This is the song that I have been singing just lately
I went on a Scything training course well worth the £60 it cost
I learnt all about the parts of the scythe the different blades, how to set it up for me, how to sharpen it and how to preen the blade with a jig, and of course how to use it, at the end of the day there was the option to buy the scythe we had set up for ourselves for a reduced price, I bought mine and love it. This is were I went on the course Scythe Cymru
When I got home I headed up into the woodland field and started put my new skill to the test
the grass was falling beautifully, next morning I was out again and cut another two rows, I have to be careful not to chop down any of the baby trees,
once the grass had been turned with my new hay rake I could gather it up and put it into store as hay, the goats are loving it
The weather has been so dry nothing is growing and there is very little for the goats to eat, the hay rack is filled every day for them and they clear it every day, along with brambles and branches.
Keeping everyone fed and watered is taking up most of the time at the moment.
We had a go at making some bales of hay with the bits of equipment we bought, it was a steep learning curve and thank goodness for you tube, this was our first bale of hay, not the most perfect but we are proud of it.
We bailed the field and the bales have been put into the barn until needed, in the meantime we are just trying to feed loose stuff.
This weather has been incredible. We are desperate for rain in Essex.
ReplyDeleteWell done you on that scythe. My father in law who died in the 1990's at a very advanced age, absolutely loved scything as he had done such a lot of it in early manhood on the farm.
ReplyDeleteHe was still doing it the year he died.
They are saying this is the driest summer since records began, thank goodness winter and spring were wet. Its hard work sorting my small plot, avoiding the mud day sun, you must be on the go most of the day.
ReplyDeleteI love scything, and find it very good for keeping me fit, especially my back and upper body.
ReplyDeleteI broke my blade (written about on my blog) so am without my scythe, and I am seriously missing that simple but effective tool, so have ordered another blade. Can't wait for it to arrive!
We are having the rare experience of having green fields in the height of the summer, whereas normally our grass has died off and we are having to supplement the animals with hay until the Autumn rains arrive. This year we have had a lot of rain, so are experiencing very high humidity as well, which is very tiring to work in, plus lots of storms.
But you have had a long summer, which is something we normally have but haven't at all this year. Swings and roundabouts......next year it will be all different!
I am experiencing scythe envy. Wonderful looking, and the class sounds awesome.
ReplyDeleteWe are having crazy weather here too.
ReplyDeleteScything is got to be better than listening to a petrol strimmer all day. I believe livestock love nettle hay.
ReplyDeleteHow lovely that you got to attend a training course! We had to rely on YouTube videos. My husband recently got two new blades for his scythe and it's amazing how much more versatile it makes the tool. We also got our first wood hay rake - what a difference! We've been using garden rakes but they catch and pull. A real hay rake makes it so much easier!
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