Hay, Alfalfa!
by John Weckerle
No, not the one in The Little Rascals – today, we’re talking real hay, and real alfalfa. Many area farmers are currently harvesting alfalfa, and yesterday I had the privilege of joining Jim and Peggy Schwebach and Ryan Schwebach at their farm near McIntosh, NM to get a first-hand look at how alfalfa is harvested. The Schwebachs grow alfalfa and corn (for silage), much of which is consumed by dairy cattle within the state.
Harvesting alfalfa is not simply a matter of starting up the mower and picking up some hay. First, the alfalfa is cut and laid out in windrows. The Schwebachs use flat windrows to allow for a wider variety of conditions under which the hay can be collected. Alfalfa can only be baled effectively under certain conditions, and knowing when to bale requires balancing a complex range of variables including temperature, dew point, humidity, and wind speed. All of these can affect the moisture content of the hay, which is critical to successful baling as well as the value of the hay. To estimate the time at which conditions may be right, the Schwebachs monitor the hourly predictions available at the NOAA NWS web site (McIntosh, NM example). They must then be ready to confirm that conditions are right using real-time measurements at the farm.
The hay is then gathered together, using a piece of equipment called a rake, into rows narrow enough for the baler to collect it. This is not your garden-variety tool, but a machine specifically designed for the purpose. The Schwebachs use a modified version, with collecting apparatus both on the front and rear of the rake to ensure the best possible row configuration. The baler (in which I took a ride with Ryan Schwebach) then comes through, collects the hay, and processes it into bales using a complicated system of equipment that presses the hay together and binds it with twine. The baler can hold up to three bales and can drop bales at strategic locations, which are generally chosen to minimize running heavy trucks over the soil. The bales are then loaded on to hay trucks, which take them to a hay barn to await transport.
During the visit, Ryan Schwebach explained the concept of relative feed value and how it affects the target market for the hay. Hay with a high relative feed value, which includes much of the alfalfa produced by the Schwebachs, is good for dairy cattle, but may be inappropriate and even dangerous for horses.
Peggy Schwebach also took me on a tour of the surrounding countryside, and we discussed one of the potential issues associated with converting water use from agricultural to consumptive use. Peggy pointed out that there are currently no requirements regarding management of the land from which the water rights are transferred. She indicated that there could be a potential (depending on such factors as crop type and farming methods) for some land to become barren, after which soil could be removed by wind. We looked at a number of locations which had been previously farmed but were now no longer used for agricultural purposes, and the prevalence of bare, dry, and friable soil was startling when compared with active agricultural land and undisturbed land typical of the area.
In forming plans for converting water to consumptive use, it would certainly be appropriate to consider the effect on the land surface in the future. Longtime area residents have described the conditions of the middle twentieth century, when huge quantities of windblown soil filled the air and clogged roads. We certainly do not want to see a return of those conditions. In managing natural resources, it is critical to understand and take into account not only the individual resource, but its interaction with other resources.
My trip to visit with the Schwebachs’ farm was both fun and educational. I have been invited back to learn about the complex irrigation system that provides water to the crops, and I am looking forward to the trip!
3 Responses “Hay, Alfalfa!”
Nice piece John. When you visit the farm to talk about irrigation can you get some information about alfalfa yield per acre. i.e., tons. And, how the yield has increased over the years with proper water management and improved farming methods and equipment..
When I was a youth of 13 and on up to 15, I baled hay with a system that required two men (or boys). One to drive the tractor that pulled the baler and a small trailer and one to stack the bales on the trailer as they exited the baler. Now, just thinking about farm work of any kind, makes my back hurt.
Thank you and the Schwebachs for a nice and informative piece.
Good write on hay, John. Thanks for visiting with us and I appreciate your giving a “heads up” to one issue we may need to face– land use/abuse and protection– as we see changes in how we use our water resources. Land/water/animal/plants/humans……we belong together, but in balance. The resources will not forgive misuse.
Just finished a fascinating book: “Great American Dust Bowl The Untold Story of Those WHo Survived The Great American Dust Bowl” by Timothy Egan. Very readable, hard to put down book! An amazing story of what may have been the greatest environmental disaster the US ever faced…..and how the men, who, by thinking outside the box, figured they could turn a disaster around in the face of unbelievable odds and did so. I can’t help but wonder if we are not on the edge of making similar mistakes, but this time we may not have the water to bring recovery. Just how much can we grow and spread out on the land and still keep a healthy balance?
Sorry-my keyboard and I did not compute well. The book: ” The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived The Great American Dust Bowl” by Timothy Egan