Matt and I bought a tractor last weekend. Here it is, sitting at home! (Weird pyramid in the background? Our ingenious method for storing 800 lb square bales!)
Owning a tractor will make a huge difference in my ability to manage the summer feed for the sheep. Mowing suppresses parasite populations and encourages tender regrowth. Being able to clean out my own barn, move large objects and potentially make my own hay is well beyond the point I hoped to be at this stage of my business. I’m really excited, as you can see:
Moving the tractor from Bakersfield to Williston took all day. Matt’s brother’s sweetie’s dad generously lent us his F350 and trailer, allowing us to move the tractor and all of its accompanying implements in one go. The best way to learn to drive a tractor is to drive up and down a narrow ramp a few times with heavy items attached to the hydraulics. I got skillful, quickly.
Back at home, Matt has commenced rewiring and refurbishing. The tractor has low hours and is in fabulous shape, but it shows the typical signs of being 20 years old. Wiring is loose or deteriorated, rubber seals and gaskets need replacing, and a little paint wouldn’t hurt the thing either. I’m gunning for sparkles, but we’ll see what Matt has to say.