Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["John D'hondt" <dhondt@eircom.net>]

We try to be as self sufficient as we can possibly be Michele. We have approx. 75 acres of land. Highest point over 800 feet elevation and lowest around 400. We have some 30 acres under permanent gras for grazing, a 3 acre lake around 30 acres under trees and shrub and maybe 2 acres under vegetable-plant cultivation. We grow at least 60 different crops in nearly permanent rotation. Meaning that many summer crops are nearly due for harvest and the autumn- winter crops have been sown in modules ready to go in the ground when space comes free.

What we harvest as animal food these days are a good wheelbarrow of comfrey leaves and stalks (pigs mostly), a good wheelbarrow load of nettles and thistles (goats mostly) and almost two wheelbarrow loads of mixed gras/herbs for other animals from horses to guinea pigs. Sheep and cattle are permanently out grazing but horses (they get laminitis on rich gras and clover if allowed to graze 24/7) and goats (who don't like wet) sleep inside and are out by day. Pigs are permanently in when it is wet for they can collapse the structure of the soil so much that land turns into a sorry state for years after.

john

Hi John!

Really have enjoyed your report.  We live on the edge of a river wetlands.  It is cool and beautiful, and we have a creek and related little tributaries going into it.  What are you growing down there for animal food...and people food?  For us, getting down there is tough as the sides of the ravine are quite steep, and the knees are not 16 years old, but I am curious!

 

Michele

 

In a message dated 7/22/2010 1:23:08 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, livingontheland-request@lists.ibiblio.org writes:

We harvest plants like comfrey and bullrush there and maybe 10 more species
for animal food. Again never seen a problem and how could it? Pathogens are
not taken up by plants in a cold swamp to be transported to an edible part.
That simply does not happen.
john

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