Building Compost Piles From Hay Bales

I also knew I will need compost. Lots of it.

I decided to build my compost piles from hay bales (something I earned from Elliot Coleman). The hay allows for air flow, it is fast and easy to build with and eventually it will decompose and become part of the compost pile.

I didn’t want to pay $6 a bale so three month ago I posted an ad on Craigslist saying I need bad hay; moldy, wet, old, whatever…. The condition of the hay didn’t really matter since I am not going to feed it to animals. I knew someone has to have bad hay laying somewhere.

But no one responded to my ad. I was busy working on the RV and the other farm equipment we bought so I didn’t even reposted the ad.

Then, last week a lady called me saying she has many bales of hay she has to get rid of. The trailer they were stored in leaked and some of them got moldy. She didn’t want to take a chance feeding it to her animals so she decided to get rid of it all, clean the trailer and get new hay.

I was excited as a 4 years old girl on her Frozen theme birthday party.

First, I got to know another one of my farmer neighbors. Karen and I hit it off within second, talking cheese, goats, corn, horses and so on. We were on the phone for 45 minuets! We will get to visit her farm and fish her brain for important information.

Second, we get to take the kids to play on hay bales.

Third, we can start making compost and with the amount of bales she said she had we can keep some bales aside for mulch.

Forth, We get to spend a day in the country.

So, we woke up early Sunday morning ready for a day of hard work. The girls were in heaven the minute they stepped out of the car. They were running around between the goats, the horses, the lama, and the dogs.

After lots of talking my husband and I got busy loading the trailer. Do you see the little black kid on the left? There were few of those little ones running around. They are curious and playful like toddlers.