Comeback Farms: Rejuvenating Soils, Pastures and Profits with Livestock Grazing Management
Where have I been, you ask? Well, I have been here, just busy. I know, the same old excuse, right? I promise, I have been.
There are so many things going through my head, right now, that it is causing a little anxiety. I am trying to do the foremost thing that a grassfarmer should do, think. It would seem that, since I hit 40, that thinking thing comes a bit more labrously.
But, I am thinking of things I would like to do to prepare for the spring. The biggest thing I want to accomplish is to get some grass sown. I plan to do this the same way I have in the past, and it has proven moderately successful. I plan to throw down the seed in the places I spread hay. This serves a two-fold purpose. The first is that the hay, itself, has plenty of seeds in it, thus I spread it around, trying hard to avoid feeding it in the same spot, day after day. Through this, the seed gets spread, pretty simple. The second is that when I throw the seed down around the feed spot, the cattle push it in the ground, saving me from having to till. Dual purpose with good results.
A good source of grass is essential to a sustainable rotation. I am still working toward this end as what we had to start with was not so good. We have improved much over the last few years, and I expect that trend to continue.
I plan to cut down the brambles that plague the pastures. This should help in the microbial action and build the soil. Last year, I implemented what I call a pseudo-mob grazing on our small homestead. I liked what I saw and I was even able to extend the grazing season a month longer than last year. This year, I am going to try to dicipline myself to control the grazing a bit more and mob them even more. I may chicken out, when the grass is too short, I get nervous. The goal is to create a longer rest period between first and last paddocks.
I want to study this closer than in time past. What I want to do is take our small homestead and make it a model for mob grazing on a very small scale. We're talking 3-5 animals on 5 acres. Ten acres, if I can get some fence built this year. I've been trying to build that fence for two years now. Pray about that, please.
So, I will keep you posted as things progress. I have high hopes, but first, I need to get some seed in the ground. THen there are the broilers and the rabbits and the.....
1 comment:
Have you thought of electric netting for fence? They sell it at Premier1, and Joel Salatin recommends it.
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