How agriculture works thread

   / How agriculture works thread #541  
I was wondering if that was a driving force. As a side note I've noticed a lot more unplanted fields around here this year.

And most wheat fields have been harvested and the straw (?) baled, mostly in large rectangular bales. I guess headed to be mushroom dirt.
Around here wheat straw is baled in rounds and then fed into a hammer mill-grinder and mixed with feed and fed to cattle. One of the guys down the road does nothing but round bale wheat straw he buys off combined land and sells it to cattle diary farmers to grind into feed.

We will leave Hay Dude to supply the grass hay to mushroom dirt thing. Wheat straw, preferably rained on makes good bedding too. The rain washes off the wax coating and allows it to be more absorbent.
 
   / How agriculture works thread #542  
Around here wheat straw is baled in rounds and then fed into a hammer mill-grinder and mixed with feed and fed to cattle. One of the guys down the road does nothing but round bale wheat straw he buys off combined land and sells it to cattle diary farmers to grind into feed.

We will leave Hay Dude to supply the grass hay to mushroom dirt thing. Wheat straw, preferably rained on makes good bedding too. The rain washes off the wax coating and allows it to be more absorbent.
A small square bale of wheat straw will sell for $6 here. Bedding for various animals. And a lot of it is used commercially for mulch.
 
   / How agriculture works thread #543  
A small square bale of wheat straw will sell for $6 here. Bedding for various animals. And a lot of it is used commercially for mulch.
I'm not sure what kind of straw, but I try to keep a couple of bales around. As you say it's handy for mulch, and great for covering fall plantings for wintering over, such as garlic and carrots.
 
   / How agriculture works thread #544  
A small square bale of wheat straw will sell for $6 here. Bedding for various animals. And a lot of it is used commercially for mulch.
Here to, to a certain extent. Some years ago I bailed a 50 acre combined wheat field the local road commission purchased for the straw to run through their straw blower. No touch, on the ground, they handled everything. Got 50 cents a bale, baled from dawn to dusk, fuel and twine were my expense, nice long 1/2 mile windrows. Best money day I ever had. Think I missed maybe 5 bales the whole day. Went through a lot of balls of twine however. Just broke for lunch. If I remember correctly, I bailed just under 5000 bales.

Once in a lifetime deal.
 
   / How agriculture works thread #545  
I'm not sure what kind of straw, but I try to keep a couple of bales around. As you say it's handy for mulch, and great for covering fall plantings for wintering over, such as garlic and carrots.
Speaking of Garlic, bad year for Garlic here as in no germinate.
 
   / How agriculture works thread #546  
Here to, to a certain extent. Some years ago I bailed a 50 acre combined wheat field the local road commission purchased for the straw to run through their straw blower. No touch, on the ground, they handled everything. Got 50 cents a bale, baled from dawn to dusk, fuel and twine were my expense, nice long 1/2 mile windrows. Best money day I ever had. Think I missed maybe 5 bales the whole day. Went through a lot of balls of twine however. Just broke for lunch. If I remember correctly, I bailed just under 5000 bales.

Once in a lifetime deal.
In the late 70s and early 80s I owned a New Holland square baler and an 861 Ford tractor. I custom baled for people. 10 cents a bale. Thought I was cutting a fat hog. :cool:
 
   / How agriculture works thread
  • Thread Starter
#547  
Wheat field fire in Montcalm County, Michigan just a few days ago caught on a drone cam.
 
   / How agriculture works thread
  • Thread Starter
#548  
Harvesting wheat (? they call is cereal) in Suffolk, England with large Claas combines. Might be 40 or 50ft heads they are using.
 
   / How agriculture works thread #549  
Started one of those once - the 4020 diesel I was driving threw a spark when we were cutting hay next to a ripe wheat field. We had about a 20 mph wind blowing that day and it was good and dry so burned 250 acres or so before we got it out. The custom harvesting crew started cutting on the wheat field next to the hay field and were actually cutting right through the fire which I was shocked at. The neighbor got out his chisel plow and tractor working ahead of the fire but got too close and lost a tire on the chisel plow rendering it useless. The wind changed though and kind of blew the fire back on itself and then the fire dept got it under control quickly. Pretty exciting hour or so.
 
   / How agriculture works thread #550  
Around here wheat straw is baled in rounds and then fed into a hammer mill-grinder and mixed with feed and fed to cattle. One of the guys down the road does nothing but round bale wheat straw he buys off combined land and sells it to cattle diary farmers to grind into feed.

We will leave Hay Dude to supply the grass hay to mushroom dirt thing. Wheat straw, preferably rained on makes good bedding too. The rain washes off the wax coating and allows it to be more absorbent.
I noticed that at a dairy a few years back. I remember at home on the farm Dad didn't really like saving wheat straw because it wasn't very nice. He much preferred oats or barley straw.
 
 
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