I wasn't prepared! What Nobody Told me about Regenerative Farming Small Acreage
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 ก.ย. 2024
- I wasn't prepared! What Nobody Told me about Regenerative Farming Small Acreage Come along today on the farm as I discuss intensive grazing, mob grazing and regenerative farming practices. We'll all learn together, small farms in America's heartland!
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I'm with you 💯 with no commercial fertilizers, but what about treating for flies. That's one problem that I want to solve as quick as possible.
Why is it a problem? Why do we need a pill or spray to solve something that just occurs in nature? Moving the cows cuts down on the fly load...no pink eye issues and no health issues at all so I don't see why it's a problem. The problem is giving an animal that's made for human consumption a systemic medication that kills flies..thus killing the nutritive value of manure....poison manure doesn't promote land regeneration. That's why no wormers...no chemicals and no sprays. No health problems!
Aren'r chickens on pastures the answer for fly problem?
@@StoneyRidgeFarmer Hey Josh, from what I've seen Joe Salatin runs his chicken tractor four days behind his cattle and Greg Judy has his cattle a fair distance or 4-5 days away from the fly hatch. A refurbished utility trailer with a bunch of roosters might help. You are definitely doing it right. No slam on how Gramps did it. Shoot, they're even doing large acreage No-Till farming now. Stay the course son, you're doin' fine.
Frogs....a cattle pond and the frogs helps keep the flies down ...
@@samiam1254 That to. And some shrubs and trees around for some birds nesting.
Hey josh, you look great bud!!!! I’m impressed how great you look, I can definitely tell you lost some weight. Good for you !!! Keep up the great work! -Dan
You can use chickens to spread the manure while at the same time the chickens eat the fly larvae. Low number of flies means less flies bite your cows. The protein from fly larvae will get used to make eggs and the chickens grow. Adding chickens is beneficial as an additional income. I also understand that it means additional work. You know your situation better than me, I am just sharing my thoughts.
yep....we've all seen videos online about folks moving chickens behind their cows. However....the fact is that it's very very labor intensive...the poultry net will not go in hard ground. It costs $2000 to build a mobile coop and predators like foxes will ruin your entire operation in and afternoon. What you're seeing on the internet is a nice dream....but it doesn't work in the long term. Raising chickens for eggs is not a money making venture...you've gotta recoop the cost of the chickens...feed, egg washer, fence, coop ...fuel to move the coop and time. I did the math the other day...say ya have 10 dozen chickens...that produce 8 dozen eggs per day...and you make $1.50 on each dozen eggs after expenses...so ya make $12 per day to take care of all of those chickens...plus losses and time. What would you do for $12 per day?? Fooling with chickens for 3 hours a day and making $12 isn't my idea of fun my friend. It's a big looser!! Meat birds...well that's another story...they're just about as profitable...so if you're gonna do chickens, you'd better do large volumes because America want's cheap food!
@@StoneyRidgeFarmer Interesting perspective - I was wondering about the labor required to follow Mr Salatin's "chickens spread cow patties" story. I imagine it's like anything else - it's about scale. If you can commit half a person's labor to managing a few thousand chickens to sell for meat while controlling flies in cow pastures, perhaps there is a numerical tipping point that makes it worthwhile.
@@MessyTimes it is a numbers game with chickens. one of the local farms sends a mod of chickens behind his cows does cut flys down. but losses about 100 a year to preditors but also has a self regenrating hurd of like 500 600 chickens. and sells in his store 15 a bird. so by no means a big mouney maker.
@@StoneyRidgeFarmer what if you let the chickens be, some will live and others will perish, it's more about pest control after all?
@@StoneyRidgeFarmer curious if this is a US problem only? In Sweden that kind of poultry is apparently the easiest money to make. (Source Richard Perkins)
Hello from my Minnesota TH-cam Channel! Always got to keep learning!
Hey Josh, fully agree with the farming style,, we are looking to get a larger farm, up to 100 acres, are you running 29 breeders or 29 cows and calves? Thanks
I see dog fennel on your field, and lots of it. Wish I knew a good way to get rid of it. Hopefully the ruminants + hay will help.
Grass and cows. Use no cost materials to improve the soil. Mob grazing the cows - which they like. Probably get better prices for grass fed beef. Nice.
