[near horse]

Nice looking cart Andy (also, thanks for the “gunshow”).

Are you sure you didn’t get the inspiration for this cart from Monty Python and the Holy Grail? If I remember, they were calling, “Bring out yer dead!” and hauling away dead bodies on a cart like this. (And some not so dead, yet).:)

[near horse]

@bradley 22203 wrote:

…. Thanks to Scott for the presentation on Forestry in Colorado….

Speaking of Scott – does anyone know where he is right now? He wasn’t so foolish (like me) as to drive back there, was he? If so, he’s heading straight into some serious winter driving – we’ve got blizzard warnings for tonight and tomorrow – 30 mph wind, snow and temps near zero.

[near horse]

That’s enough of “LIF was so wonderful talk”! Some of us couldn’t be there and were hoping the post-event comments would be “didn’t miss much” but NOOOO. You all have to rub salt in our wounds with your glowing reports.

Seriously, I’m jealous and wish I could have been there. To those who put it together, it sounds like you did a great job and maybe I can make it next year.

[near horse]

Have a good trip! And I know Carl will be singing all the way there
“you can get anything you want at the MOFGA LIF workshop – except for Alice.”

[near horse]

Matt – I think you missed part of the discussion in which the “volatiles” are utilized to power whatever (like a motor) so what we’re talking about is not even as wasteful as flaring off natural gas, let alone negligent.

[near horse]

The process of “gasification” (or pyrrolysis) is the process by which one generates the charcoal used in biochar. Interesting that we might be able to use wood for E and the reside for increasing soil fertility!!

Now – where’s the catch?! There’s got to be some serious negative that’s missing here.

[near horse]

Sorry but from what I’ve read biochar and slash and burn are not the same thing at all. When burning organic matter in the presence of unlimited oxygen, most of the carbon is going up as smoke and CO2 and leaves no (or very little) substrate for colonization by fungi etc – biochar or “terra preta” results in charcoal remaining in the soil to provide places for organisms to inhabit (and build soil fertility and also tie up more CO2).

Funny, I just saw something about this on National Geo tonight – try googling terra preta (I think it is Portuguese for dark or black land). Researchers believe that this technique of maintaining fertility in the Amazon basin may have allowed large numbers of people to inhabit that area without having to move when the soil played out. Pre-European contact estimates are in the million(s) of inhabitants for the area – while the current number is only about 300,000.

There’s a lot of people looking at this as a method for increasing fertility of some played out soils – not something you wold associate with slash & burn.

[near horse]

Hi Tim,

I agree regarding the practicality in today’s world – kind of like building the pyramids with hand labor, you use what you’ve got available at the time. That said, from the brief article I read, “Amazon civilizations may have used this method over an area the size of Great Britain (or larger) with depths up to 6 ft. ….. Some data suggests that crops grow up to 45% biomass on this soil than on poor soil fertilized w/ chemical fertilizers …” Might be worth a look.

[near horse]

Hi longbo55,

I thought I saw measurements for pitmans used on the different mowers somewhere but I don’t remember where – might have been at B. W. MackNairs’ site.

With regard to the regular vs vertical (I think that’s the original term for “hi lift”), it has to do with how high the cutter bar is raised when you lift it with the lift lever. The vertical can raise it up to well …. vertical. That should be pictured in one of Lynn’s books – maybe in Haying with Horses.

Donn Hewes – please add in or clarify if I butchered this!

Here’s a pic from Macknairs.

[near horse]

Hi Everyone,

Glad to hear all your now familiar voices and glad to be on board.

Geoff

[near horse]

It might be safer to just buy a new pitman from MacNairs then you can use it as a template for future sticks. They’re only about $9 ea.

[near horse]

@Matthew 21174 wrote:

I don’t know what the area looks like but maby you could burn the stubble with out getting in too mutch trouble. I was talking to a guy last summer who was taking stone walls on my neighbors property. He farmed a bit out west and he said they would burn the fields after they were cut. He said they did not get enugh rain for the stuff to break down in the soil so they burned it off. They would drive a pick up with a drip tourch hanging out the window.

