Handcut Hay - Have we reached peak 'hand-made'?

[MattTuck]

I pass a farm on one of my rides offering up "Hand cut Hay". Seriously? This is what the world has come to?

People buying hay now care that it was cut using the same technique as Jebediah, circa 1786?

Pretty soon we'll start seeing hand-sawn fire wood.

What's the craziest 'hand made' thing you've seen for sale?

[cat6]

so some small town farmer goes out and cuts some hay, puts a sign on their lawn that it's hand cut, and you're butt hurt about it?

get a life, dude.

[gemship]

Can a profit even be made doing that? Livestock eat a lot of hay.


I've been commercial clamming since last Sept. Getting a great price because clams are getting scarce, soft shell that is. The kind that are good for steaming. It's wicked hard work, I work in all kinds of conditions. Digging in the mud, sand and sometimes in gravel rocky places. I make great money doing though and I am my own boss:hello: I even found an excuse to get a nice little skiff to do this and I get to write it off:banana:

Well I have to applaud all who take it upon themselves to reduce climate change but the damage is already done. Relating to my new found profession it is a slow death. The ocean is acidifying and all the clammers are seeing it.

[nighthawk]

so some small town farmer goes out and cuts some hay, puts a sign on their lawn that it's hand cut, and you're butt hurt about it?

get a life, dude.

so some small town forum member goes online and starts a thread about the peculiarities of our culture in America, and you're butt hurt about it?

get a life, dude.

[cat6]

so some small town forum member goes online and starts a thread about the peculiarities of our culture in America, and you're butt hurt about it?

get a life, dude.


sorry, i thought this was a cycling forum. what's your take on hand cut hay, nighthawk?

[gdw]

I though slavery had been banned in the US.
http://burlington.craigslist.org/grd/4553572049.html

[saab2000]

Anything 'artisan' pretty much loses me the second I see it at a Wendy's or any other huge, corporate store.

Just be what you are and own it.

[MattTuck]

sorry, i thought this was a cycling forum. what's your take on hand cut hay, nighthawk?

It's not about hand cut hay. This forum is steeped hand built custom bicycles. And as such, many members care about craftsmanship and hand-built things.

Can it be taken too far? Artisinal pencil sharpening is one example. Another would be a bespoke tweed arm sling. (http://boingboing.net/2011/02/11/bespoke-tweed-slings.html)

When does hand-made go from being a signal of craftsmanship and quality to a cliche?

Am I butt-hurt about a farmer cutting hay by hand and trying to sell it? No, I'm amused by it. But I'm also intrigued by it for what it says about the greater culture that a farmer would cut hay by hand and then paint a giant sign offering said hay for sale. And not just 'hay for sale', but actually specifying that it was 'hand cut hay for sale.'

So even some small town farmer sees that the society has a fixation on things done by hand... THAT is what is interesting.

[MattTuck]

I though slavery had been banned in the US.
http://burlington.craigslist.org/grd/4553572049.html

THAT is the hay I pass!!!!

[gemship]

It's not about hand cut hay. This forum is steeped hand built custom bicycles. And as such, many members care about craftsmanship and hand-built things.

Can it be taken too far? Artisinal pencil sharpening is one example. Another would be a bespoke tweed arm sling. (http://boingboing.net/2011/02/11/bespoke-tweed-slings.html)

When does hand-made go from being a signal of craftsmanship and quality to a cliche?

Am I butt-hurt about a farmer cutting hay by hand and trying to sell it? No, I'm amused by it. But I'm also intrigued by it for what it says about the greater culture that a farmer would cut hay by hand and then paint a giant sign offering said hay for sale. And not just 'hay for sale', but actually specifying that it was 'hand cut hay for sale.'

So even some small town farmer sees that the society has a fixation on things done by hand... THAT is what is interesting.

Ohhh, so that is the point of all this. I thought this small time farmer was trying to save the planet because he can't afford to maintain his tractor.

Actually the vast majority of cyclist really don't even care, need or want a handmade bicycle. Don't get me wrong even most layman can appreciate the craftsmanship and unique qualities but it's the price of building one up complete with components that makes hand made bikes another douche a rolling thru the night. It's too bad cycling is realistically a slightly elitist yuppie uppity activity but hand made don't really help the image much.

[54ny77]

too many seeds, won't work for me. i need clean straw. plus it's in vermont, and i already have a bottle of maple syrup.

pass.

;)

[gemship]

I like the all gluten free band wagon that cracks me up too.

[redir]

The only hay I will buy is hand cut hay, it also must be blessed by a Shaman. No way would I feed my hand bred horse any other.

[gdw]

"Am I butt-hurt about a farmer cutting hay by hand and trying to sell it? No, I'm amused by it. But I'm also intrigued by it for what it says about the greater culture that a farmer would cut hay by hand and then paint a giant sign offering said hay for sale. And not just 'hay for sale', but actually specifying that it was 'hand cut hay for sale.' "

He's probably hoping that someone will feel sorry for him and buy the hay out of sympathy.