A friend of mine used to drag a chain link fence, weighted with tires, to break up horse poops.
If you keep the cows tighter together, that will give you more forage growth, and more rest time
Hi much smaller area, no water source, but high water table, soil is full of blackberry bushes, mow them then plant ? I can get free cow & chicken poop. I have a lot of live oak leaves every year.
mow them blackberries...keep them mowed back....in my experience where blackberries grow...grass will grow great!
👍 keep it up my friend
Just a few acres farm has a smaller operation. 40 acres total property I think. Could get ideas from him. As they have said, no perfect one way. Find a combination of principles that work best for the given situation.
There’s gotta be water in the pond though🤷♀️
hoping the ponds hold up here when it drys out here
Oh man, the drag looks like it should work. If the money was right we add a fertilizer and lime mix to the place now and then, years apart.
soil amendments often are fertilizers
if you're throwing shit on the field, whatever you call it, same thing
Love this. @stony ridge farmer - do you offer an onsite walkthrough/training of your operation for those interested in getting into farming? If not, do you know of anyone offering this on the east coast - I'm located in Georgia.
Andy...I don't know of anyone...however once my shop is constructed we'll start offering classes here on the farm to help folks navigate this process.
@@StoneyRidgeFarmer Great!
To each his own but I wouldn't want that many flies on my cattle
but you'd want to give them a systemic bloodstream pesticide and then eat them? The fly load is normal my friend...when it adversely affect the health of the animal...then it's abnormal and we'll treat them. For millions of years Bison roamed the Americas....and there was never a "fly spray" for them...keep the animals moving and the fly load goes down
Awesome. It makes perfect sense. Why waste good tractor money on fake cow poop when you can just have cows instead and then you have a bunch of ribs and brisket and tractors instead. Perfect! 🙌🏼🇺🇸🚜🐄🐄🐖🐖🐑🐑🐓🐓🐐🐐 🦃
What about Winter fodder??
Allan Savory
I used to put my grandkids out in the pasture with a golf club and told them to destroy as many cow piles as they wanted. Sound foolish but cows will not eat the lush grass in a cow pile, but if you scatter that pile it will fertilize more area and the kidos will have a few stories to share about crazy PawPaw in the process!!
Actually it seems the cow pats do more good left as they are. Can’t give you chapter and verse yet. Organizing a research group to be able to pinpoint such info in talks by Dr Christine Jones, soil ecologist from Australia, Ray Archuleta, and Gabe Brown among others
HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!
THAT'S THE BEST STORY EVERY.... I LOVE IT!!
I've "been there, done that" so it's even funnier for me!!!
Amen
Retired, Veteran
you're my hero
There's no "one" way to do most things. It's all about making it work for your conditions.
Amen!
I'm currently working to develop our 5 acres into small, self sustaining regenerative eco-farm. This is some of the most valuable knowledge around right now. Eliminate food shortages for your family and community. Keep it up brother! Love your channel!
Thanks Ryan
Hell yeah bro that’s badass
Hey Ryan I'd love to chat. I too recently purchased 5 acres in zone 9b northern ca that im trying to figure out
RYAN, JOSH IS AWESOME BUT, MAKE SURE YOU WATCH THE TH-cam VIDEOS FROM THE REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE EXPERT GABE BROWN!
He's awesome and has a lot of tips, advice etc for farmers big and small.
HE ADVISES FARM OWNERS ON OVER 22 MILLION ACRES SO HE'S THE "MASTER" IN THIS FIELD!
pun intended!!!! ha! ha!
Contact him ASAP
Amen
Retired, Veteran
@@hapafilms1763 me too. I'm in central Texas. I'm building a pasture over limestone clay. Just dropped a video you guys might like!
I'm learning about regenerative farming so I stumbled on this video. I'm a vegetable farmer, and vegan, but this is how cows should be raised! Good luck getting your message out and I hope cattle farmers adopt your practices!
It’s nice to hear a clear thinking vegan, good luck.
Thank you for being level-headed, more Vegans like you would help promote the benefits of Regen Ag. The die-hard militant Vegans are so against any Livestock Ag, while not realising its potential and health benefits for the environment and those who do consume meat.
If your crop fields are large enough, you can add some cover crops to your vegetable plots, and either have someone graze them off with sheep, or keep a few pet wethers yourself to do the nutrient recycling.
