Haying again

The first time in 16 years hay is being harvested on the ranch.  In the average year it is less expensive to purchase hay then to own the machinery and hire the labor to run it.  However, the past 2 years of the drought hay had became very expensive and if the machinery was already owned it would have been cost effective to put up our own hay, except due to the drought there was very little extra grass to put up as hay.  Due to the past drought our cow numbers are way down and this year we have came out of the drought and have abundant grass.  We therefore have a custom harvester coming to the ranch to bale up some of the grass so it doesn't go to waste.  The swather you see is cutting the grass and placing it in windrows to await the baler that will follow in a few days.  Years ago 400 ton of hay was put up each year on the ranch, but we will probably only do enough acres to put up about 100 ton and graze the remaining acres this winter.