How We Grow LUSCIOUS Pastures
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 พ.ค. 2023
- This video is a summary of how we grow and maintain our pasture and hay fields, including:
-Climate, soil, seeding, and animals
-Field layout
-Soil fertility maintenance
-Grazing methods
-Forage management during a typical year
-Weed control and ecological succession
-Potential problems and solutions
For Farm / Channel merchandise: farmfocused.com/just-a-few-ac...
-We do not offer farm tours or accept visitors
-We do not sell from the farm
-We do not ship our farm's products
-We do not sell live animals
Mailing Address (letters are welcome, but please do not send gifts):
Just a Few Acres Farm
PO Box 269
Lansing, NY 14882
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To order Pete's book; "A Year and a Day on Just a Few Acres:" www.amazon.com/Year-Day-Just-...
You’ve been really pumping out some good content! I appreciate all the work you put into TH-cam.
All factz
Great to have a new video this Sunday morning. Love looking at your lush fields and learning what it takes to produce great food. When I was very young my mother would put me in front of the TV to watch Modern Farmer (1960). JAFAF is a perfect replacement for MF. Hope you, Hillary and family have great week. ❤
Yes!
I love Pete's deep dives into the science and technical aspects of farming. He has a very satisfyingly intelligent, practical, and empirical approach to his work.
This a video I have looked for for years . We have a small farm 120 acres all grass ,hay and woods. We have struggled for years to improve our pastures without a lot of success. I will be using a lot of your advice in the future to see how it works on our farm in Indiana . Thank you , it is nice to get some information that has been tried and tested telling the good and bad. Please keep them coming you are a great teacher. THANK YOU!!!
Trust me it will work Pete is telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth
I’m from Indiana as well I love his videos!
i would love to have 120 acres. i chuckled when you said small farm because i only have an acre lol. but i know its all in perspective. not being disrespectful i just chuckled and was like if thats small what is an acre. lol. please enjoy the woods and space you have for me!
I know nothing about farming but this sure was a pleasure to listen too. Who doesn't like a short lecture by someone who has studied his subjects.
Hi Pete, thanks again! I'm a soil scientist and can weigh in a bit on your soil types. You actually have three soil series mapped, it is just that Bath and Valois are lumped together into one map unit while Langford could be mapped separately. Bath and Valois must be difficult to tell apart from surface features, occuring as a mix, perhaps one as random patches in the other, like Swiss cheese. Langford and Bath soils both contain an interesting feature called a fragipan, which is a really dense and hard (when dry) feature in the soil that can restrict root growth and water movement. Depth varies, but if I had to guess, I'd say you would hit it within 1/2-1 m in depth if you started digging in the right spot. Fragipans vary in appearance too, but some can be quite beautiful, showing large scale color patterns and streaks if exposed along a trench wall.
I may show this video in my intro soils class, I really enjoyed this and appreciate the data that you put on screen. I also appreciate that you stress the need to improvise (I usually say adaptive management in class). People are looking for silver bullet solutions, and I'm always trying to stress that you have to understand the system you are managing because there are no such solutions. Things are complicated in the real world and every farmer or other land manager is going to have to learn from some trial and error no matter how well informed they are. Every production system is different.
What do you think of Korean Natural Farming inputs such as fermented plant juice and liquid IMO ? Also- is there any way of doing a soil PH test at home?
@bobsmith8124 Those kinds of inputs are fine to the extent that they provide some nutrients from decomposed organic matter. But most don't do much more than that. Soil organisms will show up and thrive if the other conditions are right. As for pH, depending on where you live, your state might offer free soil tests at a university lab. Otherwise, there are a variety of kits you could buy (try to find reviews online, some aren't great).
Are you aware of what IMO is ? You’re basically taking composing fungus and spraying them to colonize the field. But thanks for your input
@@exodusofficer I know I can pay to get tests done but that’s not what I asked
@exodusofficer The thing with scientists is they don't know the biological difference between a man and woman anymore. Getting hard to know they are telling the truth or not.
I’m not a farmer or homesteader, but as a gardener I love and appreciate your sound advise on lawn care. This year I took some notes from you and just applied manure to my acidic compacted front yard and now my grass looks the best it ever has! Thank you!!