You are one of the smart ones. Many say we should try to get rid of cows when cows actually help farms.
If you cannot give your pasture enough rest might need to look at cutting down on cow numbers.
You are right, water is key but 3/4” poly pipe is relatively cheap and simple to unroll on top of the ground for spring, summer, and fall grazing. I wish I would have discovered poly pipe and quick couplers years ago.
I thought so too I haven't been watching but occasionally.
We just use the poly pipe for spring, summer, and fall when we have the cattle tightened up more when we are using a portable water tank. We have some other PVC pipelines buried running to Mirafount freeze proof water points and also have a couple of ponds that feed water tanks. I’d like to have all of the poly pipe buried but that definitely adds a lot of time, cost, and you have to tear up the ground. With the quick couplers you still have to have an exposed rubber hose running to a portable tank so for us it made more sense just to keep it simple and cheap to run it on top of the ground.
This has to be the future. And the grass fed finished meat is premium.
Basically, from what I've learned, the animals foods from animals eating their historically/God-given natural diets, DON'T have the imbalance of omega 6 to 3 fatty acids ( way too much 6 ), which cause inflammation/disease. So, no need to try and make up for it with lots of fish or flax oils and so on, and possibly do that wrong/make mistakes or buy sub-par products. I have major inflammation issues I'm trying to heal, the struggle is real ! I can't currently afford to buy all our meat, and aren't able raise any right now, and mostly eat venison. But the deer eat a lot of corn n soy & I want to avoid gmos. We do get some deer given to us, when they get extra, from the area of my friend's organic dairy farm, thank God.
@@ajb.822 keep it up my friend I will pray for your health. Seems to me you are on the right track. Inflammation is the root of many chronic health problems, so good health is key.
I'm sure you will live a long happy life
We’ve started doing the same on our new homestead. Rolling out $50 hay bales and moving sheep and goats. Very enjoyable and can’t wait to see the final product.
Great information! Thanks for sharing. Always exciting to learn from other farmers and farms!
Good job hand . It really is ALL about the soil. Biodiversity is the key. I would have liked to see your methods of making your charcoal for the composted biochar. This is the jump start and sustainable secret that is not as easy as it sounds. Blessings for the emphasis on good fencing and drinking water provisions, absolutely critical from the beginning. Also your use of donkeys for guardians. They are very capable defenders of all predators. Blessings
The ranchers hated sheep, until they noticed the grass grew better after the sheep had grazed the grass. You are 'sheeo grazing' when you cut it short.
Hey guys, Pastor Fred here in Rockwood TN. Josh, I don't ever see me having cattle, but I really appreciate your videos as a source of information from someone who is living it!!! Thank you!!! Maybe I can help my neighbors with some of this information when I move up to my 20 acres, there is a cattle farm to the east of it, and I know they are trying! Have a great day!!
@@ronniejenkins4633 yes sir. I am in Rockwood caring for my 94 yr old mother, but have 20 acres up near Ozone Falls that is uncut forest that I will move on to after she passes. I watch him for ideas of what to do with my place. What direction are you 45 mins from me?
It's good information even if you are not raising cattle. I've found Josh to definitely be right about one thing:. the areas I mow regularly are much healthier than the areas of the property that only get knocked down once in a while.
I'm further east from you fellows, so that makes three of us.
Lol 4 of us we just bought 5 acres in ten mile.
@@lisacastano1064 I have many friends in Ten Mile, and I attend Celebrate Recovery at the Watts Bar Community Church there on 68 on Thursday nights. Would love to purchase one of those farms near it it is so beautiful there!
@@BibleBikerChurch there's a couple of lots left where we got ours from
Thanks for Spreading the Word about Natural Farming! Absolutely True you don't need to buy thousands of Dollars of Herbicides, Pesticides and Fertilizer if you manage your Property Properly! Videos like these are So important for the Planet and the Farmers!! Absolutely True "You don't need a Pill to fix Nature" cuz Nature is Not Broken!!
Lots of “out of the box” thinking here! Awesome advice to alternative farming
Follow with chooks they eat the fly larvae out of the cow poop
Looks to me like the Stoney Ridge Farmer has lost a good bit of weight. Good Job. I thought you might have bought a few of Greg Judy's cows as Missouri is not too much different in weather than NC except for the colder winters.
