Exploring Small Scale Grain Harvesting part 1

This video looks at scything wheat and introduces a grain cradle modified from a traditional Slovak style bow. The film shows how to assemble and adjust the cradle, which is made from green hazel and a length of bent copper pipe. It also examines the effects of mowing style on getting the wheat to fall neatly in the windrow and the final section looks at gathering the cut wheat. This is the first of a series of short films I hope to produce on the subject of small scale grain harvesting.
Limitations
The cradle is shown attached to an Austrian style two-grip snath. I found this arrangement very workable but I am not sure if it is the most appropriate snath and grip setup for this cradle.
Here are some links providing more information on scything, training courses and purchase of scythes:
scytheassociation.org/
scytheconnection.com/
scytherspace.wordpress.com/

[@TheDevonblacksmith]

A wonderful video. I enjoyed it all. And at the end I spotted one of my DK rocket stoves making your brew..

[@hebneh]

200 or so years ago, this was how everyone in the world who grew wheat had to handle it. It's fascinating to see the process, which millions of people once knew and practiced - but now is mostly lost in industrialized countries.

[@boogiespadina8375]

@Killviner 1876 of course your flag is a rainbow

[@colinwilliams3459]

@@boogiespadina8375 yessir 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈

[@zazugee]

@Keel with side-effects like cancer everywhere

[@hughezzell10000]

1 year from now, 2023, we who are left may be using the information in this video to remain alive.

[@hebneh]

@@hughezzell10000 Except if civilization has collapsed to that extent, there won't be a KZbin to watch, or electricity to make it viewable.

[@lucienmacrose8567]

Absolutely one of the best instructional videos I have watched since finding an interest in youtube! This is the kind of wisdom that must be preserved in the minds of many, to be passed on elder to youth. Thank you very much for this great service.

[@petermitchell6896]

Fantastic video, gives a great insight into pre-industrial agriculture!

[@adrienneloveskeegan]

My children and I are reading Little House In the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder. We just finished reading the chapter titled Harvest, where the process of cutting the grain with a grain cradle is describe in detail. We searched youtube for a video to see this process and came across your video. Thank you so much, this was perfect!

[@armel56]

Thanks a lot sharing your labour. I was learning a lot !!

[@ronprince1478]

Thank you sir for your time and instruction I have learned a lot, blue skies and fair winds.

[@mgressard]

Very clear instructions. Would love to do this one day.

[@abhishekdas2333]

I'm from India. I really enjoyed watching your vdo. Thank you for the inspiration.

[@slinkeepy]

This is magical, I yearn to experience this yet am stuck in the city (for now)... I have a scythe but just to do my small lawn, but always looking for more to mow!

[@jassiuswise]

You have the heart of a teacher. You explain things well. I harvest my first small patch this year and have just purchased a scythe without a grain cradle and am thinking about adding one.

[@sandramcleod9619]

Where did you find your scythe? I want to buy one and learn

[@Jason4Star]

@@sandramcleod9619 The one I used in video, belonged to the historic mill where I grew the wheat. I'll be making another video explaining the whole thing soon. But now I own my own scythe identical to that one. I bought it from a yard sale out in the country. You can also check fb market place, but if you live in an urban area check marketplaces in more rural areas

[@anthonymccarthy4164]

This is one of the most useful videos I've watched. I've wanted a grain cradle for years, this is the one I might be able to make and it looks like it probably works better than some of the more complex models. Thank you.

[@anthonymccarthy4164]

Right down to the rocket stove.

[@jenvotruba1308]

I'm so happy I found your video. Thank you for your instruction!!

[@CathyGoes]

Thank you so very much! It's very difficult to find such a complete explanation of how to home build a cradle.

[@sparrowsimple9969]

Wonderful video! Learned so much!

[@takticus]

I saw somewhere in barn this grain cradle. I wasn't sure. But yep on the end of the video its mentioned that its a modification of our grain cradle. well its a destiny that Im interested in to growing my own weed and finding this video. thank you dear sir. subscribed and liked.

[@michellekonzack7041]

Hello Stephen, you have never uploaded the second part in the last 4 years. Are you still alive? I hope, because I love your video. I have a small Organic Farm in Estonia (mainly apples) but I have also 8 little fields (for rotating) of 7x32m and I like to use it the old style... without heavy machinery!

[@colinwilliams3459]

@Jaxon Kade Hello friendly commenter! The two above me talking about Instaportal are bots. They’re all over youtube. Please ignore them, it’s a scam

[@colinwilliams3459]

@@mikee5208 I hope he’s still around, maybe he just got busy with life

[@comfychairstudios746]

That was... oddly satisfying to watch

[@aNaturalist]

Terrific instructional video, thank you!

[@doughunter3967]

Wow, this is what I have been looking for fir years, thanks a million...bless Yah...houg

[@DavidDelikat]

thanks for sharing your technique.

[@hughezzell10000]

Excellent video. Nice work.

[@icarus901]

Excellent video; thank you.

[@truthseeker6384]

Thank you very much for this information! You are so smart!!

[@IanZainea1990]

This man makes me happy.

[@billastell3753]

Loved it. Especially the tea part.

[@vendredi2pointzeror-p2.04]

Very interesting! Thanks from Savoie !

[@maureenparran8918]

Thank you for such an informative video.

[@Jason4Star]

This is a great video.

[@lewistumbama793]

Thanks, this is so encouraging!!

[@billastell3753]

Loved the video. Very nicely done! Thumbs up and subscribed. Cheers!

[@tjn6278]

great video! make some more! very informative.

