As part of an ongoing conservation effort, invasive, woody species are cut and stacked in wash areas. Not only does the brush slow erosion caused by water and heavy leaf litter, it also creates a wind break and shelter for some wildlife.
Category Archives: Pasture
Mowing and Stocking Rate
Don is mowing along fence rows and tree lines this summer. Our stocking rate is too low for proper trampling. Sure, we won’t run out of grass, however with our infrastructure, it’s difficult to crowd the cattle to graze and trample near these areas. As a result, sprouts and briars … Continue reading
Looking good again
The pastures are looking good again after two years of drought conditions. I think it paid off for us not to over graze but instead, supplement with hay.
Grass to spare.
The spring equinox has come and gone and the cattle still have grass before them. This will be the first season that we have grazed through the winter with grass to spare. A long-time goal has been achieved and the amount of grass to spare may very well be an … Continue reading
Don’t burn off pasture land.
My thought today is to follow up on a post from nine months ago. Last February, our pasture and winter supply of hay was burned up by a careless act. I made my best attempt to turn the other cheek and pledged to watch for something good to come from … Continue reading
Idle land… a waste
I see it along gravel roads and interstates alike. Idle land becoming overgrown with cedar trees and goldenrod. Most certainly someone owns the land and it looks like a waste of good resources to me. I’m sure you can guess where I’m going with this entry. If asked, my advice … Continue reading
Baling the yard
Most folks mow their lawns to make attractive landscaping for their home. Don, however, mowed ours with the intent of raking and baling the grass. Our yard area is roughly two acres and looks really nice when mowed to an even height, however about five years ago when gas prices … Continue reading
What a productive day
What a productive day. We took action on a plan to make less work. Part of the plan is to utilize more wooded area for the cattle to graze and shelter in so today, we set t-posts through a stretch of woods and attached insulators to them. When the time … Continue reading
Our pasture isn’t torn up and there is residual grass
We visited some folks today who rent their pasture to a local farmer. Their pasture, pictured immediately below, quickly caught my eye. The farmer runs several cow/calf pairs, grazes until the grass no longer grows enough to sustain the cattle, then feeds hay until the spring flush comes. … Continue reading
Opportunity abounds
A fire started in our neighbor’s pasture which then spread to our pasture and winter hay supply. I won’t go into the messy details but will instead focus on the opportunity that has been presented. The opportunity to read up on and learn the benefits and consequences of burnt land … Continue reading