Josh: You are doing great sharing the message of ecosystem restoration by working with nature. The cows looked very happy and healthy. I loved your style of presentation and your video. We need more farmers and ranchers to copy your ideas and model. Please keep up the wonderful job that you have been doing. Subscribed and liked. :)
Happy Day! Enjoy your passion. Have farms near Carolina/VA border so we deal with a lot of same issues. I would say that you are not mob grazing more rotational grazing. I try to use methods that are good for animals the earth and me! Started small now have 102 cows 71 calf’s on 2 farms move them all the time.
I would tell someone starting go FSA find programs that apply to you. I love our farm! Best decision ever made. Enjoy the ride! Thanks for sharing. Gapfarm.
This sound very nice but do you have that green all year round. Because here in zambia we have a dry spell about 8 months of the year and every grass gets bone dry.
We have 3 acres. Please check out Glen Rabenburg, & Gabe Brown, soil builders.
Good info. Bought a 25 acre farm last year. Got 9-10 acres of pasture. Researching and planning now. Thanks for the insight
Best of luck! Tons of great land vids on this channel...look at the playlist "turf lawn and pasture"
Hannah Conerly
1 second ago
Incredible Books:
The Soil Will Save Us by Kristin Ohlson (more informative) and One Straw Revolution by Masanobu Fukuoka (more spiritual and conceptual)
Incredible Documentary:
Kiss the Ground (on Netflix)
Good Luck on your journey :)
DON'T FORGET TO WATCH THE TH-cam VIDEOS FROM THE EXPERT IN REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE... GABE BROWN!
He's now consulting to farm owners on over 22 MILLION ACRES!
Great guy, excellent advice.... I wouldn't do anything on my farm until I contacted him and his organizations.... it's that important.... and he could save you hundreds or even thousands and thousands of dollars in mistakes!
Amen
Retired, Veteran
Have you considered introducing clover into your fields. My place is very similar to yours except, I put Clover in with my Bermuda to fix the soil. I'm experimenting with different combinations of grass in all my fields. I even let a few fields sit idle for a few years. It requires mowing but it develops a good top soil base that won't wash away.
another channel to check out(Just A Few Acers More Farm),they do intensive grazing on 46 acers
That channel has quickly become one of my favorites!
Looks beautiful Josh, you have a lot to be proud of! A good example of hard work and education paying off! Good of you to share. Wooooo
Glad to see that your efforts and approach are starting to prove themselves to be sustainable, successful... and in the long run... healthier. Like most things in Life, we learn by doing and experience tells us what works and what doesn't. Dad always said, "Anybody who says that they have NEVER made a mistake... isn't trying!" Keep on keeping on, Josh! Thanks for sharing your journey with us. (We don't, "Whoo!", too much up here in Indiana... but a silent nod of respect speaks volumes!)
I tell my students that if they aren't making mistakes, they're not working at the appropriate difficulty level. Learn how to deal with failure. Learn how to fail safely (manage risk).
If your land was good you probably wouldn't have been able to afford it.
the land is good....just takes time to re-establish the soil ecosystem
@@StoneyRidgeFarmer indeed. All land can heal. Just takes time and knowledge of how to do it.
Great job Josh. Good luck with direct selling your goods. The monopoly needs to be broken that hides behind food safety and enriches the few Packers and retailers.
Can't you pump water with solar?
Chinese solar pumps are inexpensive. I bought one for $335 shipped.
It pumps water out of a 120m borehole, and does about 1,000 gallons / hour.
No battery, charger, or inverter. Just connect the solar panels to the pump, and you're pumping water.
I have a farm about the same size and same number of cattle as yours, still doing it in a traditional way but Im very interested to change the system. In my country we don't have yet any farm doing it so I don't really know where to start, would you give me some tips or advise please.
start watching more stoney ridge farmer vids....look in the "Livestock" and "Fencing" playlists and you'll find a fountain of info to get you started...also more videos coming this spring
Thanks for sharing, it's information like this that needs to get out. We see significant improvement in pasture quality ourselves, even on just 5 acres grazing 2 Jersey's (Mother and Calf), 4 adult Ewes and 7 lambs, 8 Geese, 20 odd Ducks (yep they're strange, lol), 4 Turkeys, no idea how many chickens and about 18 Guinea Fowl. Using rotational grazing. Regen Ag is amazing, wish I'd done it years ago on our larger property when we were there.
