This is a reel.
(Actually this picture above is three reels, but I just snagged this from this Internet because this story really needs pictures to do it justice, and I couldn't find one darn picture of a reel anywhere!)
These reels are a MAJOR component to what we do on the farm. These reels help set up paddocks for our sheep so that we can rotate them to fresh paddocks every 3-5 days.
To get some more information on "rotational grazing" and why we use these reels, you can visit some posts from JB's TCPermaculture Blog by clicking here:
- Sheep Paddocks: Rotational Grazing at the Bauernhof
- More Results of Rotational Grazing at the Bauernhof
- Rotational Grazing: Azores Style!
- Mob Grazing with Sheep
But that's not the point of my post. The point of my post is that in order to rotate sheep, we have to take down and set up paddocks continually. We call these experiences "Paddock Parties." They aren't really a party (by any stretch of the word), but we try to get "all hands on deck." If we get a lot of people out, we can take down and set up as many as 4-6 paddocks in an hour.
But if a reel tangles ...
Ohhhh, if a reel tangles ...
Tangled reels are the BAIN of my existence folks.
The BAIN of any of us here on the farm.
Yesterday, we had a tangled reel. I won't say who tangled the reel because that doesn't really matter. What matters it that two individuals (myself included) spent 2.5 hours untangling a reel following a tangle.
I'm constantly amazed how fast "plans" can change on a farm. One minute it is 3pm. I am about to go in and make dinner. The next minute it is 5:30pm, and we are just finishing up untangling a reel.
In the midst of the tangled reels, I tried to find the "Pollyanna" part of the experience. It was beautiful weather! There was someone (Grama) inside to help watch children so I didn't have to rush inside. My helper was a nice guy who patiently worked through the reel with me.
If you haven't heard of Pollyanna's "Glad Game", I encourage you to watch this clip below. The ballet reminded me of how important it is to try to bring happiness and positivity into every situation. I find that remembering this is ESPECIALLY important in farming where there are so many pieces that can not work right and cause something to not go the way you had planned!
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