Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["TradingPostPaul" <tradingpost@riseup.net>]

Well, we've heard about chicken tractors, now we have pig tractors. That
sounds a bit easier than hoeing ;-) and perhaps more economical in the long
run than glyphosate. Some would rather not rely on any chemical, including
yours truly, but I haven't had that problem so I can't make a judgment on
it. Today in this mess of specialization big farmers rarely think outside
the box. It's one or two cash crops, and nary a thought about how animals
might fit into the picture. Horses, chickens, and pigs can all do some of
the chores while they grow. And ... they are self replicating.

paul, tradingpost@riseup.net
listowner

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********

On 7/17/2006 at 10:54 AM Claudia & Linda wrote:

>It wouldn't exactly be "no-till" but one way to clear the Johnson grass
>would be to get a few feeder pigs and an electric net.  Set up your net in
>one spot and let the pigs clear it for you.  They'll dig up and eat all
the
>tender roots, fertilize, grind up the tough grass stalks and leave them as
>mulch. When they have sufficiently cleared that patch, move them to the
>next
>area, rake level the area they have cleared, seed it to whatever grasses
or
>crop you want, possibly using seedballs and lightly mulch.  The pigs will
>need shelter and water.  You can provide water in a 55 gal. plastic drum
>with a water nipple screwed in near the bottom that they will learn to
>drink
>from.  This will prevent them from spilling water in a trough and making a
>mudhole that compacts the earth.  By limiting the area they can graze you
>force them to completely clean up the area before moving them to the next.
>By the time they've finished their job, or maybe even before, you should
>have some good size market hogs to offer and a good start on clearing the
>Johnson grass.
>
>Claudia
>
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