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  • From: FranksFarm@aol.com
  • To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] [Fwd: [SANET-MG] dream farms]
  • Date: Sun, 12 Jun 2005 07:31:49 EDT


In a message dated 6/11/05 10:44:31 PM, lfl@intrex.net writes:


> You would appreciate this stuff.
>

I sure would. I have always been impressed by how much you have accomplished.

Larry, I have beef cattle so the manure is spread around as I rotate the
cattle. I do supplement the pasture with grain in the winter, but they are
only in
the feed area for a short time so there is little accumulation.

I also try and spread the hay feeding areas around. Though I have one 4 acre
sacrifice lot where I feed a good number of large round bales.

Plus I don't have a lot of farm machinery. When I first came down to Kentucky
6 years ago I had hoped I would be able to have most farm machine operations
custom hired. Soon found out that was impractical! Hardly anybody seems
willing to do custom work around here. Far too busy at such times on their
own
places.

So I had to buy iron:)

Just bought a used disk harrow at an auction a few weeks ago. Haven't used it
yet -- but there's some ground I need to go over this fall.

Larry, after 5 years I can see a huge improvement in my pastures form when I
first took over the farm. My bottom fields pH is close to 7.0 and the soils
are also high in some minerals, and have adequate values for most tested.

Those bottoms appear fairly flat, but in reality there are quite a few spots
where there are dips and swales that often have standing water. Plus there
are
ridges where corn used to be planted.

I've no tilled Alice white clover, orchard grass, and fescue. The white
clover really seems to thrive so the clovers could make up nearly 50% of the
acreage in the bottoms.

I'm reluctant to tear all this up and start anew. Of course I could only do
this in stages over time if I decided to do it at all. Any suggestions?

Now my back pastures are a different story. Soils are not as good. Clay is
tight, and almost impenetrable when dry. They are improving though, but more
slowly.

I'm thinking of sub soiling them this fall with an old sub soiler I bought at
auction cheaply. Whether it works well or not is another matter.

My biggest problem on the farm is drainage. I have high hills on all sides
except for the western boundary which is along the creek. Heavy rains follow
drainages built up over time. However, some of the drainages do NOT empty
into
creeks and thus just dump all sorts of water onto some areas, which become
boggy. Some of this land was former pasture, but the previous owner let it
go, and
scrub trees, willows, and multiflora roses took over.

Little by little I've been opening up some of this land to the sun, by taking
out dying trees, and lesser value trees. But since these areas are also lower
than surrounding areas water just tends to sit on the surface.

I sure wish I could find an inexpensive way to put the water where I want it.
It's hard slogging through such land that grows very little forage.

Look forward to your pictures, and hearing your ideas. Cheers. Frank





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