[Carl Russell]

We’re only going to use it for the initial cover cropping, then transition more toward red clover/timothy.

[Carl Russell]

Tim Harrigan;16142 wrote:

….. From a soil perspective this in not a typical pasture restoration project.

Welcome to CARL’S WORLD. 😀

I don’t expect any grasses to be there when I turn the pigs on there. They will be on there directly after the machine. However, by the time they have worked over the whole “field”(5-7acres) there will undoubtedly be shoots from berries and other brush, as well as stump sprouts from hardwood saplings that were cut down. We will be broadcasting some grass seed, probably also YBSC, ahead of them and behind them.

By the end of the summer I will put my steers on there for them to eat down the woody sprouts, and nettles, jewel weed, and others.

There will be more debris on the surface than any other such clearing that I have done, but I have used this strategy in several other settings, usually leaving larger woody boles, letting the grazers trample small branches and twigs. It usually takes 2-3 years of light grazing combined with porcine and poultry disturbance and manure distribution, as well as winter-feeding hay seed/mulch and manure to get good palatable feed to get established.

There are several big differences here. First the woody debris will be much closer and more available to the soil, breaking down faster, but also tying up more energy. But also there will be greater incorporation by the pigs because they will have fewer obstacles and the layers of debris will foster the growth of more “goodies” for them to root after. I will have better fencing because the entire area will be “flattened” at once where I usually work much more slowly by hand. So I will be able to have perimeter fence around the whole area, allowing me to move my front/back fences more easily, concentrating and managing the pig activity better.

Also with all the stumps at ground level I will be able to drag and/or brush-hog better to address the woody/weedy growth that will undoubtedly take advantage of the low N high PH situation.

Soil tests have yet to be done, but I tend to move through these types of processes more by intuition than by the narrow lens of science. Not to say that soil chemistry/biology are not important aspects of our objective to grow good forage, just that it is more important to me that the process is something that I can manage and control with limited outside inputs of energy, materials, and labor.

I want to take advantage of 60 years of fallow biomass production, which in some ways is dismissed by the conventional knowledge. In my heart, based on years of working on the land, I can FEEL the deep connections in the forest-soil-grass-animal-human cycle. True, I can’t quantify them, and therefore I can’t scientifically justify my approach, but I also am not trying to pretend that I won’t have to adjust along the way.

We won’t be tilling. We are planning to just build sod and good forage through a regular application of animal rotation and inter-seeding with quality grasses. Possibly within ten years we will be taking at least one crop of hay off while grazing for most of the season. When the clearing is completely done we will have close to 30 acres open, so we should have it pretty well refined by then, and we’ll have more than we will be able graze so there will be a need to harvest hay.

Carl

[Carl Russell]

http://www.tampabay.com/features/humaninterest/article1076164.ece

Hummer cart is on its way to NYC for the premiere trip through Central Park.

[Carl Russell]

Scott G;16123 wrote:

…..
I would caution you when you put a lot of chipped/chunked material on the ground. The smaller processed material decomposes much more rapidly than natural coarse woody debris and can really suck the available nitrogen out of the ground. It can be an issue if you’re already dealing with poor soil.

Yes Scott we are aware of that. I have been removing the bulk of the woody debris in form of logs. Putting critters on it right away will help to break up the mycelial mats and add more nitrogen through manure. One way or another we will have to accommodate the shift from forest soil organisms to grassland soil organisms. I want the biomass in humus form though, and don’t want to spend the time burning. Anyway we look at it there is an energy issue. Some we have to pay for, some we can invest ourselves, some will be a reduction in available energy from the soil for a while. We plan to monitor the whole process the evaluate the effectiveness, and to try to develop associated management methods.

Carl

[Carl Russell]

Mark Cowdrey;16119 wrote:

Carl,

Does your grinder charge by the hour or the job? Can you give us some idea of the expense? Seems like a good compromise “jump start” solution.