"Different types of land, of course, give different grass yields. It takes my household (two people) six weeks to bring in 6.4 tons from our five acres (sometimes with a little help from friends). We work full eight-hour days—including weekends—and only take a break when it rains. (Ask neighboring farmers what you can expect from your fields, and—if you can count on the labor of two regular workers—allow a month or more to harvest enough hay for one cow.)"

Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/cutting-hay-by-hand-zmaz79mjzraw.aspx#ixzz38mnsXDGv

[54ny77]

Did you mean a Shamano?

The only hay I will buy is hand cut hay, it also must be blessed by a Shaman. No way would I feed my hand bred horse any other.

[cfox]

so some small town farmer goes out and cuts some hay, puts a sign on their lawn that it's hand cut, and you're butt hurt about it?

get a life, dude.

nice point-miss. Oh, and the "butt-hurt" thing...oy...applying just a tad more emotion than what was clearly expressed by the OP. When does wondering about something make the jump to "butt-hurt"?

I'm with Matt; I chuckle when the most prosaic of things has a "hand made" label attached to it, especially when the "hand making" will make 100% zero difference in the end product. I think I'd last 5 min in Brooklyn hipsterville before puking. And as an owner of horses, I can assure you they aren't picky about how their hay is cut as long as the grass is good.

Oh, and hand split, artisanal, free-range firewood? Yeah, it's been done. The CEO of the company I used to work for bought hand split, kiln dried apple wood custom cut to size for his specific fireplace. He like how it smelled.

[Lewis Moon]

The only hay I will buy is hand cut hay, it also must be blessed by a Shaman. No way would I feed my hand bred horse any other.

Need an obstetric sleeve for that?

http://www.vaishnavitrading.com/images/Long-sleeve-gloves.jpg

[josephr]

hand-cut hay is the next step for the certified organic logistics integration as those who are 'certified' are frequently looking deeper into all the inputs that make the final product organic. Is it extreme....maybe, maybe not, but can at least appreciate the rationale. Heck, everyone's gotta have an angle, right?
Joe

[cat6]

nice point-miss. Oh, and the "butt-hurt" thing...oy...applying just a tad more emotion than what was clearly expressed by the OP. When does wondering about something make the jump to "butt-hurt"?


"Seriously? This is what the world has come to?"

is this what the world has come to?! oh the agony. maybe i AM the one that's butt hurt, the above comment feels like a pretty dramatic response IMO. i'll politely bow out now and refrain from commenting on future useless posts.

[flyhippy]

I like the all gluten free band wagon that cracks me up too.

Yea, those people who avoid ingredients that they are allergic too are real morons. :bike:

[echelon_john]

http://www.artisanalpencilsharpening.com

[nighthawk]

sorry, i thought this was a cycling forum. what's your take on hand cut hay, nighthawk?

Cycling is what brings us here... The conversations (on and off topic) keep us around.

My take on hand-cut hay? I appreciate the hard work that goes into it, but doubt many would pay a premium for it. I'm not in the market for any hay myself, so personally don't really care. Mostly I just spoke up because I was shocked at how rude your comment was.

[gemship]

Yea, those people who avoid ingredients that they are allergic too are real morons. :bike:

Not exactly... its just that now it's become a huge marketing slogan and people will instantly associate some kind of pain like symptom with gluten in their diet. Not all people though and some actually do need to be gluten free but a lot don't and they just jump on the bandwagon anyway. It's another catch phrase and thats what makes big business.

[tiretrax]

Hand cut hay sounds very Vermontish. Or french. In France, even hay can get an appelation, making it more exclusive and expensive.

I think the craziest artisan item I've seen is a baseball for $75. Of course, it could be ordered with custom colors of each panel and stitching.

[gemship]

http://www.artisanalpencilsharpening.com

I used to try to make a pencil point with a razor blade and found it impossible and a waste of a perfectly good pencil. Thank goodness for the nearby dollar store that sells all sorts of cheap plastic stuff like pencil sharpeners with eraser ends for a mere buck. :banana:

[redir]

http://www.artisanalpencilsharpening.com

LOL that's just great!

[Netdewt]

Yea, those people who avoid ingredients that they are allergic too are real morons. :bike:

My thoughts exactly.

[jr59]

http://www.artisanalpencilsharpening.com

The term; jump the shark comes to mind on both these ideas

[echelon_john]

"When you don't want a roll in just ANY hay..."

[jmoore]

Artisanal Light Bulbs on Portlandia. Poor D'arbie

http://youtu.be/M9EyGxejt6E

[Netdewt]

Artisanal Light Bulbs on Portlandia. Poor D'arbie

http://youtu.be/M9EyGxejt6E

And the knots one, don't forget the knot shop.

