WINTER HAY

One thing about farm life is that looking ahead and planning is something that one must constantly do. Even though it is the middle of summer this cattle farmer is already preparing ahead. In this case hay for the cattle is being mowed and stored so that the cattle will have plenty to eat during the cold winter months.

This particular farmer chooses to store his round hay bales in long plastic-covered tubes with black plastic caps on each end. This wrapping protects the hay from the elements while also preventing hungry deer and other creatures from getting to the hay. It costs more to wrap the hay in this manner but it also means the hay can be stored outside as opposed to taking up valuable barn space while also allowing easier access to it in the cold winter months.

The circular shape of the individual hay bales are visible through the white plastic sheeting. Each of these individual round hay bales weighs between 1200-1500 pounds and each of these white tubes are approximately the length of a football field. So you can see this is quite a lot of hay!

QUICK FIX (HOPEFULLY)

Well, as these things go it was inevitable that things will break down. In the middle of cherry harvest one part of the tree shaker has broken down. In this case it is a blown fitting on a hydraulic hose and has been rolled into our shop for (hopefully) a quick repair. Until it is repaired the cherry harvest has stopped, the tractors that pull the equipment and the crews that man the equipment must now wait for the repairs to be done. Added to this is the time that it will take to transport and reposition the shaker in the orchard, which adds to the downtime.

CHERRY HARVEST TIME

Right about the middle of July is harvest time for cherries, both sweet and tart. Our farm has both varieties. Sweet cherries are for eating straight or for juice while the tart variety often end up as fillings for pies, muffins and other baked goods.

There is a small harvest time window when cherries can be picked so they must be picked rapidly. Cherry picking is done using a two-part piece of equipment we refer to as a "shaker." As it's name implies using hydraulic arms this piece of equipment simply grabs the trunk of the tree and rapidly shakes it for about ten or fifteen seconds. With this hearty vibration the cherries fall off and are caught in the canvas-covered V-shape of the two pieces of shaker equipment.

The cherries then roll towards the center of the V-shape where they are transported by way of conveyor belts out of the shaker and dropped into large plastic containers of ice and ice-water. Quickly chilling the freshly dropped cherries ensures their freshness as they are transported to market or processors.

In these two photos you can see both halves of the shakers and perhaps can visualize how they come together on either side of the cherry tree trunk to form a V-shape. In one of the photos the shaker's canvas has not yet been fully stretched over the frame but you can see the large notch in the middle of the equipment. This notch is where the hydraulic arms are located which grab the tree and shake it. The other half of the shaker does not contain this notch but you can see the conveyor belts along the bottom and side that transport the fresh cherries to the awaiting tub of ice water.

SAD OLD HOME

I discovered this sad old home some time ago. It is barely visible from the street and does not appear to be owned by anyone close by. It is actually quite a large home and one can only imagine what it was like in its original grandeur. Upon closer investigation there are traits of the home that give off clues to its age. For instance the remaining window panes are hand-laid sheet glass not the perfectly clear glass of more modern times. This glass indicates the house is pre-1900. On the other hand the cut sandstone foundation blocks likely came from a local quarry just a few miles away but which shut down around 1880. Several architectural elements also add clues and my amateur assessment would conclude that this home was probably built no later than the Civil War era around 1865 and very possibly earlier than that.

Remarkably, the brick walls and the sandstone blocks of the foundation are in excellent shape. I've thought about attempting to find the owner of this home and looking into the possibility of purchasing it in order to recycle the lovely bricks and foundation stones. We shall see what becomes of it.

SHOP PROJECT: TOY CHEST

While winter is the busiest time for my small furniture shop, some summer projects are always in the works. In this case a new toy chest is in order for my young son. This particular one is being crafted of mahogany plywood with pine accents. One of the nice accents of this piece I think is the "wave" pattern that surrounds the bottom of the chest. It serves a dual purpose here of not only being a nice decorative addition but also acting as something of a "kickplate" protecting the more expensive mahogany sides from getting dinged and dented by little shoes. The top of the chest, which is almost done will be a bi-fold, having the ability to open halfway or all the way. In this way there is still access to the chest even if there might be some other toys stacked up on it. I think my son will be quite pleased with this addition to his room.

A GLIMPSE OF THE PAST

This Amish family brings back a snapshot of a bygone era in this part of the country. Their wagons and buggy's are a familiar sight on most days. They are warm and friendly people who although live in a closed community are nonetheless always willing to lend a hand to a neighbor even if they aren't Amish. A good deal of the Amish that populate upstate New York are involved in agriculture although an equal number of them are involved in the trades: Carpenters, bricklayers, craftsmen. I always enjoy the sound of a horses' hooves and the sound of a wagon wheel coming down the road. If nothing else it is an earnest reflection of the humble beginnings of this country.

CHECKING ON THE PROGRESS

In an earlier post titled "Plowing Time" we saw my friend and neighbor Brad on his marvelous John Deere preparing for spring planting. In this followup the corn is in and doing nicely. In the early morning on a misty day I went out to Brad's field to take a look. Brad will use most of this corn to feed his cattle during the winter months. And while this corn won't be harvested until perhaps mid-November, right now it is doing nicely. The rule of thumb is "knee high by July". This photo was taken about mid-June, so it looks like Brad's corn is right on schedule.