Simmentals 💖 Sweet Corn

Staying true to Gerald and Bernadette's commitment to fresh picked quality produce, we continue to hand pick our sweet corn each morning.  We thank all our customers for stopping by and have very little corn left each day, but when we do, the part of our Simmental herd pasturing here for the summer get excited!  Leftover corn becomes a treat for them...along with what's left of our corn cobs from supper.

When we've finished picking a planting of sweet corn, it's important for us to use it effectively.  Corn stalks are a good source of energy and roughage for ruminants.  Did you know that cows are ruminants meaning that they have 4 stomachs that are needed to digest grasses/plants?.  We also have cobs that we couldn't pick as they didn't germinate properly or were damaged by wildlife. Local raccoons, birds, and we think this year even coyotes, have heard about our delicious sweet corn and want a taste of it!

Picture:  Corn stalks in the field... with lots of good eating after we've picked the cobs.

Rather than plowing under corn stalks, we use a "vintage" forage harvester to cut up/chop the picked over rows of stalks along with the odd cob, into a ready to eat  chopped corn; not quite "corn silage" though because it does not ferment in a silo but rather is chopped directly into a feeder wagon and promptly fed to the cows.  

Picture:  Peter heading out to the field with the harvester.

 

Picture:  Peter with the feeder wagon - cows each find their own spot within 

the metal bars of the wagon to get their corn silage fix!

The cows love this fresh feed.  It's a bit different from the silage or ensilage we bag from feed corn that ferments due to the high carbohydrate and protein levels with high fibre (to prevent deadly bloating).  Our cattle eat this silage all winter long as a way to boost their energy levels during our cold winters along with dry hay.

Picture:  Fresh cut silage. You can see the beautiful green colour of
stalks and pieces of chopped up cobs.

The cows listen attentively for Peter coming in from the field with this treat to supplement their grass eating while on pasture.

Picture: The Simmentals waiting not so patiently - they can hear the tractor & feeder wagon on it's way up the laneway.

It gets a little loud when they hear the tractor coming from the field.  They actually head to the barn yard and start bawling/mooing until Peter brings them what they're looking for!

Clearly, we all love Dorisdale Sweet Corn!