Best Bale Processor

Learn the six main steps and environmental benefits building a straw bale greenhouse. Additional detail work needs to be completed prior to the stacking of bales in places where moisture might possibly enter the wall; for example, where the straw bales...

Growing plants in a straw bale garden is a type of container gardening, with the straw bale being a large, elevated container with good drainage. The big box stores offer decorative straw bales during the autumn holidays, but they are small and not suitable...

For gardeners with a tired back or stiff knees, a hay-bale plot virtually eliminates bending and stooping: There is no soil to dig, and it requires very little weeding. On the "off" days, water the bale deeply but do not add fertilizer.

Place bales on top of the plastic, end to end tightly, in rows with the twines facing up. Gardening in bales allows you to transform rocky, uneven or clay soil — or even a paved parking spot — into fertile growing space.

It's a team effort, and to keep things running smoothly I've found that you need at least a half-dozen people (preferably more). It's not the easiest of tasks, but baling your own hay is a satisfying project that is—in my opinion—well worth the effort...

Like it or not, the act of converting animals into food happens behind closed doors, away from farmers' eyes. Taking animals to the processor isn't the most intuitive farm task, but these basic tips can make the day easier.

There is no need to dig into the ground.Cover the potato row(s) with at least 6 inches of straw. The 2 feet will allow the potatoes to grow and spread under the straw. The pieces can be placed directly on top of the ground.

Grow the beans until they have two or three true leaves. Also, composting with hay bales allows you to construct a completely green compost bin that eventually turns into compost itself.

That said, I have some favorites that I have built and other favorites that I have only seen. Humidity, however, can be an issue. There's a lot of labor involved in building with bales, as is true of just about any natural building material, so there's...

This simple raised-bed technique safely eliminates the need to stoop all the way to the ground, reducing many injury concerns associated with in-ground planting and conventional raised beds that are only a foot or so above ground.

16 bales, build two four-sided, double-layer bins that share the interior wall. Because straw is compostable, your straw-bale walls will begin to decompose with the pile. If your pile starts to smell, turn it—it's probably too wet and needs oxygen:...

Make sure you ask for the cuts you'll enjoy cooking. “The longer you smoke it, the better it is,” says Dave Bowen, store manager and head butcher at Kingsley Meats and Catering in Louisville, Ky. Finish off the brisket by roasting at 200 degrees F...

Outbreaks of salmonella and listeria. What's happening at a West Coast chicken processor makes me question its claim to humane. Now, I'm not pointing fingers at AHC or Foster Farms exclusively, but I can't help but think something isn't going right when...

Make your hay harvest last with these tips for efficient hay storage. Outdoor Storage If the hay storage area is open on one or more sides, or if it's a shed with only a roof, cover the fully-cured hay with a tarp to keep out weather and light.

You don't have to bend over as much as working at ground level, which is an advantage for those with back problems or other physical challenges. Folks are very intrested in it, and once they try it, they are hooked.The first step is to obtain your bales,...

After the stress of a drive with the truck and trailer, you'd probably be turned away if you didn't make an appointment ahead of time. “A very important part of growing animals for meat is understanding each species' life cycle and nutritional needs,...

Others, who use no-till planting methods, run a sprayer over the field filled with herbicide to kill the weeds. The crop of wheat or straw must be allowed to grow and mature before harvesting.The wheat or oat crop must be allowed to mature before harvesting...

Good crates are an expensive investment. “The more dirt and poop that comes to a processing plant, the more chance for contamination,” Gwin points out. Make An Appointment Finding a processor who is able to work with small batches of chickens is difficult.

Any investment you make in feeding infrastructure will likely result in a forage-loss savings over time. (Generally, the hay is pulled from square bales.) These nets and bags are small and generally only hold one feeding's worth at a time.

Building on this innovation, in 1937, Pennsylvanian Ed Nolt used knotters from the improved Innes baler to hand-build the first successful automatic pickup square baler. Top Meanwhile, in 1936, a “man named Innes,” of Davenport , Iowa , pioneered...

Yes, there are even apps for horses. Researchers collected data on nearly 700 horses to develop the app. “Determining a horse's body weight is critical for weight and feeding management, and for administering medication,” said Molly McCue, University...

Unfortunately, there are no cheap, easy fixes for beef producers who have short pastures and limited hay supplies . Use a hay-feeding rack to store forage and regulate intake, and select a well-designed portable mineral feeder with a roof to protect it...

Mom and Dad have had trouble buying good hay this year. Many have a rough hair coat, salivate excessively and experience multiple reproductive problems. The problem is that some of the hay is fescue, and my pregnant girlfriend, Katy, shouldn't eat it.

During summer you can "make hay while the sun shines," but you can't make hay without appropriate gloves to protect your hands. With most of the haying still to come this season, now is a good time to buy a fresh pair of hay gloves.

The Newer Spreader is in a class of its own. But the alternatives aren't always satisfactory either: let the crop go to waste or arrange for custom baling. Invented in 1957 by Cyril and Louis Keller of Rothsay, Minn., to revmove manure from a turkey barn,...

University Cooperative Extension offices, your state's department of agriculture, farmers' markets and other farmers can help you locate processors in your area. Livestock producers who sell animals on the hoof by the pound can use Custom Exempt processors.

Blister beetles are usually found in bunches, and should you discover them in portions of your fields, it might be wise to avoid cutting those sections rather than risk baling the beetles in your hay.