I pay my landscapers less than minimum wage, so it makes sense that they leave crap all over my lawn. But to me, its worth it if I don’t have to go out there in the summer with a lawnmower and weed whacker. Just don’t go barefoot in the grass…
I moved the cattle this evening into a particularly colorful pasture. Except for the flies on the cattle, this evening has been idyllic with mild weather and bobolinks flitting all around. At this time of year it is accurate to say that the cattle are as much flower-fed as grass-fed. Maybe we could command higher prices if we sold …
In discussions among grassfed producers, invariably we get around to discussing managed grazing. There are different names and different practices, but to vastly simplify, the formula is basically: Move the cattle frequently so they don’t regraze plants that are recovering from a previous grazing. Use high (a relative term) stock density to maximize animal impact …
Two of our feral hens hatched clutches of chicks this past week. Most of our egg layers are a half mile from the house in the back pastures, but we have a few mongrel yardbirds we keep around for tick control. They rustle all their feed, raise their chicks, and poop all over our patio. Here …
Earlier I described our inefficient grain handling system and the need to upgrade. During the winter and spring I started buying the equipment and for the last few months I’ve been building, repairing, and assembling all the components. This week we put all the pieces together and tested the system end to end. I bought a moderately beat up …
The cattle are wrapping up a grazing rotation through the low lying fields. This area is often wet and consequently it doesn’t grow “good” grass or legumes very well. Reed Canarygrass is the dominant species in a lot of these pastures. Traditionally, farmers in our area think of it as a liability rather than an asset. …
I’m no ornithologist. But I believe that the sandpipers that spend their summers in our neighborhood are Spotted Sandpipers. I found this nest while doing the morning cattle move. The mother flopped and fluttered away when I approached, acting injured in order to draw me away from her eggs. I’ve seen mallards do the same. They put on …
I’m far too busy to write a thoughtful or provocative blog post, so I’ll just show pictures of something everyone likes seeing: piglets.
The month of May is bringing a surge to our farm. The change was late in coming, but everywhere life is exploding. Chicks and piglets are running all over. Gravid cows and cats are swelling into their fulness. All the indicator species that help us measure the health of a farm ecosystem are present in abundance, such as …
We assembled our new hog feeder, a Brower/Pride of the Farm outdoor wheel feeder. These types of feeders are called “wheel feeders” because of the mechanism that allows the pigs to agitate the feed bin and refill the troughs. The design takes the rooting instinct of pigs into account. As they spin the paddlewheel they …
