November 2024 vol. 2
I started feeding hay this week! All of the summer grass has been consumed, and I’m having to dip into my hay stockpiles to keep the animals satisfied. Though it’s technically not winter yet, the feeding of hay is a clear indicator that we’re into the dormant season. Ideally, we wouldn’t start feeding hay until early December, but with the long, dry summer, and the lack of rain this fall, we just didn’t have the growth that I was expecting.
We were very fortunate to have a very wet spring and were able to harvest about 80% of the hay we need to get us through the winter. I was counting on being able to get another cutting in this fall, but the grass just doesn’t grow without rain. The one saving grace is that there is a pretty good supply of hay on the market. Those early spring rains resulted in bountiful harvests, bringing the price of hay back down to a reasonable level. Round bales are running around $70 each right now – down from the $150 (if you could find it) we endured last year.
Not only did we not get a third cutting this year, but I have yet to plant any winter annuals. The plan was to get some ryegrass, wheat, or oats planted late September or early October so that it would take hold before the days get shorter and the nights get colder. If established, these winter annuals can provide a bit of a bridge between summer and winter. They really help with the transition between winter and spring. If established in October, I can stop feeding hay early March, as we’d have a nice stand of sweet winter grass to tide the cattle over until the summer perennials pick up again late April. Alas, the winter crops have yet to get into the ground as we’ve had no fall precipitation. I do see a bit of rain scheduled for tomorrow, so I will take a chance and broadcast a bit of ryegrass where I’ve been running the dozer. It’s risky, because if we don’t get a hard downpour, the birds will find it before it sprouts. Ryegrass is a reseeding annual, so perhaps some of the dormant seeds that are out in the pasture come back naturally this spring.
As we’re heading into the heart of November and gearing up for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday we wanted to take a moment to let you know how much we appreciate your support. Your patronage fuels our work and we’re thankful for each one of you. We’re looking forward to catching up with you at the farmers’ markets this week.
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