Sticks & Stones...

Iva...

At the Jamison Family Farm, one thing for which there is no shortage are rocks!  The rock pile Iva is standing on is one piled-up by my great grandfather - James Henry Jamison.  There are several rock piles of the same size around the farm - "over the hill". 

​James Henry would have farmed with horse pulled implements such as a single bottom moldboard plow.  Occasionally, we find a broken plowshare; I imagine rocks in that pile exacted a price on his plows from time to time.  James Henry probably was planting wheat, maybe corn or beans of some sort in those fields, perhaps some Timothy hay...

When I was a boy, these fields served as pasture for cattle.  To the extent we can safely use a tractor on them, one by one, we are transforming these old overgrown pastures into First Quality Hay fields.  As we do so - I am reminded some things never change -  even across generations.  Just as James Henry carried rocks out of these fields, we find ourselves doing the same...

We're not so big that we can't walk our fields and give them individual attention.  Before our hay grows so tall one can't see them, we are walking the tree-lines bordering our hay fields and picking up limbs and sticks that have fallen over the winter.

While this has been an extended cold spring, I AM reminded it IS spring on the farm and warmer weather is on the way...

Apple trees in bloom...

Our Timothy hay is coming along nicely.  This past weekend, I was able to spray a non-residual broadleaf herbicide to control weeds.  In addition, our stands are dense in all fields and in my opinion, more than anything, that is our best herbicide.  Anything can happen, but I think we are on our way to a very good year with respect to hay quality and overall volume.

The goal is to begin cutting in the days preceding Memorial Day weekend and continuing into mid-June until finished baling for our first cutting.  Due to the colder spring weather, this time line might slip - we'll see.  From now until we begin cutting hay, the frequency of facebook page and blog posts will increase - stay tuned, First Quality Hay is on the way...