![\"Big](\"http:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/farmvia\/files\/2013\/07\/Photo-1-july-25-windrow-of-hay.jpg\")
<\/a>Big windrow of late cut hay, County Carlow.<\/p><\/div>\n
Farmers are making more dry hay this year than they have in years.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Drought is not a usual problem here in Ireland.\u00a0\u00a0 But, even as I am writing this, a little thundershower is brightening people\u2019s moods as some moisture returns.\u00a0 Today\u2019s paper even has a blight warning for potato growers, as there is likely to be a few days of wet leaves, that would promote late blight on the spuds.\u00a0 Last night there were scattered showers, folks are hoping for a good rain!<\/p>\n
<\/a>Winter barley harvest begins, Teagasc Oak Park, Ireland<\/p><\/div>\n
The grain harvest has begun.\u00a0 Here is a photo of winter barley trials being harvested at the Teagasc Oak Park center.<\/p>\n
About Ireland.<\/strong><\/p>\n Ireland is about the size of Maine, or about three times the size of Vermont.<\/p>\n The population is about 4.5 million in the Republic of Ireland (26 counties).\u00a0 With Dublin, the capital having about 1.1 million people in the city limits.\u00a0 Cork is the second largest city in the Republic, with just under 200,000.\u00a0 Northern Ireland has about 1.8 million people.\u00a0 (6 counties, part of Great Britain, Scotland is another part of Great Britain).\u00a0 Belfast is the largest city in the north, with 278,000 people.\u00a0 So, all together, there are 6.3 million people on this island.\u00a0 This is roughly the population of Tennessee.\u00a0 Or about 10 times the population of Vermont.<\/p>\n So, if the area is 3 times the size of Vermont, and it has 10 times the population, it is more densely populated than Vermont.\u00a0 And yes it is.\u00a0 Dublin is a big city, with lots of people packed in there.\u00a0 But, there is a lot of open land, a lot of farm land, and back roads with not too many houses on them.\u00a0 Plus there is mountainous territory and bog that don\u2019t have anybody living there.<\/p>\n Vermont is roughly 80% forested, and Ireland is 10-15% forested.\u00a0 Ireland had been mostly forest, then the forests were cut.\u00a0 Oak went into British ships, cathedrals, and barrels.\u00a0 Now there have been European Union programs to pay land owners to plant both softwood and hardwood trees and to maintain the plantations.\u00a0 Softwoods like Douglas Fir, and hardwoods like ash and beech.\u00a0 Thinnings from these forests are used for fuel, and they use or sell the lumber.\u00a0 A friend has been thinning his ash, and figures he has enough wood in a shed to last for 5 years or so!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A first look at Irish farms.<\/strong><\/p>\n Ireland 2010<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n US 2007<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n VT 2007<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n 140,000<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 2.2 million<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 6,900<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n 81 A<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 418 A<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 177<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Farm types<\/p>\n<\/td>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/td>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n 55%<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 36%<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 28%<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n 11%<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 3%<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 18%<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n 11%<\/p>\n<\/td>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/td>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n 5%<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 20%<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 44%<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n 5%<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 22%<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 3%<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n <\/p>\n Ireland.\u00a0 In 2010, the census counted just about 140,000 farms, with an average farm size of 81 acres.\u00a0 More than half the farms had beef animals.\u00a0 About 11% of the farms had dairy cows.\u00a0 About 11% had a mix of livestock, like dairy and sheep or dairy and beef.\u00a0 About 5% of the farms had hay and another crop- maybe barley or wheat.\u00a0 And another 5% had just grain.\u00a0<\/p>\n In the US in 2007, the census counted 2.2 million farms, with an average size of 418 acres.\u00a0 Over a third of the farms had beef animals.\u00a0 Just under a quarter of the farms had grain.\u00a0 Twenty percent had hay and other crops, and only 3% of the farms had dairy cattle.<\/p>\n In Vermont in 2007, the census counted 6,900 farms.\u00a0 Over a quarter had beef cattle.\u00a0 Just under 20% had dairy cattle.\u00a0 Only 3% had grain, mostly corn.\u00a0 And 44% had hay or another crop.<\/p>\n More next week!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Ireland today, 25 July, 2013. The last two-and-a-half weeks were declared a drought here in Ireland.\u00a0 There was no rain, and temperatures were up in the 80s.\u00a0 Hayfields that had been cut were not showing any regrowth, lawns were drying … Continue reading \n\n
\n \u00a0<\/td>\n \n \n \n \n Number farms<\/td>\n \n \n \n \n Average size<\/td>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Beef<\/td>\n \n \n \n \n Dairy<\/td>\n \n \n \n \n Mixed livestock<\/td>\n \n \n \n \n Other crops+hay<\/td>\n \n \n \n \n Grain<\/td>\n \n \n \n