Making hay in the olden way

Haymaking equipment is expensive and requires a lot of gasoline and time on the tractor. Making hay by hand is much more satisfying and peaceful, and eliminates any need to go to the gym. If only the people who workout in gyms would pay me to let them make hay for me…

The grass is cut with a scythe in the cool of the morning when it is tender, then spread out evenly to start drying:

It is then raked into windrows and turned throughout the day to allow the wind and sun to dry it out:

In the evening the grass is stacked in small piles to minimize the amount of moisture added from the dew:

The next day it is spread out again and raked into windrows and turned. At the end of the second day it is stacked in the shed for storage:

For more on scything and making hay by hand check out Botan Anderson’s blog: https://onescytherevolution.com/blog.html