That’s the way to raise beef!!! And most other animals we eat as well, happy animals, great meat. Stay awesome!
Howdy neighbor! You might want to mow and collect a little patch from your two contrast plots. Evaluating visually can be hard because the old seed stalks and heads make that side appear brown. I suspect you’re right that it stimulated it, I just caution against trusting it from solely visual affirmation.
how many cows recommended for about 80 acres - 80-100 cows?
depends on where you are located and your soil...around here in NC it's about 1 cow to 2 acres...in Wyoming it's 35 acres to a cow...all depends
Regenerative ranching tends to be a bit disconnected from regenerative farming. One thing I would recommend is learning how to keyline plow your pasture (subsoil ripping), and inject your biochar into those rips directly (fertilizer tea/compost can be used on biochar).
Mob grazing with leader follower model (first cows, then chickens as suggested by Richard Perkins; but for a fuller list you can check Mark Shepard's book) will then help that topsoil grow even more.
yeppers...it's all a matter of time getting the farm in to full production...great advice for sure!
Great video Josh.I have put a7 foot pasture punch to work on my farm.It has made a big difference in my grass production.Aeration will help,it’s like 200lbs of fertilizer per acre.Have a great day.
Can you buy more land adjoining to clear, and give yourself some breathing room, Josh?
My Dad did what you’re doing. He approached a commercial piggery for their waste and spread it on top of the soil in sections and observed the results. Tall grass! More retained soil moisture.
Prior to stumbling across your channel years ago, I never really thought about soil condition.
I’ve learnt so much & taken a lot of what you’ve shared on board.
I live in Adelaide, Australia and about 30-45 minutes away there is a fertiliser company called Neutrog. They specialise in biological fertilisers & that’s all I ever use now.
Wonderful!
DEAR AUSSIE.... PLEASE WATCH THE THE TH-cam VIDEOS ON THE REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE EXPERT... MR. GABE BROWN!
You "might' be able to stop purchasing your "biological fertilizers" and do everything naturally.
Also, there are other Aussie videos on TH-cam regarding "Regen Ag" that you might like.... just search "Regenerative Agriculture" and they'll pop up... I just watched on a couple days ago and it was fantastic!!
Amen
Retired, Veteran
We live in an instant gratification day and age and eventually that behavior results in everything being depleted. People need to slow down like you are showing us. Give back to the land more than you take and the land will take care of your needs. Your farm is looking outstanding, 🚜-Woooo!!
thanks buddy
I didn’t notice at first but you’ve really shed some weight, looking good bro 😎
You sound like a disruptor ! Fertilizer cos are like big pharma.
What better way to add primo topsoil than by adding cow manure and spreading compost worms all over the farms?
so, after burning that pile of lumber, is it biochar your putting on the soil or is it woodash....?
We are starting our journey into regenerative agriculture as well. We will get there one day. Starting small on our 77 acres. We do not have pasture yet. Good luck and thanks for sharing
I am a older fart my grandfather and dad farm this way a hell of a long time ago They were taught by they fathers and grandfathers Regenerated farming is nothing new chem farming. big farming when started started these problems nobody what to farm as a living a small farm much anymore
josh, i encourage you to research gabe brown's regenerative ag practices on his ranch, great information
Thanks for the info. What height are you mowing your pastures? You should add llamas for your guard animals. They won’t leave a calf along even if rest of the heard leaves. Keep up the good work
typically around 4-5 inches
Utilizes God's great design praise the Lord thanks for your work Stoney
I like what you’re trying to do - also look into permaculture and food forests to intermingle into this, as well as the greening of the desert videos which have a lot about berms collecting water and letting it soak into the land better from rains
Just like you did a split trial for the mowing the paddock and found the benefit, you need to do a split trial for ammonia sulphate.
my friend I'm not spreading chemical fertilizer on the farm
@@StoneyRidgeFarmer Im not talking a ton over a few acres. Im saying a five gallon pail over a quarter acre. Preferably just after grazing and just before a rain.
Go for it. You have a big enough following to prove it or disprove it.
