One man went to mow - went to mow a meadow

Todays blip taken near to Arley Hall is another vehicle of sorts - missed the cutting yesterday - they are turning it over to dry it out a bit more ready for the forage harvester (looks like a big vacuum cleaner that chops & throws the grass into trailers.

Silage is cut grass pulled in by the farmers during summer months by preserving the grass under naturally produced acidic conditions which effectively pickle the crop. Silage is quite moist and usually preferred by livestock to hay as it is more palatable and of higher food value. It often forms the bulk of the livestock diet for six months of the year through the winter months.

Grass silage is usually produced by stock farmers two or three times a year, however it is the first cut of grass in late May that is the most important. Growth at this time of year is vigorous and the grass is rich in energy as it produces leaf rather than going to seed.

First they mow it with cuts at about 60cm tall. If its been left cut over night then they will turn it over and dry it out, a lane of cut grass is called a Swath which makes it easier to be picked up by a forage harvester

Forage harvesters have a series of rotating tines that lift the grass from the ground before feeding it into a chopper. The chopper cuts the grass to a predetermined length before blowing the cut material into a trailer for transport to the storage area.

Many farmers use contractors to make silage because it is often a cheaper option. Owning large items of machinery can be uneconomic if they are only used for a few days a year.

In the farm yard the grass is deposited in a heap (the clamp) and pushed up by a handler into a large pile. The sitting of the clamp is important because it must be easily accessible during winter months when the stock need feeding and away from local water course as the effluent from a clamp could suffocate fish.

The process of building the clamp involves the removal of as much air from the grass as possible and to do this the loader or a tractor will repeatedly drive over the clamp. Air removal is important or to the grass will not process properly and the resultant silage will be of poor nutritional quality and of low palatability. At the conclusion of sheeting hundreds of tyres will be used to hold the sheet firm and to maintain the airtight finish until the time of use in the winter
Fridays rural studies lesson will be on cream teas and the expanding belly effect