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June 27, 2009

Farmer's Friend

In my old persona as a lady in a dress and pantyhose, if someone had asked what a farmer's most often called upon tool was I might have said barn, or tractor, but in my persona as Deva Farmer I've ferreted out the truth. The farmers best friend is baler or baling twine. Sometimes 3 to the bale but more often 2, in a winter of feeding stock a farmer ends up with hundreds or thousands of these strands.

In feeding the cattle and horsing around these bales last winter I learned fairly quickly that the knots are on one side and you cut the bale open at a knot. Then on a snowy day you sit around the wood stove in the workshop and make long ropes of this twine. Out of curiosity the other day I walked around the farm collecting images of all the places we use the stuff.

One of last summer's CD Scarecrows
Parts of an irrigation system, and a spare roll
Ladder hangers
Temporary pull-back hose hanger to keep them out of the way of a project. Since set free as we are cleaning up this Centennial year ('52 or '53) Ford tractor to sell.
Keeping spare light bulbs from going walk-about.
Axe hanger.
Twine central. These are the bare naked nails the twine is gathered on as we open the bales.
I think this is FIL's welding dealiebob. Or something.
FIL couldn't remember what this was for at all. I finally figured out the only thing this long we might need to cover was the tomato growing area. Yes! This is twine in it's natural state, on a bale.
Twine that has lost it's way.
Ah...I spy some screening for another secret project....
hoses anyone?
or chain?
or wiring?
Keeping the baby chicken nursery warm.
Keeping the lids on the garbage pails when going to the dump. Currently housing chicken feed.
Anyone ever watch Red Green? Their duct tape episodes have nothing on my FIL. We took this off a broken faucet the other day, there is about 40 layers of tape and many many wraps of twine here.
In the cow's trough.
And you thought it was staples and wire that held up fences.
On the grapes.
Hey...another backup roll.
How to garrote your DIL...FIL has put this strand across the path between the strawberries and the blueberries to keep the bird netting off the blueberries. You think after running into it 2-3 times I'd remember it was there.
A back up supply to the back up supply
Some kind of past project.
Another past project remnant.
Last year's string bean effort. He thought he could out wit our goats. Not hardly.
This lilac has a near death experience a few months ago. With the help of twine patient is doing well.
A rutabaga (?) tied up for seed.
Garden tools tied up to keep DIL out of them, and lo and behold, another back up to the back ups.
Pretty sure these dishes must have tried to get away at some point.
Yikes...a back up in our pump house. This is spreading faster than swine flu.
Lining out the garden rows.
Tying up the lilies
My orange doorstop.
Temporary leash material.
This one I'll talk about another day. It's a tear-jerker.I'm sure there are more twine incidences but these will have given you an idea of why I think baler twine is the farmer's best friend. And if you've ever uploaded multiple images to google blogger you know what a pain this post was to make. Anything for you guys...
Saturday Thankies
My Rob is home!
Baskin and Robbins
Swiss Chard

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am a farmer's daughter, and I have run out of baling twine! I can't tie up the roses, the baby tree, tie the shed door shut .... or open either.
Must remember to ask my brother if he can replenish my supply for me.
Judy B

Nancy said...

I recently asked a friend for a grocery bag of twine. :o) Having lived on a farm, I know its real value.

I use it to tie back a robust currant bush and to secure a tree to guide it to grow straight and tall. I keep some in the trunk of my car. (Who knows what I might need it for?) Yes, twine is great stuff!

Anonymous said...

And to think, all I did with our hay bale twine, was to make two of the world's biggest twine balls, which the barn mice turned into tenement housing!!! LOL
You have inspired me to make better use of it this fall!!!!

JoAnn ( Scene Through My Eyes) said...

Great photos and great subject. When we moved to an unused horse farm in the country we found that orange twine everywhere - we had no idea what it was - now we know.

Lady Farmer said...

I love that stuff! So useful and repurpose-ful!
Let us know when you are selling the tractor-hubby may be interested!

BizarreQuilter said...

Oh my goodness!!!

I know we've got a stack of it at home..and it's a real bummer when it tangles in the ride-on mower.. Did you know that if you tip the mower on its side to untangle the baling twine oil gets into the engine?? It's bad news!!!

LOL!! Now, show us a quilt made of it please!!

Karen said...

I'm going to get me a big ball of that orange twine!!

justme_alive said...

wow that was awesome!!

Rose Marie said...

Great post ... thanks for the insight.