We are able to share with you the visit we had to Strieter Hay Farms of Bay Port, Michigan.
For those of you that are not sure where Bay Port is, it is on the south side of Lake Huron. Although it is located on the eastern side of the USA, it is considered by National Geographic to be part of the Midwest which caused us to scratch our heads a little but what we know for sure is that it is a beautiful place and it grows a lot of hay!
John Strieter is a man of action and has always has projects on the go. When we were there in the beginning of June he had over 1000 acres down and haying was in full swing (along with planting other crops of sugar beets and beans).
Take it from us folks, things grow BIG in Michigan. They usually harvest 4 hay crops each year there and their blessing and curse is being located on the shores of Lake Huron. They appreciate the lake in moderating temperatures, however, not so much the humidity.
Quality hay is a large part of what Strieter Hay Farms is about and we enjoyed a first-class tour viewing many acres of beautiful hay.
John has also invested in drying hay to deliver an even better product to his customers and has a few dryers on his place.
He has the second AG Bale Cooling Bed that Agri Green has manufactured and is planning to hook it up (when he gets a spare moment) to his AG Maximizer to increase drying capacity even more.
Visiting farms is always gratifying; to see what others have done with what they have learned, an amount of determination and sometimes just old fashioned grit.
That brings to mind the quote by Will Rogers, “The farmer has to be an optimist, or he wouldn’t still be a farmer.” When farmers hear that, they might smile a bit and nod knowingly because it is very true.
Good luck to all with your crops this year and have a safe and prosperous week!
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