Good video, but flies do cause problems for cattle, it's just a matter of time, fly tags work great, no spray or chemicals, they simply keep the flies away, we've had great success with them
fly tags are a systemic medication...would you eat a fly tag? Why would ya put it on something you are gonna eat? That's what I'm working with here....if ya have cattle you're gonna have a few flies....we didn't have fly "pills" back in the 1800s....folks sprayed the cattle with oil...up into the 1980s it was common to soak the cattle in diesel fuel with rubs....in 50 years we'll be learning about the affects of all these medications we're giving our livestock. I treat illnesses and infections...but I don't treat healthy animals. Fly tags are chemicals that are absorbed systemically into the cow
Good deal, I choose to not have flies on my cattle, much healthier
Your local NRCS office could help you plan/design a system, and possibly even provide funding for the project.
Oo-wee! You all are my heroes! Keep it up!!! We need your graciousness. God bless you and your work.
Awesome looking herd! Great tips! You’re so right…..make sure you have good infrastructure in place! I learned that lesson the hard way haha
TF?! It’s literally been literally been in use commercially since the 70’s... and you’re just now learning about it????
why are you bashing me? Does it make you feel good somehow?
25 days of recovery is pretty low. If you reduce the size of your paddocks, you would have to move them daily, but you would have more days of rest per paddock. Also you would have more manure per square ft each day on the paddock, which will improve your soil even more. If you can't get enough rest doing this, your herd is too large. If you have to mow your grass, you are wasting it.
takes time to grow the soil...we'll have these down to 3/4 acre paddocks soon! But it just takes time and patients....you are 100% correct...we need 40-60 days of recovery!
I live in NW Chatham county NC on 53 acre farm we bought 1 1/2 years ago built a house and have nice pasture we been cutting hay on. Big follower of Joel Salatin and Greg Judy. My neighbors Bomb their land with fertilizer but I mow mine to encourage earthworms and microbes. They think I’m crazy but I don’t care. Hope to get cows next spring for small time mob grazing. Maybe a chicken tractor or egg mobile too!
Know anyone who needs help on their farm in E. Chatham, Lee, or Harnett? I'm reading Greg Judy's books here in SW Wake and thinking about getting into grazing!
@@tylerboyd570 I really don’t but that doesn’t mean a thing. There may well be someone out there who does. I’m still setting things in place right now. Hang in there and ask around.
How much biochar do you put on the land per acre? How often do you do that?
I get it whenever it's available...we're talking about 200lbs ish per acre...if I could get more I'd put 2000lbs per acre!
@@StoneyRidgeFarmer Thanks. Helpful metric.
What would be the recommended minimum property size for regenerative farming?
1/3 of an acre if you want...you can scale this however you like my friend
lol when I searched “small acreage” I meant like 2 acres
So glad to have found your channel! I've got goats but have goals of doing the same on small scale
I am literally looking into setting up the pasture for rotational grazing cattle right now.
This video is perfect timing! Thank you.
I want to do Dexters if I can find them.
Reminds me of a film called "Back to Eden". Its all about building the soil.
You are so right about needing water I have started paddock grazing on my Pop's (84 years young) 100 acre farm. I watched him do the conventional method his whole life. I am in western PA and last year we were hit with a drought. Springs, creeks all dried up. So I built a water wagon out of 275 gal totes. 2 on the wagon with 4 water cups for the cattle to drink from. This wagon is solar powered to fill the cups and fresh water every 3 days. I have 10 cows/calves pair by the end of summer. This has been a life saver for me. Thanks for showing your pastures, mowed and not mowed. I feel the same about mowing is a plus. Such join watching cattle going into a new paddock.
I would be very interested to see your water wagon setup.
Hey Josh, in the intro you had a wood pile that you were going to burn. Do you put the ash in the grass once it’s cooled completely?
I let the ashes lay right where they are....we're only talking about a 5 gallon bucket of ashes with all that wood...the cows will eat up most of the consumable charcoal and the ashes will feed the land. Put your burn pile on the top of a slope so the nutrient flows down the hill...and don't burn in the same spot every time...let nature do the spreading
Get one more Cow and you'll have a good 30 head count
But with horses, they pull the roots of the pasture grass out. Cows only bite the grass. Sooo, thoughts?
cows can pull the roots out too.....pulling, tugging, tearing and stomping as well as saliva stimulates the growth of grass....remember...horses are pets.....cattle are livestock...unless we're talking working horses or mules/donkeys
I'm just in the beginning stages of learning farming. I've been reading/listening to Joel Salatin and have enjoyed watching your videos. Thank you for all the great information!
