Fridays on the Farm--Silage Artist

Wow--how did all those days pass so quickly?

The last time I posted was Monday--here it is Friday already & time to do another 

Fridays on the Farm post!

(We celebrated Christopher's birthday on Tuesday

and the first night of AWANA on Wednesday;

I have some pictures to share about those and I will--soon!)

We all have those scents that we love about Fall, right?

Apples baking, cider, pumpkin, burning leaves, etc....

For me, add to that list:  corn silage.

Ever since I was a little girl, I have loved that smell!

Remember those corn stalks from last week?

They've now been turned into silage.

Some of you might have no idea what I'm even talking about.

Corn silage is chopped corn--the stalk and cob all together.

It's stored in a silo, bunker, covered pile or giant bag

where it will ferment, which increases it's digestibility for the cows.

It looks like this:

Dennis and my father-in-law have been busy chopping the corn

with this--the implement behind the tractor is the chopper;

it cuts the stalk right near the ground and chops the whole thing up and shoots it out that spout

and into a big wagon.

Then he unloads onto a big pile that looks like this:

He drives back and forth on top with another tractor to pack it down well.

It will be about 10 feet high by the time he's done and then he'll cover it with plastic sheeting so it can ferment.

This is just one of several piles he's made this fall.

You know that feeling when you know you're preparing a good meal for your family?

That time you take in making it just right,

the excitement of knowing they are just going to love it?

Putting up silage is like that for Dennis--

this is what the cows will eat all winter and they love it.

If he worked at Subway, he'd be a sandwich artist.

Here, he's our silage artist.

He still has corn to combine for a cash crop;

this year he planned so that about half of his corn acres would be for silage

and half to combine.

In the foreground the corn was chopped, in the back is corn waiting until maturity to combine.

We are happy the beans came off with no major setbacks this week.

empty bean field

I did point out to him on facebook today, though, that he missed one stalk while chopping all that corn.

It's been driving me crazy every time I drive or walk by this field!

My brother suggested we were trying to build a corn maze for blondes.

Dennis said he left it so they'd have some cover for goose hunting.

Funny guys.

What fall memories do you have from farm experiences you've had?

Leave a comment and tell me!

If you'd like to link up with a Fridays on the Farm post of your own,

feel free to grab that top picture (still haven't figured out that button!)

and let me know in the comments so I can hop over and read about YOUR farm!