Seeding Alfalfa...

One of the first things that farmers in our area do in the spring (as far as field work goes) is to seed alfalfa.  We have always tried to seed alfalfa the first week of April.  This year however, because of the extremely wet and cool spring that we've had, the alfalfa has gone in later than usual...up to a month behind schedule!

Most of our crops are put into the ground using the no-till method, with one exception being alfalfa.  Alfalfa can be no-tilled, but we don't usually do it that way. 

 A stand of alfalfa will last for several years before it is rotated with either corn or beans, and Jim didn't put in any new stands this year.  So... since I don't have any pictures of the seeder in action, I'll try to describe it to you!

The ground where the alfalfa will be seeded needs to be very smooth and finely worked.  After discing to break up the clumps of dirt, and spring-hiring to smooth the soil, we usually go on a rock picking expedition.  Any stones or rocks bigger than our fists are gathered out of the field and added to the rock pile.  (Did you know that most farms have one of those?  Just check out behind the barn, or in some out of the way place and you'll surely find it!)

Then it's time for the seeder...

The wheels on the seeder are for transport only...they will be removed for use in the field.  The seed is poured into the seed box on the top...and those  heavy rollers on the back tightly pack the soil over the freshly seeded alfalfa...

The seeds are tiny...

If all goes well, with the right combination of rain and sunshine, the field will soon look like this one.  (I "borrowed" a picture of our neighbor's field!)  The green haze that you see in the top picture is the alfalfa beginning to grow.  The close up at the bottom is of the leaves just beginning to form...

This alfalfa will grow quickly, and the farmer will likely get three cuttings of hay from it this year.

We own one of several seeders that are in the area; neighboring farmers rent it by the acre.  Just the other day, an Amish neighbor brought it back and was chatting with Jim for a bit.  He remembers using it way back in 1977, right after Jim's dad purchased it. 

 It's made a lot of rounds, and I'm sure if it could talk, it would have lots of stories to tell!