Gather your oats...

These are the oat sheaves that Ronnie makes in the autumn and sells during the winter.  The birds love these grains and Finnish people hang the sheaves in their gardens as food for the finches and tits once there is snow on the ground.  Just as robins are a symbol of winter in the UK, so bullfinches are a feature of Finnish winters.  This is a very traditional way of harvesting oats and last year the Vastra Nyland newspaper published several photos and an article about R.'s oats!