[Homestead] Aging lists and listmates?!

Lynda lurine at softcom.net
Fri Dec 22 23:17:01 EST 2006


We've always worked our hay on a co-op basis.  We had the fields and we 
maintained them (seeding when necessary, etc.) and then had someone else cut 
and bale and bring it to the barn for half the hay.  Of course, with 4 boys 
and all their friends, tossing hay around is done in short order <g>

Son #3 came up for a long weekend because he was sure we weren't getting 
everything done that needs to be done, so he'll be here until Tuesday to do 
the really heavy work that he thinks we shouldn't be doing <g>  He didn't 
bring friends this time but he usually does.

Lynda
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Gloria Morris" <gloriamorris59 at gmail.com>


> Yeah, conveyors work great if you have a crew of at least two people to 
> put
> the hay in the barn, one to put the hay bale on the conveyor at the 
> bottom,
> and one to remove the bale at the top and stack it in the loft. A larger
> crew of 3 or more is preferable, as it takes longer to retrieve the bale
> from the conveyor and stack it than it does to grab a bale from the wagon
> and put it on the conveyor. I like having things set up so I can do it 
> solo,
> as my son is grown and I am solo.
>
> Of course, if you hire someone to deliver the hay and pay the upcharge for
> putting it up in a loft, there's no problem. Most hay farmers I know 
> charge
> more to put the hay up in a loft versus stacking it on the barn floor due 
> to
> greater labor costs on their end. I know some hay farmers who WILL NOT
> deliver to a loft, as they have trouble getting sufficient labor to do it. 
> I
> expect, if I live long enough, that a fixed income might put a damper on
> paying anyone ANY extra for extra labor. Stacking hay on the ground works
> for me, but obviously, not for everyone's situation!




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