[firerescuefin]

so some small town forum member goes online and starts a thread about the peculiarities of our culture in America, and you're butt hurt about it?

get a life, dude.

:) :)

That post rated a double smile.

[rugbysecondrow]

Dumb question:

Is Hand Cut Hay literally just hay, cut by hand? Is there anything else to it? Like, cut by hand, whilst whispering sweet nothings to it. Hay, serenaded at night, prior to being hand cut. Hay, watered with only the Lords sprinkle as to create the perfect hay-experience.

Marketing slogan: Hand Cut Hay, take a roll in it.

[Jgrooms]

Maybe the farmer likes the workout? Who are we aboard our contraptions to judge :-)

So farmer has a bit left over to sell. And no internal combustion engine required. Didn't know there was a market, but if the organic chicken gal wants to bed her chicks with it...well great!

[pbarry]

The scythe is one of the most efficient hand tools ever invented. With one stroke, a sharp scythe will cut 12-18 square feet of grass/hay/weeds. Incredible workout--The original crossfit training device.

[unterhausen]

My dad had a scythe when I was a kid. He was great at using it, he cut a nice path in the weeds down to our garden, which he also tilled by hand. I assume these were skills he learned as a youngster. Then again, he was a really big fan of tractors.

I tried using the scythe a couple of times, just never got it. You don't see the Amish around here hand-mowing. I assume some still do, but it's rare.

[ahsere]

$75 for an artisanal baseball is a pretty good price, I'd say. You're paying for a lot of stitches there. What worries me is that, if this baseball is "better" than a regular one, does it mean that it will travel farther when hit? Or just the opposite? Is it "better" for pitchers or for hitters?

As the artisanal pencil sharpening thing, I have a little anecdote. I took one standardized Spanish test once and I failed the writing part. The funny part is that I am a native speaker of Spanish who made a living as a journalist for a few years in Latin America. They said that my (usually more than acceptable) handwriting was illegible. If I had only had a brain, and an artisanaly sharpened pencil, I could have saved myself the disappointment. Oh well.

But since this is a cycling forum let's keep it real and show some innovative artisanal-hand-made-with-the-hands-only-except-for-some-handmade-tools cycling devices:

http://preserve.us/porter-cycling-crate.html

Now those are some fancy stitches. I'm saving my bitcoins.

[rustychisel]

is it winter for you guys up there? There's some fancy handcrafted comments on this and other threads.

Couldn't care less about handcut hay and not thought about it much, except... recently had a pizza with lashings of oregano on it and it was inedible, not because of taste but texture.

All that machine milled/cut oregano (including stems) was like grit and not at all palatable. Made me consider that when we make pizza at home we roll it out from a dried branch between our hands... no sharp bits.

That is all.

[OtayBW]

Hand-cut (scythe) hay is probably not crushed during the cutting, and therefore it may be (marginally.....) less sensitive to nutrient leaching if rained on during the drying phase. Better for your horse of course!!

[pbarry]

is it winter for you guys up there? There's some fancy handcrafted comments on this and other threads.

Couldn't care less about handcut hay and not thought about it much, except... recently had a pizza with lashings of oregano on it and it was inedible, not because of taste but texture.

All that machine milled/cut oregano (including stems) was like grit and not at all palatable. Made me consider that when we make pizza at home we roll it out from a dried branch between our hands... no sharp bits.

That is all.

Yeah, you got it with the branch rolling and avoiding dried oregano :beer:

Try making pesto using a knife to chop the fresh basil, and a glass jar to crush lightly toasted pine nuts. Great cheese, a tiny bit of finely chopped garlic, and fine olive oil finishes the recipe. Mix/lightly mash the ingredients with a big spoon and let sit for 1-2 hours at room temperature before serving over al dente pasta.

The coarse basil and pine nuts, (not destroyed by a blender), creates texture, flavor, and fond memories.

[rustychisel]

Yeah, you got it with the branch rolling and avoiding dried oregano :beer:

Try making pesto using a knife to chop the fresh basil, and a glass jar to crush lightly toasted pine nuts. Great cheese, a tiny bit of finely chopped garlic, and fine olive oil finishes the recipe. Mix/lightly mash the ingredients with a big spoon and let sit for 1-2 hours at room temperature before serving over al dente pasta.

The coarse basil and pine nuts, (not destroyed by a blender), creates texture, flavor, and fond memories.

Roger that. We grow all our own herbs, and usually harvest and store at the end of the season.

Love basil.

[Anarchist]

so some small town farmer goes out and cuts some hay, puts a sign on their lawn that it's hand cut, and you're butt hurt about it?

get a life, dude.

* ignore list

[Louis]

Dumb question:

Is Hand Cut Hay literally just hay, cut by hand? Is there anything else to it?

If you're getting scythed hay you might as well get something harvested with an entire line of combines - a scythe is essentially the equivalent of mass-production.

