In George and the Stolen Sunny Spot, George is accidentally hauled to town in a load of hay. He is able to find a spot between the small square bales where he can hide.
Farmers and ranchers bale hay in the summer to feed their livestock during the winter. They might make square bales like those that George used for hiding, but most likely they will be baling large, round bales. A large hay bale will feed more livestock than a small one so the work goes faster.
To make hay, a farmer or rancher will cut his or her grass or alfalfa with a special kind of mower, then let it lay on the ground for awhile to dry. When it’s dry enough, he or she will rake it into long lines called windrows and perhaps let it dry some more. It’s important that the hay be dry enough that it won’t get moldy after it’s baled, but it can’t be too dry or it will crumble.
When the hay has just the right amount of moisture, the farmer or rancher will pull his or her baler down the windrows with a tractor.
The baler picks up the hay then spins and compresses it until the hay bale is the right size. Then the baler opens and pushes out the bale. Later the farmer or rancher will come back with a tractor and move the bales off of the field and into storage for winter feeding.
