats that we will cut today.  If the weather cooperates, we should have all the threshing done by the end of the week. 

Norwegian Fjord Power

Sven and Ole provide the horsepower that gets the hay off  the wagon and into the barn.  We're into our second week of haying, and have one more field of cut grass to rake and pick up before Ryan starts mowing again.  Thanks to Ed for the photo.

Loading Up the Barn

We have a great way for getting the loose hay into the loft which allows us to move a substantial amount of hay from field to barn each day with only one wagon and a team. The system uses a set of hay harpoons which are attached to a pulley and ropes (above).  The harpoons are driven into the haystack atop the wagon, and the resulting load is slowly raised upwards to a trolley and track which runs the length of the loft.  

When everything is set, a team of fjords on the opposite side of the barn begin to pull the load off the wagon and up to the trolley.

As the load goes up, one person keeps a hand on the trip-line that releases the hay from the harpoons and makes sure that the ropes lifting the load and the trip-line don't get tangled together.

If the wagon was stacked correctly as it was being loaded out in the field, very little hay drops off on the way up, and most of what does falls right back on the wagon.

As soon as the harpoons latch on to the trolley, the load is quickly pulled inside and along the rail.

As the trolley zips along the rail, a person stationed inside the loft waits to give the signal to pull the trip-rope.

A big advantage to this system is that the hay can be dropped in different spots in the loft, and minimal spreading is needed.

It takes five or six loads to move all the hay from a fully stacked wagon into the barn...or about thirty minutes...which sure beats hauling bales.

When the load has reached the right spot, the person stationed in the barn shouts out the signal, and the trip-rope is pulled releasing the hay from the harpoons.  The trolley is then pulled back into position for another load...and another...and another.  

Thanks to Ed for the photos.

'Tis the Season

The first spell of dry weather in June can mean only one thing...it's haying time again.  Ryan started cutting about a week ago, and after curing and tedding, we started bringing the hay to the barn yesterday.  Here Ryan loads the wagon while Igor picks up the small piles in the corners of the field that the loader can't reach.  Ed has taken lots of great photos of the whole process - from field to barn loft -  that we'll share in the next few posts.  So far, we've put up seven wagon loads, and we're keeping our fingers crossed that the weather continues to cooperate...at least for another day or two.

Not Impressed

Poor Tom.  He's tried all his best moves, and still Peahen ignores him. She's been hanging around the coop for a week or so, but I think she's more interested in the grain we feed the chickens and turkeys than in Mr. Big Stuff's dashing good looks.

Preening Owl

For those of you who like the bird photos more than a discussion about compost...thanks to Laura for this great shot.

Compost

Here are our two compost piles that sit on a concrete slab near the barn. As all farmers and weekend gardeners know, compost is organic material that has broken-down through aerobic decomposition. In addition to providing a fertilizer, compost also conditions the soil and acts as a natural pesticide. Obviously, with six horses and a pony in the barn, we get plenty of organic material on a daily basis. To this we add (when possible) green organic material from the garden…weeds, clippings, plants that have gone to seed, and anything else that isn’t fed to the chickens or pigs. For the microorganisms in a compost pile to work effectively, four ingredients are necessary: oxygen, water, nitrogen and carbon. The carbon and nitrogen are supplied by the organic matter; green and wet materials are high in nitrogen while dry and brown materials contain higher carbon concentrations. According to the experts, ideal composting occurs with a carbon to nitrogen ration of about 30 to 1, which, by volume, means just about equal parts green and brown materials. And since the microorganisms also require oxygen, the compost pile has to be stirred on a regular basis. The heat generated is a result of the microbes oxidizing the carbon, and water is produced and released as steam. The heat also kills the unwanted weed seeds and any pathogens in the manure.

We use the compost as an ingredient in the soil blocks, mixed directly into the planting beds, and as a compost tea. The pile in the rear of the photo is currently being used, and with the garden (and weeds) really starting to grow in earnest now, we have started the new pile in the foreground.