True connoisseurs settle for nothing less than individually cut stalks. There is some disagreement about whether it's better to use the "pull with the tweezers and cut with an X-acto blade" method or go with the "nail-clipper" system. Personally I go for the latter - you get less bruising.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2378/2468573290_0f6dc5abcd_z.jpg?zz=1

[Netdewt]

Is this like artisanal toast but for your livestock?

[pbarry]

Is this like artisanal toast but for your livestock?

Yes, tho Louis seems to be lobbying for mass production. :eek:

[jvp]

handcut hay is a bit much for me but there are plenty of other products I prefer to source locally - coffee, beer, meats, non-chain local restaurants, bread, etc. So I can see someone trying to "sell" the local artisan angle on just about anything. The market will decide whether it lives or not.

[Louis]

I only have one comment about this particular kerfuffle:

I bet you I could do 100 blind taste tests in a row, all on the same afternoon, and in one every single one I would still prefer the Chimay Blue Label over Budweiser - even on the 99th and 100th tests, when my ability to discern nectar from swill would presumably be significantly degraded.

[rustychisel]

I only have one comment about this particular kerfuffle:

I bet you I could do 100 blind taste tests in a row, all on the same afternoon, and in one every single one I would still prefer the Chimay Blue Label over Budweiser - even on the 99th and 100th tests, when my ability to discern nectar from swill would presumably be significantly degraded.


they urinate in it, makes every one an artisanal experience. ;)

[Louis]

Those monks sure are talented pissers!

[likebikes]

Anyone know what the going rate for this type of hay is? Just wondering if the hand cut aspect of it adds significant cost.

[pbarry]

I only have one comment about this particular kerfuffle:

I bet you I could do 100 blind taste tests in a row, all on the same afternoon, and in one every single one I would still prefer the Chimay Blue Label over Budweiser - even on the 99th and 100th tests, when my ability to discern nectar from swill would presumably be significantly improved.

Fixed it.

[MattTuck]

Anyone know what the going rate for this type of hay is? Just wondering if the hand cut aspect of it adds significant cost.

thanks to gdw for actually finding it for sale online. It is $150/ton.

This is the hay in question. http://burlington.craigslist.org/grd/4553572049.html

[pbarry]

That's cheap around here, whatever the method of cutting and baling.

[likebikes]

thanks to gdw for actually finding it for sale online. It is $150/ton.

This is the hay in question. http://burlington.craigslist.org/grd/4553572049.html
My question was rather what is the going rate for regular hay, of the non-hand cut variety. Sorry if that went over your head!
Upper valley prices, as I'm sure the market in colorado vs the hay in question in nh aren't really comparable. Or maybe they are, I really have no idea! :banana:

[gdw]

At $150 a ton their hourly wage is probably well below minimum wage if they cut it by hand.

[Netdewt]

Maybe someone made their kid cut it?

[MattTuck]

I sadly only follow the hand cut hay market ;)

I found this farm online. http://www.manninghillfarm.com/page04.html

First cut hay is sold for $5.50 per bale at the farm and second cut is sold for $6.50 a bale at the farm. Local delivery is also available at an additional cost of .50 cents per bale.

[rwsaunders]

I sent the CL ad to my business partner, who also operates a small cattle ranch with his wife, just east of Seattle. His response to the ad...

"...not to mention Timothy hay baled sells for $22 a bale here, $30 per ton. What the F is someone going to do with a loose stack if it's not in the field with the cows? Sorry, I have short patience for silliness...they must have more time than sense."

[cash05458]

this thread made me chuckle...being from Vermont I see alot of this...tourists come up here thinking they are going to find some rare old piece of furniture in some little shop for a pittance and worth a fortune...or hoping anyhow...and of course the shop owners I know are very wise to what they have and play off it to get more than the item is worth, they will play vermont dumb and get alot more than the thing is worth...and the made in vermont thing, while useful, gets outta hand...you could probably put out a box of "authentic vermont twigs" at a local farmers market and a folks would buy a few to take back to boston...

[oldpotatoe]

I pass a farm on one of my rides offering up "Hand cut Hay". Seriously? This is what the world has come to?

People buying hay now care that it was cut using the same technique as Jebediah, circa 1786?

Pretty soon we'll start seeing hand-sawn fire wood.

What's the craziest 'hand made' thing you've seen for sale?

How about 'home made' in a restaurant?..I always want to ask, 'who's home was this pie made in'..in the back of the restaurant, of course.

Giant ad shows all their carbon frames , 'hand made', well, sure, kinda, at least not a machine but some guy getting $30 a month laying one small piece of carbon in a mold, again, and again, and again...

