permaculture

["Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lflondon@mindspring.com>]

On Tue, 10 Oct 2000 14:54:14 -0400 (EDT), donahuer@ols.net (Randy )
wrote:


>>One solution would be to grow tall sweet white and yellow clover; the
>>bees use this plant's flowers (as do many other pollinators) and it is
>>not too invasive and could coexist with planting of many other
>>perennial forage crops, including many annuals (rye grain).

>        How often would I have to seed those clovers? I have read that they
>are biennials.

They self-seed readily and with great abundance. Light annual seeding
for rejuvenation and just to be sure wouldn't be a bad idea - could
fill in areas where it is growing sparsely.

> How closely can they be grazed, and how how closely do they

Probably fairly close to the ground. It has a very tough, deep root
system and the above-ground growth can be very tall with wide ranging
branching or short growth with dense matted network of stems and
leaves.

>need to be grazed to return them to vegetative growth within a twenty day

I'd have to guess at that and say 1' from the ground  but don't take
my word for it. I found it growing on my land when I bought it and I
have been observing its growth habits and hardiness and ability to
reproduce since 1980.

>resting period? My literature says that they usually grow from 3 to 6 feet,
>and can get as tall as 10 feet. . .

True.

>        Do you think that there would be a test I could use for fecal matter
>in the honey?Would pasteurization solve this problem? I was going to use a

Ask beekeepers about that, they should know.
Try this link: 

(Dave Green is in South Carolina)
http://www.pollinator.com/
or email them your question: Pollinator@aol.com 


>rotational system with around twenty-four single acre paddocks. The cattle
>would be moved every one to two days, depending on the height of the
>stubble, and the time of the year. The chickens will move in around three
>days after the cattle, enough time for pupae and laying adult insects to be
>active in their manure. The chickens(about 50) will spend as much time as it
>takes to break and spread the manure, and reduce the pasture under the
>orchard to a disaster area. This should take about as much time as it takes
>the cattle to graze down, about one to two days. This leaves the chickens in
>the individual area for about one to two days out of twenty to fourty.
>Hopefully the density of manure spread over the paddock will not be enough
>to come into contact with clover blossoms or bees nearing the end of that
>three week period. The constant movement of the chickens will tend to cut
>down on disease within themselves and in the pasture. In NC we usually have
>a cloudburst at least every three weeks or so. An expensive solution would
>be a schedule of portable overhead irrigation on individual plots in the
>event of a drought. I would frown on this because it would encourage scab.
>Two sets of solutions, either reduce the number of cows/ chickens, or
>increase the number or size of existing paddocks. The chickens will be kept
>in the most sanitary pen possible, and always given regular medications to
>help prevent coccidiosis. Drug use on the hens will prevent me from selling
>their eggs as organic, but the moist climate of North Carolina, and the
>health risks, prevent me from doing otherwise.  
>        Bees will not actually be set in or adjacent to a blossoming field.
>They will be located near the center of a series of about 24 hexagonal pens.
>Their own apiary will probably be about six acres in the middle of the grid.
>This is to prevent oppurtunist chickens from glutting themselves on a hive,
>or to prevent cows/chickens from being seen as vandals and stung by bees.
>The bees will have to find the honey on their own, but since it will never
>be more than three hexagonal acres(less than half a mile) away, they won't
>suffer considerably. On their "hometurf"(no pun intended), a mixed
>grass/legume hay will be grown for winter stockpiling. I have considered
>good bee forages, such as alsike clover, birdfoot trefoil, and red clover. I
>don't want to discourage the bees by providing too good a source so near
>them, though. Drought-resistant cultivars of orchardgrass, timothy, or a
>brome would be used to balance out the legumes.   
>         Another concern I have about my system is the nutrient ccontent of
>my forage and hay. If I am to let the legumes in either area bloom and begin
>to develop seed heads, the nutrient content may depreciate steadily. On the
>flipside is harvesting pre-bloom and destroying the bees supply of nectar
>and pollen. A compromise might be to catch the hay just as it goes to seed,
>and give adequate supplemental feed based on the analysis for that crop when
>it is in bloom. Regardless, the whole area would have optimum levels of
>phosphorous and boron for bloom formation and nectar secretion before the
>first fruit tree or forage seed would be planted, or it would be brought up
>to par with ammendments.             A consoling thought is that the cattle
>would not have to function at industrial efficiency. The type of cattle
>used, dexters, could be sold to reduce costs. These miniature cattle, backed
>by a solid pedigree, are fetching good prices in this area and across the
>U.S. The dexters were chosen to replace the sheep which are usually used in
>a grazing system with poultry. They are able to graze closer(than large
>breeds of cattle) with less stress from doing so. They are easier to handle,
>and have decent milk yields. The only problem with milking is hauling around
>a portable milking parlour. Grazing in hexagonal pens will help to reduce
>the amount of ungrazed areas and uneven manure distribution. Every three
>pens will share a water basin at their vertex. 
>         What do you think about using some of the dexters as oxen to
>harvest the hay? This would cut down on petroleum use, and further the
>self-suffiency of the farmlet. 
'

>         Do you find these statements/questions plausible/worthwhile?

Absolutely! They are some of the best ideas I have seen on this list.
I'll try to address the rest of your post tomorrow. Where are you
located in NC?
'
Good luck,
Lawrence (in Chapel Hill)
>                                      
>                                                    -Donahue@ols.net
>
>

Lawrence F. London, Jr. 
lflondon@mindspring.com    
london@metalab.unc.edu
http://www.ibiblio.org/london