Hi Matt,

I live in one of those “stubble burning” areas here in N. ID/ Eastern WA where wheat farmers worry about disease(s) being harbored in the decaying straw and so they often burn it – for now. It looks like that might be slowing down due to both air quality issues and erosion control requirements.

IMHO – burning off crop residues that you/your soil could benefit from by keeping them on the place is really watching your organic matter “go up in smoke”. Organic matter will break down eventually – Nature Happens!

[near horse]

@jenjudkins 21743 wrote:

Rod, Have an appointment on the books for dehorning. It will be a matter of whether I have been able to get a hand and halter on this heifer to get that deed done…..but I wholeheartedly agree….given her propensity to lead with her horns.

Tonight…sensing some of the extreme fear and agitation had worn off, I decided to play around with some spacial boundaries. I felt a 12 x 12 stall was too small a space to be safe with Dolly. So I closed off the barn aisle on both ends and simply open the door to her stall allowing her access to the barn aisle should she choose it. Then I went about my normal barn activities….mucking stalls, feeding horses, watering, sweeping, etc. I noticed her getting curious about the open door and thought….this is good. She was careful about maintaining space between us when I came near though. Finally I decided I needed to clean her stall (not really necessary, but as an exercise, proved useful). I entered as non-chalantly as I could…pitch fork in hand, moving circularly so as to be non confrontational. She left the stall as soon as I cleared the doorway, as I expected and found herself in uncomfortable but safe (from me) territory in the aisleway. I cleaned her stall, refreshed her water and diddled about for awhile while she watched from the uncomfortable end of the barn. As soon as I left her stall and approached her, she siddled around me to get back to her safe place in the stall (interesting how fast that happened).I’m not sure yet, what I accomplished, but it felt like progress. There was at least, no charging or climbing of the walls:). It will be interesting to see if she can adjust to me being in the stall with her without her having to leave…which I think is my goal…at least in the short term.

Any input welcome and appreciated!

Hi Jen,

Always up to something aren’t you?

Another somewhat positive is the lack of her throwing a “cow kick” your way as she passed by. Those seem to be really common (and potentially ouchy) responses by nervous cattle. The 300 to 600 lbers are the dangerous ones because they’re bid enough to injure but small enough to still have some athleticism in them. IMHO – when a cow is going to run over you come hell or highwater, she’s got her head held up high as opposed to down with her nose to the ground. The nose down ones can be turned back by being big; the others mean “get out of the way”.

I agree with others that food is the best first step. It’s amazing what barriers you can break down when a hungry animal associates you with food (not AS FOOD). Use the 2 P’s – patience and persistence and you’ll do well but recognize that like horses and people, some are just a** holes regardless of your best efforts. Be safe!!

I guess it’s good that you’re dehorning well after fly season – we always had to treat the horn area for flies a couple of times and that required squeezing/restraining the cattle. We treated with screw worm spray and that kept things pretty clean. Unfortunately, I imagine the dehorning might set your “acceptance training ” back a bit. Good luck.

Cheers!

Geoff

[near horse]

@Carl Russell 21850 wrote:

I am planning on bringing my team and bobsled, but if anyone coming from central VT, or traveling through this area with a pick-up was interested in helping to haul either sled or log-cart, then I could have both there.

Let me know, Carl

Oh come on now Carl! I just got home and now I need to come back?:eek:
Wish I could.

[near horse]

Nice plow John! From my limited experience, I have to agree with what I think Mitch is saying. Two or three holes in from the left (as you’re looking at the plow) for hitching. The vertical adjustment is based off of the height of your team which affects the line of draft – hitch point too high and the nose of the plow dives – too low and you’re lifting the front out of the ground. Eyeball close and try it then adjust up or down a bit. Same is true of the pole/tongue – after the hitch stuff is about right, make a pass and see how your team is walking. Is your furrow horse able to walk cleanly in the furrow or is he running up on the furrow edge? Is the plow taking a full clean 12″ (close) bite? You’ll see how to get it just right after turning some earth.

BTW- at the plowing events I’ve been to, getting in behind the guy w/ the Pioneer plow is desirable because it leaves a really nice clean furrow for the teamster behind. Nice plow.

[Author]

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