Thanks,

Mark

About $200/hr. . He says he can clean up logging slash at about 5 acres/day

Carl

[Carl Russell]

I agree. It is sinking fast…. getting really heavy… roads have 4 in slush and really hard to drive on. I can’t wait to see it next week. Two days ago we were in an early break-up condition… I bet it isn’t too long before we’re looking like Mitch.

Too heavy for the cows to go out. We went snow shoeing… OMG what a work out. My shoes were sinking in 18″ in 24″ of snow….and then again in some places under limbs it was packed and I didn’t sink at all. Really can’t even seriously consider harnessing for a few days.

Carl

[Carl Russell]

My heart goes out to you Josh. Don’t be afraid of the grief, traveling into it will help you find those joyful memories that will stay with you forever.

Carl

[Carl Russell]

Did I say 14-16″? try 24-26″ heavy, and now with rain and possibly another foot.

I do have marking to do, and three plan updates to do during March, which will keep me busy, but I was on such a good roll. And I don’t want to take the sharp shoes off because I want to take advantage of the snow and ice before it turns to mud.

I want to have these trees cleaned up by mud season so that I can get a Brontosaurus in there to chip all the slash and grind down the stumps. It is my hybrid solution to keeping bio-mass and using machinery to jump start the pasture renovation.

After the Bront. I will put up a perimeter fence and leap frog my pigs 6-8 across it this summer. Hopefully they will bring enough soil to the surface so that we can get some good seed down. Using the Bront. will allow me to be able to drag the entire parcel, and also to brush-hog as soon as needed.

All I’ve been able to do for 36 hours now is shovel manure, carry water, and plow and shovel snow. Power out all over our area… off-grid here so we’re fine…. but I had to hook up my mother’s house to the generator.

Carl

[Carl Russell]

So funny. I kept reading to find out the process you go through to select the right single-tree for skidding wood. Oh yeah I’m a forester too.

Carl

[Carl Russell]

Good idea Dan. Here it is.
Carl

[Carl Russell]

I have always had a mare/gelding team, and I have found mares to be quicker, balkier, more anxious, and just generally more all around. In otherwords, the same, only different, just enhanced for some reason…..hmmm… hormones?

I did have two geldings and two mares for a while and worked the mares together, and they were a dream… moved easily together and generally were a very nice team..

My geldings on the other hand have all been methodical, and generally un-rattled. I have found that my geldings were much better WORK horses, responding with enthusiasm to heavy pulls, and having better energy management ie. stamina.

An old time told me once that “mares don’t go til they want to go, and when they want to go, they go like hell”. I have found that to be true across the board. My mares have all been good work horses, smart, sound, and full of heart, but they always seem to be questioning my guidance…. wait not quite ready… need to go much faster… wasting energy.

My geldings don’t do this, which can make working mares and geldings together kind of interesting sometimes. Most of the time I am driving both horses at the same time, where as when I drove the team of mares, I still drove them individually, but there was more of a sense of driving them together as one. They seemed to communicate better and accept each other’s presence better.

All said, I expect and receive the same level of response from either gender, but they obviously have associated differences.

I have never had so much fun as working a gelding single in the woods… maybe it’s a guy thing.

Carl

[Carl Russell]

A few more inmages.

[Carl Russell]

Here’s an update on the progress.

http://slicksgarage.com

[Carl Russell]

Greetings Kristen and Al. Good to have you join us.

Welcome, Carl

[Carl Russell]

Rob Roy has written at least one good book on the subject. I have one around here, but can’t find it right now. I think it is called the cordwood masonry book…. or maybe the cordwood sauna is the one I have…. anyway I think they were published by Chelsea Green from White River Jct., VT.

It is a building style that has some real attractive aspects. The material is easily available, and the designs are entirely customizable. The only limiting factor for me is getting a pile of dry cordwood that I don’t sell of burn myself. You really need dry wood to minimize the shrinkage.

Carl

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