A summer of silage
Louisa Ellerker
I have now entered the second summer of my biodynamic apprenticeship and am currently helping Maya, our arable farmer, with this year’s silaging. This is where the summer meadows are mown, and the grasses are baled and then fermented to produce food for the animals throughout the winter months when they are in the barns. There is something about getting the winter feed in for the cows that makes the work feel exciting and purposeful.
Last year was my introduction to silaging and hay making; I was taught how to ted (shake the mown grass so it can dry), and also how to rake the grass into swathes. Having never done silaging or haymaking before last year, the machines and tractor work was all new. I learned how to hitch up the machines, and how each field is shaped differently, and each process (mowing, tedding, raking and baling) have refined techniques that all impact on the neatness of the bale. This year’s July rains have meant we have plenty of grass to cut, and this is a great learning experience for me.
Now that I have my tele-handler license, I can drive the farm’s Merlo. After we have mown, tedded and raked, Maya brings the baler around the swathes and I zoom around in the Merlo picking up the bales, stacking them on a trailer. When we are making silage, we have to get the bales wrapped in plastic using the bale wrapper within an hour to keep in the moisture and nutrients - so there’s no time to waste!
It’s a fun learning curve, and I am so grateful to have Maya teach me along the way, and we always make sure we have the right snacks to keep us going - ice cream is always welcome in the 30-degree heat!
