Having missed the window of good weather in July, we had to wait until the beginning of September for the next (probably final?) window of the year before cutting our hay. Like last year, we cut two fields and made small bales of hay to sell to local people and raise money for the farm. The hay was cut on Friday 31st August, then turned every dry day, before being baled on Thursday 6th September. Luckily we had 4 glorious days of hot sunshine with drying winds, to dry, bale, bring in and stack 850 bales of hay. We finished on Saturday afternoon, celebrating with cold cider, local cheese, brandy trifle, and an enormous ball! As usual our wonderful volunteers - local, national and international - made all this possible and were/are a pleasure to work with. Our hay goes on sale tomorrow at £3 a bale.
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| Cutting the hay - Friday. |
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| Turning the hay for its final dry - Thursday. |
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| Baling the hay - Thursday. |
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| Hugh and Adam collecting the first of 18 loads of hay - Thursday. |
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| Packing the trailer - Adam, Ellie, Alice, Hugh and Jim - Friday. |
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| Ellie and Alice loading a bale onto the trailer - Friday. |
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| Jim carrying a bale of hay - Friday. |
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| Lucy loading a bale - Friday. |
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| Ellie and Adam rest on the hay at day's end - Friday. |
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| Jenny and Sonja - Saturday. |
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| Andrew stacking bales in the open barn - Saturday. |
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| Loading hay - Alice, Morley, Adam and Simon - Saturday. |
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| Bringing in the final load - Alice, Simon, Adam and Hugh - Saturday. |
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| Adam unloading the final bale - Saturday. |
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| 850 bales of hay stacked in the barn - job well done! - Saturday. |
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| Celebrating afterwards, involving cider, trifle, and an enormous football... - Saturday. |
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