HARVESTING THE RYE AT
HUDSON-CHATHAM WINERY



We grow rye at the winery. It's a cover crop, but we will be milling our own flour from these fields. This year there were a great many storms. The storms knocked down much of the rye late in the season. It isn't so bad that the machine can't pick it up, but another week or two, with any more rain, and we might lose this year's crop.


Ralph and Craig got in the combine and raced through the fields trying to fell our crop before the skies opened this last Sunday. The straw will be used for bedding by Craig for his cattle, and we keep the seed. We'll keep enough to mill, and the rest is used for replanting and re-energizing the soil.



This is the hopper for the seeds.

The skies opened up with about an hour to go. But they were able to harvest a fair amount of the field. We were able to cover the seeds and keep them dry, so they will remain useful. In the last week, it's rained almost everyday. Two dry days and we'll be able to finnish. If not, we'll have to plow the rest under.

This is the farming life.