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[Robert Walton <waltonrp AT gmail.com>]

I've finally gotten a direction with what to do with these fields I've been
rehabilitating. Grass. Nothing's better than pasture and hayfields. It's
also a lot easier once you get the grass going, just managing the animals on
pasture. I might end up with a few small plots to grow crops on, but pasture
is going to be my main crop.
I just seeded the field that was in clover this spring to grass. It was in
Sorghum Sudan grass as a cover crop this summer. I cut it once and it had
grown back. I just cut it again and disced over the field to scratch up the
soil. The clover had been plowed in this spring. Now there is a good amount
of organic matter in the soil and on top of it.

I seeded annual rye grass and some orchard grass. The idea is that the rye
grass will come up and give some grazing this winter. Hopefully, the orchard
grass will not get crowded out by the rye grass. I bet some crimson clover
will come up from seeds dropped this spring, too. In winter, I'll seed some
ladino clover for the long term. We'll see how it works out.

I grew Sorghum Sudan as a cover crop this year and robbed a bit of it for
the livestock. My calves started munching it down at a couple of weeks old.
They've done real well on it. I could graze it, but found it easier to cut
it for them each day. Less trampling in the field. I think I'll grow more of
this next year. It makes a great summer cover and the animals do real well
on it. This, of course, is assuming it rains. This year has been good for
rain for the most part.

It's nice to have some direction. I'm in the market for a Jersey cow. I
might start a couple of Jersey heifers if I can find them. Grass, grass,
grass.


Rob - Va