[fuzzalow]

this thread made me chuckle...being from Vermont I see alot of this...tourists come up here thinking they are going to find some rare old piece of furniture in some little shop for a pittance and worth a fortune...or hoping anyhow...and of course the shop owners I know are very wise to what they have and play off it to get more than the item is worth, they will play vermont dumb and get alot more than the thing is worth...and the made in vermont thing, while useful, gets outta hand...you could probably put out a box of "authentic vermont twigs" at a local farmers market and a folks would buy a few to take back to boston...

HaHa! Hard to feel too bad for those that do this type of buying. They should not dabble in things they know little to nothing about so it serves them right.

In fairness, I don't think this crowd we are poking fun at as amateur furniture collectors and appraisers is necessarily the Boston crowd in the sense of the urbane sophisticate or Beacon Hill-types. Because those types know, if not directly about furniture, then at least they know about the patina of good things or the ways of the world and are not so easily fooled.

[redir]

This argument comes up often in my other line of work which is building guitars. Small builders like myself who put out ten guitars a year verses big companies who produce 400/week and yet their label claims they are hand made because some one on the assembly line actually touched it.

Fact is even small builders like myself are not literally hand making guitars. If that were the case then I'd have no need for electricity in my shop. I would hand saw veneers right off the log to use for the top, back, and sides of the guitar. No thanks, I'' just use my hands to run them through a band saw and planner first ;) Granted there is a LOT of 'hand made' that goes into building a guitar in a small shop or even to some extent a factory but the terminology has been greatly exploited.

BTW Hardee's has hand dipped ice cream yum yum yum.

[fuzzalow]

This argument comes up often in my other line of work which is building guitars. Small builders like myself who put out ten guitars a year verses big companies who produce 400/week and yet their label claims they are hand made because some one on the assembly line actually touched it.

Fact is even small builders like myself are not literally hand making guitars. If that were the case then I'd have no need for electricity in my shop. I would hand saw veneers right off the log to use for the top, back, and sides of the guitar. No thanks, I'' just use my hands to run them through a band saw and planner first ;) Granted there is a LOT of 'hand made' that goes into building a guitar in a small shop or even to some extent a factory but the terminology has been greatly exploited.

BTW Hardee's has hand dipped ice cream yum yum yum.

I build guitars also. Not big bodied Jazz boxes but relatively simple solid body electrics. I build Gibson-type guitars for myself in the manner that Gibson is not capable or no longer interested in building. I disagree somewhat with your suggestion that using power tools detracts from the hand made aspect of guitars. Building guitars is precision work and tuning a Jazz box hollow body requires an ear. I hope one day to build a few big Jazz boxes.

Gibson even during the time from Kalamazoo was an outgrowth of the furniture industry so it was always a production facility. John D'Angelico working out of his Second Avenue shop in NYC is, however, a completely different level of handcrafted artisanship. I suspect your work is along the lines of the latter and not the former.

[redir]

I build guitars also. Not big bodied Jazz boxes but relatively simple solid body electrics. I build Gibson-type guitars for myself in the manner that Gibson is not capable or no longer interested in building. I disagree somewhat with your suggestion that using power tools detracts from the hand made aspect of guitars. Building guitars is precision work and tuning a Jazz box hollow body requires an ear. I hope one day to build a few big Jazz boxes.

Gibson even during the time from Kalamazoo was an outgrowth of the furniture industry so it was always a production facility. John D'Angelico working out of his Second Avenue shop in NYC is, however, a completely different level of handcrafted artisanship. I suspect your work is along the lines of the latter and not the former.

I didn't mean to suggest that at all. I have power equipment because while I can do the same thing with a hand plane I can get it done accurately and quickly in less then a tenth of the time. It's still hand made. What I am saying is that when you see the label 'hand made' on something like a Yamaha (still good guitars) then it's an exploitation of the term.

But over on the luthier forums we argue about this all the time :)

So now I've met yet another bike rider who builds guitars, I swear there are a lot of us out there and seems to be some sort of connection. A D'Angelico would be a prize possession if I could ever afford one. I've built about ten electric guitars and some bass's but mostly build steel string and classical guitars. I've recently built a Selmer guitar and think I am going try and get better at those, they are neat instruments.

[Louis]

This argument comes up often in my other line of work which is building guitars.

I build guitars also.

I've often wondered how John Monteleone must have felt when Mark Knopfler sat him down and played "Monteleone" for him for the first time.

I suppose not unlike a frame-builder might feel when something he's built wins a stage at the TdF.

[Germany_chris]

I only have one comment about this particular kerfuffle:

I bet you I could do 100 blind taste tests in a row, all on the same afternoon, and in one every single one I would still prefer the Chimay Blue Label over Budweiser - even on the 99th and 100th tests, when my ability to discern nectar from swill would presumably be significantly degraded.

I could taste the difference 100 times out of a 100 too and I'd pick the Budweiser swill over the Belgian swill any day.

