August focuses mostly on harvesting and maintenance. We have had a much better hay harvest than the last two years already. There have been a few lucky days of racing to beat the rain and get the hay in before it gets wet but so far so good. We will be dodging thunderstorms to get the last of the second cutting of hay done, and either sold or in the barn. We do need the rain to get the grass to grow but it takes a span of 3 dry days to cure the hay.
We have dug the potato fields and now have fresh Yukon gold, Kennebec, Russet, and some red potatoes available. Watch the Mercantile for other farm products. Sweet corn is coming in and the tomatoes, cucumber, and melons will continue to ripen.
Other things that are ongoing are monitoring the sheep and managing the weeds. We help the sheep and ponies cope with the heat by providing fresh water, electrolyte water, shade, and fans. Don’t expect to see much of them unless it is early morning or late evening as they just hide in the shade. The ram lambs will need to be separated from the ewe lambs this month (boys will be boys!). Some of our biggest weed challenges are thistles, Johnson Grass, and Mare’s Tail – all of which are considered noxious weeds in Maryland which means we are required by law to manage them. This is done primarily by mowing to prevent them going to seed.