June is about making hay.
The first half of the first cutting is done and in the barn (or sold). This is a bit earlier than usual thanks to the wonderful dry weather we have had. Tom and Chuckie will be waiting on a good stretch of 4 dry days in order to get the rest of the first cutting done. It takes that long to be sure the hay is really dry. If it is not dry enough it will mold. If you have heard about spontaneous combustion in hay barns – it really is a thing. The damp hay ferments and can actually create enough heat to ignite.
In the hop yard the hops are all strung and growing away. Many of the top leaders are already 8-10 feet high. Hops require a lot of Nitrogen so they will get fertilized just before it rains. This helps to ensure the nutrients go into the soil and do not just vaporize away. Towards the end of the month we will put the sheep back in the hop yard. They will eat the lower leaves but not the scratchy, woody bines. Removing the leaves helps to increase the air flow thus controlling fungal diseases.
The lambs are all growing well and are all eating grain by this time. As the weather gets hotter and the grass dries up the ewes begin to produce less milk. This helps to transition the lambs gradually to a diet of grass and grain. They will also be getting the booster vaccines in June. The rest of the sheep were recently shorn so we are still sorting through and cleaning up or ‘skirting’ those fleeces. We do have raw fleeces available for any spinners out there!
In the fields around us farmers have planted corn and soy beans which are beginning to emerge. Please avoid these fields and be careful not to walk on the young plants. Be mindful in driving in the area. It is quite common this time of year to have farm equipment on the roads and some of it is quite large!