[echelon_john]

Did someone say "authentic Vermont twigs!?"

http://www.yankeemagazine.com/article/home-3/fetchstix-dog-toy



this thread made me chuckle...being from Vermont I see alot of this...tourists come up here thinking they are going to find some rare old piece of furniture in some little shop for a pittance and worth a fortune...or hoping anyhow...and of course the shop owners I know are very wise to what they have and play off it to get more than the item is worth, they will play vermont dumb and get alot more than the thing is worth...and the made in vermont thing, while useful, gets outta hand...you could probably put out a box of "authentic vermont twigs" at a local farmers market and a folks would buy a few to take back to boston...

[Netdewt]

I could taste the difference 100 times out of a 100 too and I'd pick the Budweiser swill over the Belgian swill any day.

The grass is greener? Pun intended?

[Rednivek]

I pass a farm on one of my rides offering up "Hand cut Hay". Seriously? This is what the world has come to?

People buying hay now care that it was cut using the same technique as Jebediah, circa 1786?

Pretty soon we'll start seeing hand-sawn fire wood.

What's the craziest 'hand made' thing you've seen for sale?

I guess the question for me is what "hand cut" or "hand made" implies. Does it imply better quality (hay isn't as sharp or he hand picked the best plants?) or does it imply that a guy was toiling and earning a living the hard way or does it imply extra care and love or does it imply its locally sourced?

Any of those are appealing to me. Hay or bike part.

[Tim Porter]

Okay, let me call back to my distant youth and "making hay". If you look back at post #43, you see that combine cutting about 20-25 rows of hay at once and then it spits out a neat row of cut hay for the baling machine to come along, scoop it up and create bales of hay that are put on the wagon behind it by sweaty teenagers making 75 cents an hour.

The knock on combines is that they are allegedly the nuclear solution to cutting hay. Every freakin mouse, fox, rabbit, hunting house cat and vole in the field is hoovered up in the process and probably in that nice pile of hay about to be baled.

So let's say our Vermont farmer sees a value instead in hiring 4 more teenagers, teaches them to use a scythe and sends them down those 25 rows to cut the hay. Then he uses his hay rake on his tractor to make rows for the baler and proceeds on his way to making bales. No huge combine to buy and fuel up, four paid teenagers who are happy they have money to buy ice cream for Linda Sue and no dead small mammals.

I can see this scenario being real. May not do it myself if I was in the farm business, but if I didn't have 100s of acres of hay fields, or had rocky New England fields, I'd consider it . . . .

Just trying to make sense of this, y'know. Tim

[Tom]

I dunno... I cut hay with a sickle bar attached to a '52 Ford 8N, made windrows with a Ferguson PTO attached rake, baled it with a New Holland baler and still found plenty of garter snakes in the bales... in Vermont. Any machinery will suck up things.

To quote John Prine:

"Roosters laying chickens,
Chickens laying eggs.
Farm machinery eating people's arms and legs
I ain't hurtin' nobody,
I ain't hurtin' no one"

And to get back closer to topic - west of town there's a hand painted sign:

"Manure for sale
Made fresh daily"

[Ozz]

The scythe is one of the most efficient hand tools ever invented. With one stroke, a sharp scythe will cut 12-18 square feet of grass/hay/weeds. Incredible workout--The original crossfit training device.

Sega jokoa (scything)

Literally "scythe game", this sport is also known as segalariak (scythers), sega proba (scythe test), sega apustua (scythe bet) or segalaritza (scything). The earliest record of this sport comes from a bertso dating back to 1880 about a competition in Iturriotz.

In this sport competitors (called segalari) either compete to cut the most grass in a given space of time (usually one hour) or they are each given plots of grass of the same size and the competition is to see who can scythe theirs the fastest. Today the competition usually lasts one hour but two-hour competitions also are still held. At the end, the grass is raked, weighed and baled to establish the winner. Traditionally, as with most Basque sports, the competitors would make a profit by betting but monetary prizes have been put up since the 1950s.

There are few actual records in this sport as it very much depends on the terrain and is thus difficult to compare. But a number of segalari have achieved fame nonetheless, for example the legendary Pedro Maria Otaño Ezeitza, commonly known as Santa Ageda from Beizama who was also an aizkolari and competed up until 1915. Another famed event was the competition of 1925 in Iturriotz when, before a crowd of 6000, Pedro Mendizabal from Aia and Jose Arrieta from Urnieta battled each other. Legend has it that more than 150,000 pesetas in bets were placed. Mendizabal won, cutting 4294 kg of grass in two hours against his rival's 3957 kg.

The use of scythes is still widespread today as many pastures are to steep for modern farm machinery so scythes are used to cut grass or bracken. Working scythes have blades between 0.9-0.95m long but competition scythes range from 1.18-1.24m in length. A decent segalari can manage some 5000m2 in a day.

[Louis]

Pedro Mendizabal from Aia and Jose Arrieta from Urnieta battled each other. Legend has it that more than 150,000 pesetas in bets were placed. Mendizabal won, cutting 4294 kg of grass in two hours against his rival's 3957 kg.

