- Location
- Cornwall
Thanks for a very thorough reply Mr Roy![emoji1303]
It is a remarkably "abstract" topic, HM.
Much more than mob grazing, or no-till, or anything in our toolboxesView attachment 662836
screenshot ctsy the Savory Institute, thought it was topical as an example.
Sorry for missing out so many tags @newholland but if any consolation you wouldn't have got one anyway!!
still something I want to do
My initial focus is to reduce & eliminate any synthetic fertilisers while building up soil biology & activity.
I would like to reduce my reliance on glyphosate as I am becoming increasingly uncomfortable about being so dependent on one product ( which is becoming increasingly less effective ) but also its potential negative effects on biology, however at this point, in a dryland cropping system, that is probably one step too far yet.
Largely, my 2 goals are decrease / eliminate external inputs ( $$$ ) and to improve soil / enviro health
err, is that enough for now ?
I never said it was easy
It can look like any number of different methods in my limited experience - have had a message from Sheila Cooke and she will be keen to help us discover once she's back in the land of internetSo if we go back to the title of the thread, can someone give me an example of what HPG actually looks like? I get the gist of planning well in advance based on rest periods and several outcomes and the rest sort of ‘flows’ but I am a little stuck on getting started..
I worked on a holistically managed ranch in the Canadian prairies but wasn’t necessarily privy to the real core workings and the decision making. Basically just looked like mob grazing to me... haha
It can look like any number of different methods in my limited experience - have had a message from Sheila Cooke and she will be keen to help us discover once she's back in the land of internet
For me it seldom looks like proper high density mob stocking simply because my social commitments don't always lend themselves to me doing daily farmwork - it still revolves around not eating the regrowth, keeping livestock moving on.. but you wouldn't necessarily see what is happening.
I sometimes will only spend an hour per week farming, check stock and open some gates, and having a good look around.
That said, we are probably enjoying the effects of the farm being under HM for many years, so the need to improve it is not as great as the need to maintain.
I hope that makes sense?
There are certain events and times of year when it makes it much easier to achieve more via animal impact, a big part of it is planning to make the best use of rain events, stressors that hasten reproduction, when is the time to focus on seed transfer for best effect - all these things are planned for already for next year, hopefully the weather follows the plan a little more than it has this year.
At the moment we are largely overgrazing due to lack of processing space for our cattle, again something that I can't control, but can easily allow for just the same - it is very flexible, once you have your goals.
Wow, I wouldn't worry about sounding sillyWell like a lot of people I’m desperate to get the stragglers lambed so I can mob them up and start rotating as the benefits are clear to see. How much damage does set stocking do for the 2 months of the year I do it?
In simpler terms buying some bullocks in the spring, moving them daily until the grass stops growing and then selling them seems dead easy.
Sorry for sounding like a dunce I’m just sitting here with two ends of string trying to tie the loop
Cunning planI've been naughty ;
View attachment 663178
Following on from @Kiwi Pete and his successful arable silage attempt I'm following suit.
This is an attempt at maximising productivity with as little cultivations as possible. I quite like using a plough sparingly as its an easy way of getting a reasonably clean seedbed and also 'resetting' any compaction issues. As long as you aren't doing it too often that is. I want to get as much out of as little ploughing as possible, so I'm trying this system this year;
This field was spread with muck and destined to be first cut silage but got grazed instead , this is followed with another dose of FYM and ploughed for Oats and vetch (£630/t!), which I will hopefully cut in 10 weeks or so before min-till or direct drill in a brassica or forage rye for grazing dry cows in the spring (potentially creating a stale seedbed first), before going back into grass - probably some fairly nasty IRG or Westerwolds, which I will direct drill something more sustainable but less productive in a year or so. This gives us 3 crops (potentially 4) with one ploughing and potentially just a gentle ripping if its a dry spring next year. This seems like a better option than a grass to grass reseed in terms of output from the minimum cultivations. Is this holistic management?
Anyone tried anything similar?
Well, you have possibly heard me speak of my mate Jeff, he has what I would call holistic management and integrated cropping and livestock..As long as I’m thinking along the right lines Pete, I’ll put up with the pain!!!
I think I am at about the same stage of understanding as you. I think it is a good idea and rotational graze but do not know how to go to next stageI remember vividly going to my first and only HM meeting and being told how my boss was going to turn the power of the sun into two weeks holiday with the wife and kids and replace the farm truck. Think it was a bit too much for my little brain as an introduction