Hay Season Nears

As the days sweep by we have begun gearing up for hay season. There is a particular worry this year as news that a local highway will be shut down for several months right after the July 4th Holiday rush. Normally a road closure doesn’t impact the farm too much. But this time, timing could become an issue.
Highway 47 is the road that runs between Highway 26 and Vernonia and is the major access route to the town from the south. Our Timber Road and Highway 47 together are the backup access used when the main route is disturbed like was the case when the tunnel collapsed and when accidents, fallen trees or slides close Highway 26. During the summer months, bicycle enthusiasts, motorcycle clubs, classic car groups will be competing on our small, country road with loaded log trucks, farm equipment and vacationers to get to the town of Vernonia and beyond to the log yards in Longview. It’s going to get busy around here.
We usually are making hay around the 4th of July and the week beyond. With our road becoming the highway, it would be dangerous to be moving hay equipment, trucks, Gator and the like ,up and down the narrow road while the busy traffic whizzes by. There are no passing lanes and no places to pull over with a tractor or loaded hay truck.
In preparation, hay season will be started early and the field that is accessed by the road will need to be the first field to be harvested. Now that our plan is in place we hope the weather cooperates so we can get our crop in safely before we become the highway.