Happy Fall Y’All! You may think that things start to slow down on a farm in the fall, but that’s not the case for us. We’re in the middle of a second cutting of hay, and it’s also calving season. We’ll show you some cute new baby calves in another post, but for now, let’s talk about hay.
We’ve said it before, but it’s so important that it’s worth saying again — the grass we grow in our fields is the key to good beef cattle.
Like people, cows need a complete and balanced diet. What do cows eat to get that complete and balanced diet? Grass. That’s why it’s our job to provide quality grass so that our cattle get the nutrition they need. Said another way, all grass is not equal — some is more nutrient rich than other.
For example, when we have a wet winter and spring, we know that will increase the soil moisture level. This in turn means better grass for the livestock to eat during the spring and summer. It also means we will usually be able to make more hay per field, which we will use during the upcoming winter.
Depending on the year and the quality of grass, we’re often able to get two cuttings from a field. That means we cut the grass once in the summer and make hay bales, and then we go back a second time and repeat the process once the grass has grown a little. We’ve already done the first cutting and now we’re on to the second cutting of hay. Here’s a video of a hay bale being made during a second cutting of hay.
Nice to Meet You!
We're Matt & Jessica, fifth-generation cattle farmers & the owners of Clover Meadows Beef. Good food starts with knowing where it comes from. On our blog, you'll find easy beef recipes, cooking tips, stories of how we raise our cattle, and how to buy farm-fresh beef locally. Our goal is to make cooking beef easy so you feel confident cooking any cut of beef in your home kitchen.