After a long hard drought followed by unending rains Alaska hay farmers are left with less than half the crop they usually raise. This is causing quite the panic among Alaska livestock owners. Today was a great day at Tower Ranch because we got all 6 huge round bales of hay that we need to make it through the winter wedged into the hay shed.

And I got to have the most wonderful and educational chat with a friend who volunteered her time and truck to haul all that wonderful hay for us. It’s nice to share ideas and experiences with someone so knowledgeable.

The hay shortage in Alaska is getting to crisis levels and we were definitely getting concerned that we hadn’t gotten our hay purchased. But the stars aligned and the universe provided. Now we can rest easy about our own animals and try our best to help our friends find and secure what they will need.

We are still on the lookout for good straw. The weather has doomed the grain crops as well so local straw will be scarce. It’s kind of like a big scavenger hunt. As soon as you find one thing you need another. Thus is the life of a shepherd.