I opened the front door and stuck my arm out into the dawn—yup, it was chilly, just like the weatherman said. Best I slip on a sweater before my coveralls this morning. It was Thursday, and a trip to the abattoir was the first task of the day. After spending a good amount of time trying to back the trailer up to the barn—windows frosted over, of course—I finally got the lambs loaded, and off we went for the short 10-minute drive.
As I pulled in, I realized another farmer was already backed into the unloading chute. So, I parked and jumped out, hoping for a good chat. Well, when I saw who it was, I knew for sure a chat was in store. None other than George V. himself—a bit of a livestock legend around these parts. George is 75 now and has been running cattle for as long as anyone can remember. A retired schoolteacher, too, so pretty much everyone knows George, I’d say.
We first met him years ago when we got our first calves. We bought some hay from him, and he was eager to lend us some wisdom. We got George’s cattle unloaded and into the stalls, and with no one else in line, we settled in for a talk.
We started by catching up on mutual friends and family, and then, naturally, got to discussing the farms for sale this fall—who’s buying, who’s selling—the things any respectable farmer needs to know. But just as George was about to leave, the conversation turned valuable.
“Well, I’d better get going,” George said. “We’ve got hay cut, and I need to get it baled.” I must’ve looked a bit bewildered. “What?” I said. “I thought you couldn’t cut hay after September 5 around here. I read you need to leave the top growth so the roots have energy to make it through winter.”
George grinned. “Yeah, that’s true, Rod. But once the frost kills the top growth, you can cut it and still use it.”
“Ohhh,” I said. “Really? That’s news to me, but it sure explains why I’ve seen so much hay being cut this week!” I couldn’t believe it—this bit of info was a game changer. “You made my day, George. I’ve been worried we wouldn’t have enough hay to last until spring.”
Now here’s where it gets a little funny. I’m thinking to myself, Wow, I just learned something from an old farmer that Google can’t teach you! After all, it was Google that had convinced me not to cut any more hay this fall. But then George says, “Hang on, Rod. I don’t want to lead you astray.” And what does he do? Pulls out his smartphone and dictates the question about cutting hay in the fall.
The first response pops up, and it’s the one I’d read—Ontario Ministry of Agriculture saying not to cut after early September. I’m feeling pretty justified, but George quickly points out the second response. “See? It says the old rule of thumb is either five weeks before frost, or one week after!”
“Well, I’ll be!” I hadn’t seen that part. “George, you’ve made my day!” With that, he hopped in his truck and drove off.
I unloaded my lambs and headed home, eager to tell Anne the good news. The good news? We’ll have enough hay to make it through winter after all. The bad news? All the hay equipment we’d cleaned up and put away for the season now has to come back out!
There’s something about these impromptu chats with fellow farmers. You never know what kind of value they’ll bring—whether it’s a practical tip that saves your day or just the warmth of connecting with someone who understands this life. Either way, I always walk away with something worth keeping.
Farmer Rod