Every year countless fawns (the young of a deer) die unnecessary deaths or are injured during the annual mowing of fields. The german measure of “Kitzrettung”, “Save-a-Fawn” offers a solution to this problem of modern haymaking. Fig. 1 "Kitzrettung" in action. (by Jens Gebhardt all rights reserved) Roots of the Problem Does of the different deer species found in Europe or North America typically put down their fawns in fields with high grass to protect them from predators. Th

Our growers Kathy Bethmann and Christopher Brock tell how hay is made at the Burghof Damm: Haymaking starts in the last days of may or early in June at Burghof Damm on a meadow with restricted utilization for the protection of the Dusky Large Blue, a butterfly living on Great Burnet (Sanguisorba officinalis). The meadow is our favourite location for haymaking – it is flat, has a comfortable rectangular shape, there are no obstacles and it is very close to the farm. As the mea

Phtographer Vlad Dimustrescu tells us a story about traditional haymaking in Romania, illustrated with his magnificent pictures: One of the first subjects that captivated me when I began practicing photography was the world of haymaking. It is a theme that follows the rhythm of the entire year. If it’s not the work of cutting and storing the hay - from late spring until the first snowfall - then it’s the task of carrying haystacks back home and feeding the animals through win

As a working farm and historic site in the heart of Canada’s Capital, the decision to highlight hay by the A Year On The Field project...