New equipment takes labor-intensive sting out of baling straw
Finding workers for baling straw has been an issue for the local landscaping business, Patriot & Sons Lawn Care, for several years.
Since taking over Pfaff’s Lawn Care in 2018, Jared and Jillian have spent early summer days gathering up to 15 people to help them put away thousands of bales of straw. It’s not easy work, and it isn’t easy coming up with the people to do the baling, loading and storage, which is why many farmers no longer prefer the smaller square bales.
“They don’t even offer them for sale too much anymore due to the lack of labor,” said co-owner Jared Eckerle. “That’s no secret.”
But those square bales are essential for the company he and his wife, Jillian, operate. Whether they are seeding a new lawn, covering recent excavating work or filling a bald spot, a lot of straw goes through their bale chopper to be blown on freshly seeded dirt. The straw helps maintain the moisture while the seeds germinate and it also protects them from the sun and birds.
In the past, they’ve relied on employees, friends and family to bale. But last year was the final straw for Jared and Jillian.
It seemed everything was lined up for baling to happen on a certain week, so Jared planned a Florida fishing trip for the weekend before. Unfortunately, some other factors came into play, leaving Jillian with a field ready for baling and her husband hanging out poolside.
With rain coming, she was able to gather the needed help through volunteers and family to put away more than 2,000 bails. However, the issue pushed Jared to come up with a better solution for the future.
Over the winter, he found some specialized pieces of equipment that reduced the labor involved in baling by a third. If necessary, one person could do most of the work.
On Wednesday and Thursday, a new bale accumulator followed behind Jared’s bailer, placing up to 10 bales into a flat grouping before dropping them in the field. After running through a few rows, Jared grabbed a skid steer outfitted with a new grappler designed to pick up those 10 bales all at once to be loaded on a flatbed. Once about 200 bales were stacked on the flatbed, they reversed the process, unloading them into a nearby barn.
In addition to lowering the labor required to put away the needed straw, Jared estimates it has cut his time to put up 1,200 bales from three hard days to a day and a half. For a company dedicated to providing its clients with great, trustworthy service, that saved time can be spent on more important aspects of the business: ensuring his clients’ properties look great.
