Hay lying in the snow

An interesting aspect of the farming industry in Annapolis Valley was the way hay is left out in the fields. Why this hay wasn't being stored in a barn (to keep it dry and from decomposing) wasn't immediately obvious. It turned out to be good economic sense, after all! Hay, when tightly packed, creates a fairly impregnable object, so even when it's left outside in the snow like this, at most maybe an inch or two of the outer layer will end up spoiled. And considering the financial costs involved in (not to mention other considerations pertaining to) building barns, storing the hay in the fields until needed is a pragmatic and cost-effective solution.