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Offset Unroller Speeds Up Row Mulching
Ag extension workers came up with plans for an offset bale unroller that’s been a valuable addition to Waterpenny Farm in Sperryville, Va., where workers spread hay for a mulch between vegetable rows.
  Round bales (4 by 5-ft.) fit perfectly between the rows, says co-owner Eric Plaksin. But anyone who has rolled a bale by hand knows that bales don’t always roll straight and can be difficult to push. John Wilhoit, extension specialist from the University of Kentucky, came up with the tractor-pulled bale unroller after he heard Plaksin and his wife speak at a farming conference. Wilhoit even brought his prototype to Waterpenny Farm to demonstrate last year. The tractor straddles the garden row as the implement unrolls the bale between rows. One person walks behind to make sure the hay comes off correctly.
  After using the unroller, Plaksin and his wife, Rachel, knew they needed to make a unit of their own. Each season they unroll more than 200 bales on 8 acres.
  They downloaded Wilhoit’s free plans and hired a local welder to put it together. With labor and all new materials, the total cost was $2,070.
  The hydraulic top link is necessary to adjust the length to keep the implement from dragging on the ground as the bale gets smaller.
  The blueprints are available free at http://jokko.bae.uky.edu/ext/Specialty_Crops/plans.htm.
  Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Waterpenny Farm, 53 Waterpenny Lane, Sperryville, Va. 22740 (540 987-8567; waterpenny@verizon.net; www.waterpennyfarm.com).


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2013 - Volume #37, Issue #4