Green Hay Day

I’ve had a green hay day. When a wild-flower meadow is cut, it provides an opportunity to create a new one, by transferring the cuttings and much of the seed to another site. I’ve been helping out with a massive Higher Level Stewardship Agri-environment scheme, to create new wet grassland and fen habitats.

The tractor rolls out a bale
 
The end of each bale had to be rolled out by hand
 
A meadow elsewhere was cut on Monday and the bales arrived on our site near Beverley on Tuesday morning. We had to get all the bales rolled out and the hay spread as evenly as possible. A tractor was used to roll out most of each bale, but there was always a bit left over which needed rolling out by hand. A brown hare kept popping up during the afternoon, just keeping clear of us, but not so bothered as to leave the field.

Spreading out the hay

Just when the end was in sight, at about 6:30, another lorry load of bales arrived! If left in the bales overnight, the hay would heat up and kill the seed, so it had to be spread immediately. I kept going until about 8pm, then left it to the farm workers. They must have had a late night. It’ll be good to see the site next spring, when we’ll find out how many plant species have been successfully introduced.

Wind and wheat are farmed here

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