Healthy soil and sustainable growing

[Fargir@aol.com]

In a message dated 6/21/2006 1:10:05 P.M. Central Standard Time, tradingpost@riseup.net writes:

My statement was "alfalfa hay *normally* isn't fed directly to cattle".
Where'd I get that? From old ranchers of course.  They'd bloat and die,
like eating too much clover. 

    I had to come out of lurk mode to reply to that statement. I am a Iowa farm girl-- (now about 30 years off the farm but still go "home" to the farmstead. Mom is 87 but still living on the farm with the help of my brother :-} ) Dad raised Hereford cattle, just a small herd of 25, top.

During winter, ALL the cattle were fed, was alfalfa hay and some corn on the cob.  The ONLY time that we worried about bloat was early spring and they would get through the fence into the  corn.

    Dad did rotation farming and the cattle were a vital part of it.  The crop land was rotated by 1. alfalfa with a nurse crop of oats, first year. 2- grass pasture after the alfalfa died out, 3 -corn 4 soybeans(kept his own seed). , Then start over again

 

   The rotation of the different crops broke the weed/ insect cycle and with addition of livestock "waste" and the nitrogen fixing of the soybeans the fertilizer problem was solved.

By plowing under the pasture the organic fiber was also added.

    Without livestock, none of this would have been possible.  Dad had his own small stockyard to feed out the cattle. He fed alfalfa hay and  corn on the cob, that he fresh hammer milled,  to fatten.  The last 2-3 weeks, molasses was added to make them shine and add the last few lbs. His beef was "famous" for being the best tasting beef around. 

    When it came time for the five  kid to go to collage, Dad just put a few more calves in the feedlot and paid our tuition  with them .

     I have problems with the idea that there should not be any cattle or livestock on a farm.  Yes, there are problems and abuse possible , when done without care, BUT livestock can be an intricate and necessary part of sustainable farming

Peggy