Hay Making on a Different Scale

Hay Dude · Jul 20, 2025

LHF2019 said:
View attachment 3803256 View attachment 3803257 View attachment 3803258 View attachment 3803259

3-4 acres 520 bales

That’s more like it! Lookin good….
Me & Mrs. are headed out for a vacation and I’m getting worried I won’t finish 1st cutting by August 9th!
I’m usually done 1st cut by July 21st.

Saucymynx · Jul 22, 2025

LHF2019 said:
Ag Wx

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I forecast my own weather. This year with the way the systems are moving I'm about a half day to a day ahead of what my uncle sees on local news or one of the many sites he looks at. The only site I use for confirmation if needed is Meteoblue which blends many countries models into an average. I was mowing and he was still undecided due to what he saw.

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I like Ag-Wx the best. It seems that the ECMWF forecast is the most accurate. I also look at NOAA for shorter term and WeatherBug for casual weather. I’ve spent a ton of time looking at weather reports this year. Finally got a three day window here in the upper peninsula of Michigan to get some hay done. I’ve also become a believer in looking at evaporation as an indicator for drying time.

MichiganIron · Jul 23, 2025

Saucymynx said:
I like Ag-Wx the best. It seems that the ECMWF forecast is the most accurate. I also look at NOAA for shorter term and WeatherBug for casual weather. I’ve spent a ton of time looking at weather reports this year. Finally got a three day window here in the upper peninsula of Michigan to get some hay done. I’ve also become a believer in looking at evaporation as an indicator for drying time.

We have a strange weather phenomenon here we call the Lansing Shadow. Late spring to early summer, the weather pattern here changes. Any fronts coming directly from the west across lake Michigan will die out just west of Lansing. The storm line will split at Lansing, go north and south of us, and redevelop about 10 miles east of here. This pattern will persist from late spring through August. It will rain North, South, East and West, but directly in the shadow of Lansing will get nothing. We don't have any explanation for it, but can definitely count on it during 2rd and 3rd cutting. Fronts coming from the southwest or northwest will bring rain, but directly from the west across the lake will not survive the Lansing shadow.

Some day I would like to understand what is going on.

LHF2019 · Sunday at 5:41 AM

What a week. 50-60 acres done. 1st and and our first field of 2nd cutting. 4 days of baling totaling 170 4x4 round bales, 4 - 4x5 round bales, 1782 small square bales. Started out seasonally nice then went back to heat and humid. 18+ hour days between UPS and hay. Time to catch up on eating and drinking.

Found during greasing. Not sure how long it ran like this. Not the first time either to find missing locknuts.

Our pollinator field. No heigth. Just mowed and left. Field I haven't decided what I want to do with it yet and took the early summer weeds off for baleage. Very impressed with all the clover that I did not plant and looks better than just weeds. Looked like this as well last year.