[@drasechrisu]

brilliant instruction, thank you

[@seedtray1]

Thanks for the feedback

[@prashanthnayak2271]

Nicely Elaborated..Thanxs

[@TheRealVsauce]

Great vid mate! 👌

[@jefferylivingston9003]

Awesome info share " this was very helpful for our homestead farm" thank you sir""

[@RossFigurepaintingCoUK]

Brilliant vid and wonderful to watch your skills. I am hoping to get chance to plant out my first cereal this September for scything in the Spring. i was thinking of trying Spellt - do you reckon these techniques will work just the same? Looking forward to seeing your other vids. Thanks for posting

[@chrisk1944]

Brilliant! Thank you!

[@manatoa1]

thanks very much for this!

[@1911CoLt45gov]

Well done sir

[@levilowder2624]

would like to see more on how you prepare the seedbed for the wheat. Do you use your merry tiller with tines? Also, do you plow in the clover as a green manure?

[@paulmoss1040]

Delightful vid thank you! I have some Russian grain I'm going to try this on;-)

[@seedtray1]

Thanks, I hope to do part 2 next year

[@RH3D]

Still waiting for this I cant wait

[@crazykeejan6981]

stephen are you still alive

[@MrMoekanz]

The world awaits with bated breath - "where is part two" , they chant, and, "Stephen are you still alive?". But the dark abyss of the KZbin uploader only stares back, silent.

[@lindaburnette195]

Very professional excellent

[@stig92410]

Great video, good to see someone has looked into it in detail. I'll put this up on Scytherspace too, let me know if you've a website you'd like a link to.

[@seedtray1]

Thank you for putting this on scytherspace, as I don’t have a web site I appreciate your efforts to spread this information.

[@crazykeejan6981]

@@seedtray1 hello are you still posting pls post are you still alive

[@hakancoskan5862]

Çok faydali bilgiler teşekkürler..🤗

[@jeffbingaman2754]

I think your 2 down votes were mistakes. This was an interesting vid.

[@sharonmartin9248]

Thank You :-)

[@meszarosbalint6163]

Cheers!

[@waleedalfayez4452]

Well done , Part 2 ?

[@PolymathPete]

lovely, what happens next? : )

[@burghartkoch4201]

Thanks super video

[@Rustaholic777]

Did something bad happen to your string trimmer fitted with a grain cradle? I really like that one.

[@franc362]

Brilliant :)

[@endless2804]

Did you make a Corn Dolly? Great video :)

[@random5147]

Can I ask how do you prepare the ground after the harvest for the next crop

[@joannemurphy2665]

Hi Stephen, what might I use instead of a hazel stick? I'm in Australia, so I don't think I'll find easy access to hazel. I have apple and cherry on my farm, and hawthorn close by on the roadside. Would any of these do?

[@Yan_DIY]

Mantap

[@VenomousGoat01]

Thank you. What is your average yield? Do you plant an acre? I need to feed my chickens over the winter and was thinking of planting one acre however I am not sure if that would yield enough feed. But I figure you may be able to clue me in on that..?

[@benparkinson8314]

Dude just boiled up his last years hazel stick for tea? Cool though!

[@bashkillszombies]

All that rough handling of the bundles would have shed a ridiculous amount of wheat though, how do you deal with it re-seeding when you handle it like that?

[@treytaylor2430]

I would guess, though I've never tried it with wheat, that it would be a good thing. Like not harvesting all the sweet potatoes to keep the patch growing. Or letting a few onions in a patch go to seed so the patch regrows itself. An old concept, sometimes called high farming, was the idea of using the natural processes of the plants and animals to reduce the work load on the farmer.

[@hebneh]

The comment about wet weather made me remember the tragedy of the ergot fungus which can grow on wet wheat. If this infected wheat gets milled into flour and then used to make bread, it poisons people who eat it, with hallucinations and brain damage.

[@MrTGleaner]

I invented a small self propelled combine the size of a atv. It come with a 6 foot header for grain an a one row corn header. Probably cost around 8 to 10 grand so much cheeper the the half a million you would need to buy one today. I am looking into maybe starting a equipment manufacturing company in the future for small acer farms that want to grow grain and root crop. Give me your thoughts, do you guys think there might be a market for a ATV size self propelled combine today

[@crazykeejan6981]

hello stephen are you still there

[@johnmarkhatfield]

how much space would you need to have a loaf of bread a week (500g or so) for a year? any guess?

[@johnmarkhatfield]

also. holy crap you are cool.

[@calebfuller4713]

Well, wheat yields are between 0.25 and 1.5 kg per m2. A fairly rubbish farmer could expect about 250g per m2 - about what I got on my first attempt. An average farmer could get around 500g/m2 (my second attempt). Really good farmers can expect around 1kg/m2, while the world record for wheat yields is around 1.5kg/m2. So, it is certainly feasible to achieve your goal with around 50-60m2 of land after a bit of practice. If you approach world record levels of yield you could do it in less than 20m2.

[@johnmarkhatfield]

Awesome thanks. After I typed it out, I thought "well that's gonna be sorta difficult to answer" but yours is great!

[@shelleypilcher3812]

@@calebfuller4713 more easy way to understand that?

[@TommasoScappini]

Where is part 2?

[@shelleypilcher3812]

Wish I could have a better slower demo of wheat being tied together with wheat.

[@bbbj14]

"I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that"

[@agrialsacedu6763]

how you fight against bird not he attacks the wheat?

[@ScarProxy]

agrialsace du67 scarecrow?

[@valentinlance8072]

He lays nets over the bundles of cut wheat.

[@kyle6-11]

2 thumbs down ? who are you people