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market-farming - RE: small haying equipment

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  • From: "Wiediger, Alison" <awiediger AT Hart.k12.ky.us>
  • To: 'market farming' <market-farming AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: RE: small haying equipment
  • Date: Tue, 5 Sep 2000 11:41:15 -0500




> ----------
> From: Marie Kamphefner[SMTP:kampy AT grm.net]
> Reply To: market farming
>
> We've been in the same situation - lots of nice hay with nobody to bale
> it.
> We've not found small haying equipment, that we could afford anyway.
> This
> year we have beautiful organic clover, alfalfa and orchard grass and the
> guy would bale it if he could keep 2/3 of it. We agreed, but I felt like
> it should have been 1/2 and 1/2 at least.
>
Boy, have we been here ! when they finally come (if they ever come), it's
long after the prime time for cutting, and since we raise organic meat, the
quality of our hay is very important.

Haying equipment, new, is really expensive. Here's what we have :

a semi-mounted, 7' sickle bar mowing machine, probably vintage early 50's.
works great for grass hay, can be used with either small tractor (one is 37,
one is 43 HP) . Bought at auction 8 years ago for $350. Have bought a
couple of new cutter bars for it at $50.00 each.

a 10' side delivery rake, probably vintage about 1955-1960. Replace teeth
on a regular basis (rocks are hard on them), but no other repairs. Bought
at auction for $600.00 (actually was an engagement gift from my husband)

a small, old square baler, vintage early 60's. Took a little time to figure
it out, but makes absolutely beautiful bales. Replace teeth on the pickup
occasionally, need to do a little welding this winter. Bought at auction
for $500.00.

We do all the work ourselves (just the two of us, mid-40s) and put up
1500-2000 bales per year. The equipment paid for itself the first season,
and repairs are minimal if maintenance is good.

Alison Wiediger
Au Naturel Farm
http://aunaturelfarm.homestead.com







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