Cloer Family Farm

Cloer Family Farm Family farm in Bloomfield, NM—growing premium, barn-stored alfalfa since 1967.

Friday debate, Cloer Hay Farm style.Round bales or square bales — which one wins in your book?Square bales stack easy, s...
08/07/2026

Friday debate, Cloer Hay Farm style.

Round bales or square bales — which one wins in your book?

Square bales stack easy, store clean, and are simple to feed by hand. Round bales save time in the field and work well for larger operations. Both have their place, but everybody's got an opinion.

Drop yours in the comments — round or square, and why?

08/05/2026

Ever wonder how hundreds of bales get stacked without hundreds of hours of manual labor? Meet the bale wagon.

This machine picks bales up off the field, moves them through a series of rollers, and stacks them automatically into a tight, even pile — all in one pass. What used to take a crew of people lifting and stacking by hand now happens in one continuous motion.

It's one of those pieces of equipment that doesn't get much attention, but it saves an enormous amount of time and labor during hay season — which means hay gets put up faster and stays in better shape.

Ever seen one of these in action, or is this your first time seeing how it works?

08/04/2026

Hay's coming off the field and going straight into the barn.

Every bale gets stacked and stored the same way — tight, square, covered — so it holds its quality until it leaves the farm. That's the kind of hay you want going home with your horses or livestock.

We're taking hay orders now. If you want to get on the list, send us a message and we'll get you squared away on pricing and availability.

Contact Colleen at 505-402-6703

Bales in, water back on, monsoon put on noticeRound two goes to the farm.Bales are put up, the monsoon didn't get the la...
08/01/2026

Bales in, water back on, monsoon put on notice

Round two goes to the farm.

Bales are put up, the monsoon didn't get the last word this time, and the field's already back to getting watered for whatever comes next. It tried to slow us down — it did slow us down, honestly — but it didn't get to decide how this cutting turned out.

Farming during monsoon season is basically an ongoing negotiation with the sky, and this week we came out ahead.

Round three's already brewing out there somewhere. We'll be ready.

Anyone else feel like they've been quietly at war with the weather this summer?

07/31/2026

From the field to the bale.

This second cutting alfalfa is baled and is being hauled off to the barn.

If you're looking to line up hay for your horses or livestock this cutting, now's a good time to reach out to Colleen and get on the list before it's gone.

📞 505-402-6703

07/31/2026

The window finally opened.

After days of watching the forecast, the weather broke long enough to get the second cutting on the ground. This is straight alfalfa — cut, and now it starts the curing process before it's ready to bale.

Getting the timing right after a delay like this one isn't just about making up for lost time. It's still about giving the hay enough dry days to cure properly, same as it always is. The rain didn't change the process — it just changed the calendar.

More to come as this cutting moves through the next steps.

07/29/2026

Every farm has one — the "supervisor" who shows up for every job whether anyone asked or not.

Ours checks the equipment before we do, walks the fence line like it's part of the job description, and has strong opinions about who's allowed near the barn.

Farm life comes with a whole crew that never punches a timecard.

Tell us about your farm's unofficial supervisor — dog, cat, goose, whatever's running the place at your operation.

Waiting is its own kind of work.When rain pushes back a cutting, the crew doesn't just stand around. Someone's checking ...
07/27/2026

Waiting is its own kind of work.

When rain pushes back a cutting, the crew doesn't just stand around. Someone's checking soil moisture in the field. Someone's going over the swather and baler so there's no delay once the window opens. Someone's watching the forecast three times a day, deciding which field gets cut first when conditions finally line up.

None of that shows up in a photo of a green field sitting quietly. But it's the reason the hay that does get cut is worth waiting for.

What's something in your work where the prep during the delay matters as much as the work itself?

Why can a little rain delay hay cutting by days instead of hours?Because cutting is only the first step. Once alfalfa is...
07/22/2026

Why can a little rain delay hay cutting by days instead of hours?

Because cutting is only the first step. Once alfalfa is on the ground, it needs enough time to dry—or cure—before it can be baled safely.

Rain on cut hay doesn’t just make the surface wet. It can slow the curing process, wash away some water-soluble nutrients, and increase the risk of mold or excess heat if the hay is baled before it is ready.

Trying to rush the process to “beat the weather” can cost more in lost quality than waiting for the right window.

That’s why farmers study the forecast before the equipment ever enters the field. Depending on the temperature, wind, humidity, and crop conditions, they may need several dry days to complete the entire cut, cure, rake, and bale process.

It’s not simply about avoiding rain. It’s about finding enough time to do every step correctly.

What’s one area of your work or routine where patience usually produces a better result than rushing?

Hay season doesn’t follow the calendar. It follows the weather.Our second cutting was right on track—until the monsoon r...
07/20/2026

Hay season doesn’t follow the calendar. It follows the weather.

Our second cutting was right on track—until the monsoon rolled in. Rain can leave hay too wet to cure and bale properly, so instead of rushing it, we wait for the right window.

We’re hoping to be back in the field Tuesday or Wednesday, weather permitting. It’s not the timeline we planned, but protecting the quality of the hay matters more than staying on schedule.

That’s farming: make the best plan you can, then adjust when the weather has other ideas.

Have you ever had a project delayed by weather you couldn’t control?

Address

337 Road 5500
Bloomfield, NM
87413

Telephone

+15054026703

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