"Improving Our Lot" - Planned Holistic Grazing, for starters..

Bury the Trash · May 10, 2019

holwellcourtfarm said:
I've often drilled grass seed like that with our old Accord DA 6M with the coulter springs disconnected. On a 90hp tractor on duals the ground pressures are low, the work rate is high and the seed spreads well. The metering is much more precise than a disc spreader as well.

Yeah dropping the seed straight down is the best way I guess , even the wagtail relies on not much windy etc, but it doesn't have the drop point issues etc that a disc spinner does.
.....I bet Mr vicon must've had a real :scratchhead:

as to how he could possibly build something that would broadcast in the same way as a mans arm would..

Kiwi Pete · May 10, 2019

Crofter64 said:
Too bad ‘overgrazing’ , with stock of course, came before over tillage in the list of soil damaging practices. Its an anti animals -who -work -for -a -living world out there.

It's likely correct?
When you think of overgrazing as a habit, and most farms don't consider any other approach, that's what leads to all this tillage and fertiliser and chemical being "needed" to the extent that it is on these farms.

But that's the degenerative system's achilles - all the energy goes into the stock, and not enough into the soil

holwellcourtfarm · May 10, 2019

A 2 part article on the issue regarding too much reactive nitrogen in the world that readers of this thread may find as interesting as I did:

https://climateandcapitalism.com/20...t-earths-life-support-systems/#comment-151522

https://climateandcapitalism.com/20...-of-a-good-thing-is-deadly-for-the-biosphere/

Henarar · May 11, 2019

Made a start today this field was last reseeded in 1975

tinsheet · May 12, 2019

Henarar said:
Made a start today this field was last reseeded in 1975View attachment 797370

Coo land of milk n honey down with you

Am Just jealous

.

Kiwi Pete · May 12, 2019

Henarar said:
Made a start today this field was last reseeded in 1975View attachment 797370

Made a start today too

Have those incalf heifers coming and thought I'd best get rid of any spoiled stuff to the bulls

Treg · May 12, 2019

Henarar said:
Made a start today this field was last reseeded in 1975View attachment 797370

Looking a good crop @Henarar

Treg · May 12, 2019

Kiwi Pete said:
View attachment 797648
Made a start today too

Have those incalf heifers coming and thought I'd best get rid of any spoiled stuff to the bulls

The bulls may have to starve, as there's not a lot of spoil there Kp

Henarar · May 12, 2019

Treg said:
Looking a good crop @Henarar

yep its a bit patchy though, I have never cut that field first before
It seems to be a bit of an odd year some of the fields that are normally well forward are not so good and some that are normally later seem better

Kiwi Pete · May 12, 2019

Treg said:
The bulls may have to starve, as there's not a lot of spoil there Kp

I thought it would have a heap of black, and shrooms growing around the edges TBH

But they got a feed anyway.
And I got my shed topped up

Will probably let them in in the morning as we've had a good belt of rain this afternoon.

Rolled my heap over while I had the loader here

Treg · May 12, 2019

Henarar said:
yep its a bit patchy though, I have never cut that field first before
It seems to be a bit of an odd year some of the fields that are normally well forward are not so good and some that are normally later seem better

Yeah mine are the same, may have to start with the later fields first :scratchhead:

Treg · May 12, 2019

Kiwi Pete said:
I thought it would have a heap of black, and shrooms growing around the edges TBH

But they got a feed anyway.
And I got my shed topped upView attachment 797682
Will probably let them in in the morning as we've had a good belt of rain this afternoon.View attachment 797688
Rolled my heap over while I had the loader here

All looking good Kp, is that 2 different types of wood chip in the poly tunnel? Can't tell by the photo just there are 2 different colours & I'm being nosy

Kiwi Pete · May 12, 2019

Treg said:
All looking good Kp, is that 2 different types of wood chip in the poly tunnel? Can't tell by the photo just there are 2 different colours & I'm being nosy

I've found a cheap source of these shavings, from the local mill.
They have a serious amount and I have access to trucks and loaders - so I'm going to bulk up my

more this year and it should hopefully spread, fresh, in the spring, mixed with all the rotted stuff

Oh, and the colour was on the concrete sloping floor, I'll let the bulls break it up and then I won't need to pick it out of the corners with a shovel on Tuesday night

I'm going to keep it for my garden compost pile.

holwellcourtfarm · May 12, 2019

Kiwi Pete said:
I've found a cheap source of these shavings, from the local mill.
They have a serious amount and I have access to trucks and loaders - so I'm going to bulk up my more this year and it should hopefully spread, fresh, in the spring, mixed with all the rotted stuff

Oh, and the colour was on the concrete sloping floor, I'll let the bulls break it up and then I won't need to pick it out of the corners with a shovel on Tuesday night I'm going to keep it for my garden compost pile.

Shavings should decompose faster than chips as well, shouldn't they?

Kiwi Pete · May 12, 2019

holwellcourtfarm said:
Shavings should decompose faster than chips as well, shouldn't they?

Yeah, there is about a foot of composted stuff underneath these fresh ones, I didn't fancy the sawdust as I think it might just go claggy too quick
These are very loose so I didn't want to go too deep for a start, 6 to 8 inches, then I can put another layer in in a while
Works out about $10 /m3 delivered so pretty cheap carbon and hopefully they'll stay nice and clean.
If not I can probably get bark chips which are a bit more expensive as the gardeners like them, or reject coal if I really wanna upset Roy

Henarar · May 12, 2019

Treg said:
All looking good Kp, is that 2 different types of wood chip in the poly tunnel? Can't tell by the photo just there are 2 different colours & I'm being nosy

have found that fields left with cover have come on better but if it will be as good a quality the cows will tell me
also some seem to have grown much better over winter than others

holwellcourtfarm · May 12, 2019

For those going to Groundswell I see that Sheila and Chris are offering the chance to share dinner on the Wednesday evening with Alan Savory and Jody Butterfield.

Bury the Trash · May 12, 2019

Henarar said:
Made a start today this field was last reseeded in 1975View attachment 797370

Did you kick some moisture out of it today ? Pretty drying atm......

Henarar · May 12, 2019

Bury the Trash said:
Did you kick some moisture out of it today ? Pretty drying atm......

yea its drying we will bale it tomorrow
baled another little field that I cut yesterday more stalky sort of stuff that always dries quick, got 7 per acre, happy with that

ShooTa · May 13, 2019

AS requested pics of the mineral sled/freechoice bar.
first pic is of the old roof which was car floor mats, Out in the field and then the testing with a old pet lamb.
Minerals im running is a salt stone, seaweed, sulphur, copper sulphate, limestone and , dolomite.

seaweed is being cleaned out pretty fast atm.

"Improving Our Lot" - Planned Holistic Grazing, for starters..

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