Baling the last hay of 2023!

Hi all! Sorry for a belated upload here. This is my final batch of hay from the 2023 season, in early October. Two fields of second cut, one field of third - (though all regrowing for just about the same amount of time, so who am I to say what's second vs third growth at this point...)

2023 was one of the most difficult years I’ve ever had, but with the most astounding 6536 bale record. So many farms struggled this year, and my heart goes out to each of them. To wind up with a success feels wildly unfair yet miraculous.

Through it all, I somehow broke my all-time record by 850 bales (my July self would have perished from shock). A total of 6536 bales this year (4139 first cut, 2164 second , 233 third). 50 acres. 75 hay days. 5/14 through 10/4.

May saw the earliest start (5/14!) and the most pre-June bales I’ve ever made.

Then the rain started. June and July were a game of “The floor is lava”, as I moved my hay circus all over town just trying to find dry ground. By July I was having nightmares about never finishing first cut, and even had to pivot to early second cut on drier fields.

I was resigned to a terrible year as we rolled into August, and it took a bit to realize that the weather had shifted. Still a battle to find dry ground, and remaining first cut was comically late, but with a varied acreage base and different soil types and rainfall amounts, I realized being spread out was my biggest asset, even if exhausting. I had options.

Suddenly I had unprecedented second cut yields, and an 8-day stretch into September saw 19 acres and 1360 bales knocked out in a single muti-batch go, finally finishing first cut and making a huge dent in second.

Final second & third cut gleanings finished out the year on fields that had only been regrowing since early August. (By then the second cut was third growth, which solidified that this year was “a haying version of ‘Who’s on First’”.)

2023 was emotional whiplash. I feel beyond lucky, though also proud that I leveraged a lot of elbow grease and never took “it’s too wet” for an answer. Every possible weather window I was out the door early to “don the ole galoshes” and walk fields until I found something dry enough to try.

Thank you to EVERYONE who was so helpful this year - bale helpers, the nicest and most understanding hay customers and land owners, other generous farmers, and of course the cheering section - both local and on this wonderful youtube community I'm now lucky enough to be a part of. I’m beyond grateful.

Thanks for following along!!

~~~

(We are a 53-acre haying operation in Conway, MA - making all small square bales for the local food, fiber, and livestock community. Learn more about our farm at windrowfarmconway.com, or follow us on instagram @windrow.farm)

Equipment List:

Massey Ferguson 275 Tractor
Massey Ferguson 165 Tractor
Massey Ferguson 135 Tractor
Vermeer TM610 disc mower
Vicon RS410T Tedder
New Holland 256 hay rake
Massey Ferguson 124 baler (with New Holland 70 bale thrower)
Four kicker wagons
Delmhorst FX-2000 Hay Moisture Meter
Sundown Fertilizer Spreader