Well known doper. That result was voided years ago.

[MattTuck]

ha!

the basque country seems like a really interesting place to visit.

[Germany_chris]

The grass is greener? Pun intended?

Nah I'm just a known hater of Belgian beer but then I don't like Schwäbisch beer either. I like craft American brews, the bulk of UK beers, and Bavarian beer in no particular order. I really wish I could get Bells Oberon over here Germans don't do light fruity beer like that.

[Netdewt]

Nah I'm just a known hater of Belgian beer but then I don't like Schwäbisch beer either. I like craft American brews, the bulk of UK beers, and Bavarian beer in no particular order. I really wish I could get Bells Oberon over here Germans don't do light fruity beer like that.

Kolsch?

[Louis]

Nah I'm just a known hater of Belgian beer but then I don't like Schwäbisch beer either. I like craft American brews, the bulk of UK beers, and Bavarian beer in no particular order.

I can somewhat understand this, but the fact that you defended Budweiser and put the Belgians at an equivalent level speaks volumes...

More seriously, Weihenstephaner Korbinian is near the top of my personal favorites list:

http://thebeerfan.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/WeihenstephanerKorbinian.jpg

[Germany_chris]

@Netdewt To far north for me to have outside of airports so I really don't have an opinion.

[Germany_chris]

I can somewhat understand this, but the fact that you defended Budweiser and put the Belgians at an equivalent level speaks volumes...

More seriously, Weihenstephaner Korbinian is near the top of my personal favorites list:

http://thebeerfan.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/WeihenstephanerKorbinian.jpg

I put them both on the same plane, neither I like so if I'm going to drink either I'll choose the home team.

[MattTuck]

Sega jokoa (scything)

Literally "scythe game", this sport is also known as segalariak (scythers), sega proba (scythe test), sega apustua (scythe bet) or segalaritza (scything). The earliest record of this sport comes from a bertso dating back to 1880 about a competition in Iturriotz.

In this sport competitors (called segalari) either compete to cut the most grass in a given space of time (usually one hour) or they are each given plots of grass of the same size and the competition is to see who can scythe theirs the fastest. Today the competition usually lasts one hour but two-hour competitions also are still held. At the end, the grass is raked, weighed and baled to establish the winner. Traditionally, as with most Basque sports, the competitors would make a profit by betting but monetary prizes have been put up since the 1950s.

There are few actual records in this sport as it very much depends on the terrain and is thus difficult to compare. But a number of segalari have achieved fame nonetheless, for example the legendary Pedro Maria Ota�o Ezeitza, commonly known as Santa Ageda from Beizama who was also an aizkolari and competed up until 1915. Another famed event was the competition of 1925 in Iturriotz when, before a crowd of 6000, Pedro Mendizabal from Aia and Jose Arrieta from Urnieta battled each other. Legend has it that more than 150,000 pesetas in bets were placed. Mendizabal won, cutting 4294 kg of grass in two hours against his rival's 3957 kg.

The use of scythes is still widespread today as many pastures are to steep for modern farm machinery so scythes are used to cut grass or bracken. Working scythes have blades between 0.9-0.95m long but competition scythes range from 1.18-1.24m in length. A decent segalari can manage some 5000m2 in a day.

Witness Scything in action.
http://i.imgur.com/bplD94Y.gifv

[VTCaraco]

Witness Scything in action.
http://i.imgur.com/bplD94Y.gifv

I got to think that a day or two of that would leave a person pretty fit.

[slidey]

So that's how crop circles come about.

[cadence90]

So that's how crop circles come about.

Beer-drinking aliens with scythes?

[Dead Man]

Not every day someone necro-posts their own thread..

[Louis]

Witness Scything in action.
http://i.imgur.com/bplD94Y.gifv

^^^^^ That's her day job.

vvvvvvv This is her nighttime job.

(there are more, but this one is more "family friendly" than most)

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/c7/8e/c1/c78ec1610b3781e49540d7c515240a52.jpg

[CampyorBust]

Witness Scything in action.
http://i.imgur.com/bplD94Y.gifv

Dragging the blade on the ground = amateur >>>>>>>>:rolleyes:

Is the chicken local?

https://youtu.be/ErRHJlE4PGI

[Black Dog]

Artesianal Firewood.

https://youtu.be/TBb9O-aW4zI

[Cicli]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=spMaP-_Cq_8

[MattTuck]

This guy works smart, not hard.

https://www.reddit.com/r/specializedtools/comments/cq6ewn/this_cutter_for_hay_harvesting_in_vietnam/

[572cv]

I didn’t catch this thread the first time around, I think. I have two scythes; one is a fruit or orchard model with a shorter blade, the other is for fields. Back in the day, I decided to try to mow a small piece of field, about a third of an acre, by hand. What a ton of work, but my technique got better. Somewhere, there is an old Soviet film from the thirties, of a field being cut by a line of farmers. There are perhaps fifty of them, or more, in my memory. The field is as far as the eye can see. The cutters are in an echelon, each taking a step forward in synch, a ballet of stepping and cutting. It is fascinating in its shared skill and purpose.
I still use my scythes. They have to be really sharp, though, and that takes care.

