Making hay the old-fashioned way

The methods of making hay have changed a lot from when I was a kid, when the whole village would gather in turns to the fields of the farmer neighbours to make hay together.

Nowadays it is all done by machines, but back then it was done partly by hand: first cut, then allowed to dry in the sun, then raked into long, narrow piles known as windrows. Next, the cured hay was gathered up with forks into stakes to dry up for a few days. After this the hay was taken into a barn to be used as fodder during the long winter months.

The hay-making process was like a village festival with coffee and food brought into the field, the sun always seemed to shine, and everyone was feeling happy.

Today we decided to do some hay on the roadside to my mother's house, since there is the wedding coming up, and we wanted to tidy up the place a little... It was hard working with a scythe - especially hazardous to your back if you do not pay attention to the technique. Mine is good, as you can see from the picture :)