Second Cutting

The Maust men have been busy taking the second cutting of hay off at Graywood Farm. Late on a midsummer evening, the rows of alfalfa are already showing new growth, the windrows lie ready for the baler, and bales are lined up across the field.

My friend Mel West says we should give thanks for the cow who can turn inedible grasses like alfalfa into milk and cheese and meat. Mel made me think twice about how much of a vegetarian I might ever become. Alfalfa (or hay, as we usually call it) is a remarkable plant. It is a legume so it returns nitrogen to the soil. It is a perennial so it doesn't have to be replanted from year to year. Its roots grow very deep, as much as 6-8 feet, so it can break up soil structure and provide pathways for microbes and insects and frost. Most years there are three cuttings of hay in our area. Occasionally there will be a fourth cutting late in the fall.

Great stuff, this alfalfa. Today we are glad for a second cutting.

Copyright 2011
Wanda Hayes Eichler