[jmoore]

I pass a farm on one of my rides offering up "Hand cut Hay". Seriously? This is what the world has come to?

People buying hay now care that it was cut using the same technique as Jebediah, circa 1786?

Pretty soon we'll start seeing hand-sawn fire wood.

What's the craziest 'hand made' thing you've seen for sale?

Ask and ye shall receive

https://youtu.be/TBb9O-aW4zI

[bikinchris]

Ohhh, so that is the point of all this. I thought this small time farmer was trying to save the planet because he can't afford to maintain his tractor.

Actually the vast majority of cyclist really don't even care, need or want a handmade bicycle. Don't get me wrong even most layman can appreciate the craftsmanship and unique qualities but it's the price of building one up complete with components that makes hand made bikes another douche a rolling thru the night. It's too bad cycling is realistically a slightly elitist yuppie uppity activity but hand made don't really help the image much.

I used to not understand the desire for a handmade custom bike. Then because of circumstances, I got a Serotta. Now I understand.
You don't need a new frame, get fitted and find out the dimensions you would want. Keep an eye on the classifieds and eventually a good frame will come around.

[Mzilliox]

yeah, id buy the guys hay if i needed hay. i appreciate people who dont take the easy way out and trade fuel for something that can be done with honest work. i think we cheapen everything in this world, to our own detriment. i think its bizarre that one would even think this is odd. i use a machete instead of a weedwacker, some people think about more than money, some people have standards in everything.

i dont get the point of this at all

[bikinchris]

yeah, id buy the guys hay if i needed hay. i appreciate people who dont take the easy way out and trade fuel for something that can be done with honest work. i think we cheapen everything in this world, to our own detriment. i think its bizarre that one would even think this is odd. i use a machete instead of a weedwacker, some people think about more than money, some people have standards in everything.

i dont get the point of this at all

Some people would be proud of having sex standing up in a canoe. Others see no point in it.

[Mzilliox]

Some people would be proud of having sex standing up in a canoe. Others see no point in it.

exactly, but why is it worth talking about? thats the sort of thing you see, go hmmpf, then just keep walking. or try when you get home, as that would be an amazing feat.

who cares...

sorry, my mood was trashed yesterday, then i read this crap and felt like the world had gone mad with negativity just because it can.

[Tickdoc]

This post is one reason why I love this place. It’s just the best!

Hay is for horses and we just need to all sit back and enjoy the glory of someone taking the time to hand cut their hay and sell it with pride.

I bet if he used a bike with blades attached to do the trimming it would be lauded here as a novel and worthy achievement.

I feel like watching some Portlandia now.

[Steve in SLO]

Ask and ye shall receive

https://youtu.be/TBb9O-aW4zI

Ha!
I was just going to post this. Except it’s not really for sale.

[93KgBike]

Is it any wonder that people are becoming anachronistic, when everything we invented and used to sell to the world is now manufactured in China and sold back to us?

Nobody can afford the time it takes to become a cabinet maker because, no community of American ancestral architecture can afford to pay skilled workers the wage they'd deserve for acquiring the skills required to maintain 150 y/o housing stock. Is it any wonder our children and grand-children are building houses on trailers, or in vans?

The human impulse is straining to break free of the goddmned economy, and big education keeps trying to sell us loans so we can double down on nothing much, at all.

In our '1st-world' economy, farmers are sitting 11 feet off the ground in air-conditioned cabs listening to Rush Limbaugh on satellite radio while they harvest wheat.

Is it any wonder that someone, maybe some wealthy child or grandchild we know, wants to stand on the Earth itself, put their hands into the crops they've grown and harvest them into the satchel on their hip?

I find nothing laughable in the actual human act of farming. In my community it's how a lot of people feed their children, or afford less basic necessities.

If you hadn't seen the ad you'd have never noticed them at all. And the impoverished rural American has been here struggling and losing you're whole life. And yes, they've been "artisanal farming".

The next time we all drive by a family member sitting in the shade behind their truck of produce, let's stop, and let's buy something.

[Johnnyg]

Noticed a sign in southern New Hampshire, "Wild Apple Wood" for sale.....

[sipmeister]

Back in the old country I remember watching gramps wielding a grim-reaper style scythe and cutting hay. But he did it because the tractor was broke down, not out of desire. Heck of a work out I'm sure.
In today's culture, I guess knowing your hay was cut without using a combustion engine sure makes some people all cutie and fuzzy inside. To each his own.