A bale of hay is the result of a whole year, not one afternoon of mowing. On a high-mountain farm, every season has its role, and all of them depend on a climate that has more say than the calendar.
Spring: the wait
At 1,500 meters, spring arrives late and cold, so the grass grows slowly. It's a season of patience: you watch the meadow and wait for the plants to reach the right point, without rushing, because mowing too soon sacrifices a good part of the harvest.
Waiting for spring: the grass grows slowly before mowing.
Summer: mowing
Summer is when the work piles up. The window for mowing is short and depends on the weather, so you have to get the sunny days right: you mow, let it dry while turning the grass, gather it into rows and bale it. A few days of good weather decide the quality of the whole year.
Summer is when the work piles up: mowing, drying and baling.
Fall: storing and preparing
With the hay already in the hayloft, fall is the time to keep it in good condition and start preparing shipments. A well-cured hay stored dry is what lets the summer's quality reach the following months intact.
The hay already stored in the barn, ready for winter.
Winter: maintenance and planning
Winter, with the meadow at rest, is spent on maintenance and planning next season. It's the quiet season of a cycle that, as soon as temperatures rise again, will start all over from the beginning.
With the meadow under snow, it's the stored hay that feeds the horses.
A single harvest a year
This whole cycle produces a single mowing, which is what the high-mountain climate allows. It isn't a limitation we hide: it's part of what gives this hay its character.