Great looking herd! I love cows so much. At the farm I volunteer at I always brush them, they love it. They taste great too.
I've been around awhile and the transformation since the beginning is amazing.
This is a silly question but... What is your business model? How do you make a living with a herd of pooping cows marching around a bunch of diverse grass? What are the products you are supplying to the market? Thanks!
we are a first generation new startup farm my friend. The plan is to build the herd to around 50 and sell premium grass fed all natural beef direct market to consumer. You don't just jump in and earn a living while building an operation of this magnitude....it takes seasons to build
@@StoneyRidgeFarmer That is so cool! Thank you so much for your reply. I am sure you are very busy and I appreciate it! Farming and agriculture is fascinating to me and what you are doing is amazing stuff. I am looking at the prices that beef cattle sell for and I was wondering what other avenues of income you can possibly bring in on this farm. I wonder if they sell a smartphone controlled underground wire, permitter fence that you can use to automatically shuffle your cattle around the farm without you physically having to go out there and do it? I could ramble on and on... what you are doing is so fascinating and I wish you much success both on the farm and with your TH-cam channel. You just earned a new subscriber here! :-)
We have horses, goats, pigs, and chickens so in what order should we rotate them ?
sell the horses...build a hog pen or they'll destroy your pasture and move the chickens every 2 days
Haven't watched your channel for some months. What happened to your shape? Looking gooood ...
Josh, add a couple of goats, they will make a major difference and help you achieve the benefits you aim for
sheep are coming soon my brotha...had goats back in the early days of the farm...I may get some more...goats have alot of health disparities
Can you make a living on a farm like this with a 29 cow herd
NO! And it's very difficult to make a living even diversifying your herd, crops or products from the farm. Folks want cheap food..I just started selling freezer beef and my neighbors think it should be cheaper than walmart!! WHAT? You've gotta have a "town job" or a very diversified income
I apologize for the fly question. I was listening while at work. As I WATCHED the video during my break, I saw your comments pertaining to flies. THANKS
all good...we're all here to learn together Bessie
THANK YOU SO MUCH!
I have been organic / natural for 2 years now.
I took a ferrel pasture, burned it and went from there. Learning as I go.
I have Red Devon/Angus cross with a Devon bull.
Devon are great for Meat, dairy and oxen. Keeping my options open for Ox power harrow in the future. Also makes for calmer cows and great tasting meat.
You have shown me so much!
A big thanks from East Texas!
By mowing, you are mimicking nonselective grazing. If you increased your stock density, by giving your cows smaller areas to graze at a time (and moving them more frequently), you could achieve this with cows alone. This would also increase your pasture recovery time.
That being said, nonselective grazing may not always be practical to do in your context. Mowing may be more cost and time effective on smaller herds, and in some situations.
If you do mow, the key is to mow everything down to the level that the animals graze it. Over time, you will select for pasture species that can regrow quickly with high leaf to stem ratio that will benefit your animals.
Learn that lesson the hard way finally got my water system infrastructure done last year but I'm a lot of business this year Get the infrastructure done 1st
Awesome content again, thank you.
Quick question.......How do you know the electric fence is actually working and live without grabbing it and getting zapped?
you can test it with a tester or simply hear it
Often you can hear it, test it with a tester, use a blade of grass and rub it up slowly closer to the wire until you feel a “tinge”, “speedrite fence alert” attached to wire which flashes when the wire is not charged, you just leave it permanently attached.
@@rosalinaannpabelico7983 I am well, thank you for asking. How are you?
This is a very good way to do things I have been doing this for years I would like th put it out there this does not cash flow though it is a financialy losing proposition
How can I get more info and detail on your watering system and setup?
every video with the water system has information my friend...I'll do a comprehensive video once it's all done...hang around buddy. I have a playlist for the watering system that you'll like...just look it up on the channel playlists
I've been offered a farm lease. It's obviously been destroyed of years of industrial farming. I'm bloody freaking out on how to start the rebuild to be honest. It's all overhead sprinkler pasture. One is currently Lucerne the other half is metre - 2 metre high weeds
time to get started cleaning her up buddy!! We bought a mess of a farm..and look at it now! Labor of love!