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We have 13 acres of it!
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The morning of the Second Cutting
The morning dawned clear and warm for our second cutting. The alfalfa had grown back thick after the first cutting (in early July) which was about half grasses. Alfalfa grows back agressively after being cut the first time and quickly outcompetes other plants like grasses and weeds making the second cutting the best for forage value to the horses.
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Cutting the Hay
My neighbor Marvin cuts the hay with his tractor and Haybine leaving long tracts of hay laying for drying. The Haybine cuts and crushes Alfalfa so it will dry faster, almost twice as fast as hay cut with a hay mow, which just cuts the Alfalfa.
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Raking the hay into Wind Rows
After the Alfalfa dried about a day and a half I raked it into Wind Rows. Generally I used a tractor and hay rake for this, but I had a flat tire on the tractor so I used my GMC pick-up truck to pull the hay rake this time. After drying one more full day (assuming dry warm weather) this hay is ready to bale.
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Baling the hay
After the hay is fully dried, it was raked again into "double Wind Rows" to make baling faster and easier. This halves the number of rows and doubles their size. My neighbor Dave baled this bunch with his John Deere tractor and baler. I did the last crop myself but couldn't rent the baler again I used for first cutting. Hopefully next summer I will have my own baler, but Dave did a great job on this batch (Dave is a real farmer, not a part-timer like me).
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The bales remaining
We picked up hay the evening after baling until about 10:30 PM. Ben and I walked beside the hay wagon picking up bales (40 or so inches long and about 60-70 pounds each) and throwing them up to Logan and his friend Sean who stacked them on the hay wagon. Lori drove the truck slowly and steadily while we chucked bales to the boys until it was too dark to see and we were too tired to continue. The next morning there were still about 100 bales laying in the field, so we got those picked up before it rained (late in the afternoon this day, notice the clouds, very indicative of rain). It was a gorgious sunrise.
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The History of Alfalfa as a crop
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Alfalfa, common name for a fodder plant, known also as lucerne (see Legume). It is believed to have originated in southwestern Asia. Historical accounts indicate that it was first cultivated in Persia. From there it was taken to Greece in the 5th century BC and to Spain in the 8th century AD. Spaniards introduced alfalfa to North and South America. Its extension over the irrigated sections of the western United States began in 1854, when it was taken to San Francisco from Chile. With the development of improved varieties and the use of better fertilizing and soil-management practices, its culture has spread throughout the United States. One of the most nutritious crops grown for fodder, alfalfa is rich in proteins, minerals, and vitamins. Because its root extends as much as 9 m (30 ft) into the soil, alfalfa can reach stores of plant food and, in sections of limited rainfall, can withstand extremes of drought. The plant is remarkably adaptable to various climatic conditions, but it must have certain soil conditions and proper sowing. The effect of alfalfa on irrigated land is to increase the value per hectare of subsequent crops. Alfalfa is used as a soil-conditioning crop and as pasturage, and in the form of silage and hay it is fed to dairy cows, beef cattle, sheep, hogs, horses, and poultry. It is also an excellent honey crop for bees and is used to increase the vitamin content of prepared foods. Its sprouted seeds are often used in salads. The principal alfalfa-producing states include California, Washington, Idaho, Kansas, and Oregon. Alfalfa production in the United States averages about 70 million metric tons harvested annually for hay and about 60,000 metric tons for seed. Scientific classification: Alfalfa belongs to the family Papilionoideae. It is classified as Medicago sativa.
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