#46 How to Bale Hay

Your mom has won the first place in the bale-throwing contest at the Lorraine park fair youth competition when she was about 12 or 13.  So this is an advice straight from the champion.  (straw bale, piece of cake :) 

First, it should be 95 degrees outside :)   jk.  It's usually hot and humid outside.  Dress in long sleeves and long pants to protect your skin.  Put on some gloves that are not too thick so you can grab the twine on the bales.  Get some boots that are really heavy and about four sizes too big (usually mom's or dad's :).   Note:  watch out for snakes and start stacking.

Bend over, grab the twine, pull up, lift with your arm, boost up with one of your knees, then throw the bale up on the rack wagon.  This is usually best done with four other siblings to share this experience with.  Proceed until all the bales are picked up.  Then climb up into the hayloft when you get back to the barn, and start stacking, keep an eye on dad so you can get out of the way when those bales come flying (Pap had knocked us over many times when mommy was a kid).

Note:  Due to all the debris and dust kicked up, you will find interesting things coming out of your nose for the next couple of days.  On a good note you probably won't have any allergies in your life as your body says, "We've seen this before."

#15 Certified Organic and Non-GMO

More and more pesticides, herbicides, and tons more chemicals are being used in today's agriculture.  A simple example: if it's winter season where you live, you can still find mangoes or papayas or other tropical fruits in your local groceries store simply because they harvested these fruits when they were still very young and green, wrapped them up well, shipped to stores, and the stores infused these fruits with ethylene gas to hasten / speed up the ripening of these fruits.  This is aside from the main issues of pesticides and herbicides used to fight off infections, pests, molding, etc.

So honey, look for those food items labeled USDA organic, and/or non-GMO (non genetically modified organisms).  Take time to watch Robert Kenner's documentary movie: Food Inc. and read these two books: Eric Schlosser's Fast Food Nation and Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma.