When developing a pasture remember that its purpose is to provide healthy forage for the herd, not to create a uniform landscape. Work for solid nutrition. Cemeteries have uniform foliage. Pastures should not. Eliminate poisonous plants, do a soil test and apply lime as needed. Forget planting whatever would be the most beautiful. Plant what can grow. I would love to have a pasture of bluegrass but it cannot grow in our region.
Plant diversity can create sound nutrition.
I have an unnatural fear of herbicides. I also have a broad leaf weed with a huge fibrous root that does wonderful in heavy rain and drought. It is full of seeds and left alone will take over a pasture. The leaves are easily taken down with a swing blade (or a weed eater if one is inclined in that direction) The leaves can be quickly gathered and make a wonderful addition to the hog's diets.
I have been fighting this weed for years and this week I learned that fighting it has been not only a waste of time, but a waste of good hog forage.
This post struck a chord. I've lost count of the number of times I finally figured out that actions I was taking (such as wacking a giant weed) were not merely a waste of time, but a waste of opportunity and resources.
ReplyDeleteThere was a great movie called SECOND HAND LIONS in which the Michael Caine character would explain a chore: "This is what farmers do." That line explained why I used to rake leaves into piles and burn them. Then, I got smarter.
Forget "what farmers do" because much of "what farmers do" is damaging, counter-productive or wasteful. Especially today when so many farmers farm by following directions printed on the giant bags of chemical fertilizers, herbicides or insecticides bought at the chemical store (sorry, I meant Ag Supply).
Nowadays, we recognize fall's leaves as a valuable resource. In the orchard and pasture areas, we rake them in closer to the tree trunks so that they will compost over the winter and feed the trees that shed them.
In areas around the house, we rake the leaves into bio-swales, long mounds along the uphill side of the house, creating vegetative sponges that soak up all the rain run-off. Before, that side of the house used to suffer flood damage. Since the leafy-bio-swaling began, no more flooding or water damage. Added bonus: in a few months, the leaves decay into an almost unnoticeable and rather lovely brown carpet, and come summer, nothing grows there, so no need to mow or pull weeds where the previous winter's bio-swales were.
There are countless other examples, wherein we have learned not to fight the natural world around our farm, but instead to work WITH it. Less labor, and we save lots of money too.
Sorry for the long spiel. Like I said, you touched a chord with this piece. Thanks.
I you do want to get rid of the weeds, turn the hogs out in the field and leave then until the soil is completely turned up. My grandfather claimed that there was nothing better for clearing a field of weeds than hogs. You might need to give them some supplemental feed when they go down to the last of the weeds.
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