Many fields were left virtually untouched by damaging winds, but there were others that were left almost flat! For us "English", who use large choppers to harvest corn for silage, the flattened fields can be troublesome enough. But for the Amish, who typically use horse drawn binders to cut their corn and then put it through a chopper at the bottom of the silo, it's another story!
This morning we saw our neighbor using something we've never seen before. When something like this happens, the Amish bishops give their permission for "unconventional" methods of harvesting.
The horses in front are pulling a two row chopper, which blows the silage back into the silage wagon behind, which is pulled by a team of mules. This was their first round on this field...this part of the field is still standing nicely...
Every so often they had to stop and unplug the chopper. The mules wait patiently...
Some minor mechanical difficulties, and they're ready to go again. Ahead of the horses, you can see the flattened corn...
And off they go...
It's a bit tricky to hit the silage wagon! The mules have to walk directly behind the chopper, at least on the outside rows, so the silage blows back over their heads, over the driver's head, and into the wagon. They got it straightened out!
Some Amish farmers are getting the "English" choppers to come into their fields, but they can't get everyone's corn chopped before the corn gets too dry. We've even heard of choppers going cross-ways throught the field to try to lift downed corn. In situations like this, creative juices flow!
Thankfully, most fields aren't like this one!
