Making hay or the harvesting of grasses, legumes or herbaceous plants has provided animal fodder for centuries. Only recently has it been that haymaking has been mechanized. In today’s Throwback Thursday, this haying operation from July 1940 mixes manpower, horsepower and truck power to get the job done. The horses pull a mower to cut what appears to be alfalfa. Men use pitch forks to fill the bed of the truck. A man stands in the box to distribute the alfalfa hay evenly. On the door of the truck, it reads, “South Dakota State College.” Taken by Leland Sudlow, the extension photographer, this photo blends the various types of power used for making hay, mixing the old and new.
SDAHM Sudlow Collection 02-5-6