I have not arretted my lawn in 20 years. The lawn experts came by to see if they could do my lawn while they were in the area. I ask them when they thought it was aretted last and they said it looked like 2-3 years……. I just mulch as much grass as I can and pull dandelions when they get excessive. No fertilizer. No weed killer.
I put manure compost on my shopping list today and will spread it over my front lawn. I don't want to put down any herbicides or chemical fertilizers as I use the grass clippings for my compost in my vegetable garden. Unfortunately my neighbors put that stuff on their front lawns and some of it seeps over into my area along the edges.
@@private15 dandelions are great for your lawn only an idiot would pull them
That is rude.
Hey Pete !
Love these videos !
In exactly 1 year my daughter graduates and I'll be moving the family out to the country to start farming !
I'm devouring ALL your videos like my life depends on it !
I watch all over the internet , but so far you do the best !!!!
Keep up the good work , and dont change anything !!!
Glenn
Pete! I absolutely love the pasture videos. Something so satisfying about the whole process. Turning grass into protein for humans is such a neat science!!
Yes, and we hope grasslands like this will appear more in the United States.
I love your philosophy of land management. Modern Farmers are ruining the land. Healthy land turns into healthy animals and healthy food! Blessings from Texas!❤️
Your honesty and your knowledge and not thinking that you have the ONE solution about anything. But sharing your experiences, your victories, your failures and how to mend those and move forward. Trying what is good for your environment, forecast, temperatures, soil compositions, trial and errors always makes you better. As my dad had told me : Try, fail or succeed, then try again!!! You will always be learning and experimenting as you grow older!!!! And he was right for me ;-) Pete thank you for sharing with all of us sir ;-) Have a nice day and summer with Hillary and the kids.
Dandelions are a good source of nutrition. They send their roots deep and pull up minerals that the glaciers left behind. And the blossoms feed the bees when hardly anything is blooming.
Even though I don't have a farm, I still value this knowledge and learning this important information. Thanks again!
No one can argue with your results. Thank you for sharing your farm with others.
We just started our dexter herd about a month ago with 2 little bottle calves. So excited to start this journey!
I love seeing dandelions in your fields! It's often the first opportunity for honey bees to forage after a long winter
Spent my early childhood on a farm not to far from your place. I am hopefull that other farmers are watching and learning from you. I remember my father talking about taking care of the soil because the soil took care of the cows. Today when I drive past farms and look at the fields I don't see healthy fields often so I am hoping that this video will serve as a tutorial. Thank you.
You are absolutely right when you say that "one size does not fit all"-- when it comes to solving problems. That is also a good analogy for governmental edicts.
I love your end conclusion about the Scientific Method. Trial, error, and deductive reasoning.
I think your stocking rate is key for your success. Most folks overstock their farm and no amount of inputs can bale you out after years of abuse. If you are one of those farmers, resting your farm will do wonders then lowering your stocking rate when you start back. Your place Pete is beautiful and healthy, thanks for sharing your wisdom with us.
Hello Pete,
Despite having released similar videos in the past years,
You always manage to add new information to the topic.
It's what I love about the Just a Few Acres Farm channel.
Rigorous and compelling!
Thank you
I love your content, even without the bells and whistles. Reminds me of our farm in the 70's and early 80s when I was a kid. Thanks for always taking me back.
I always find myself appreciating how thick and luscious your pastures are! Thanks for your video Pete; it was definitely worth the watch!
His cattle will surely be very happy with this pasture.
Mowing will promote grasses and grazing will promote clovers. Interchanging between mowing and grazing will do wonders to the balance of lush pastures.
Thanks for another great video from you Pete 👍
Enjoyed the way you have handled your hay and pasture fields and are not putting any chemicals or fertilizers on them to produce more.❤️❤️
You constantly entertain us . We started watching others but they have change so much. Not what we started watching them for. We appreciate you so much. You always give different information. Constantly teaching. We admire you and love watching and learning.
Love your attitude Pete. Pay attention to your operation and adjust AS NEEDED! Works well no matter what you are doing. It is a matter of paying attention to what you are doing. Thanks for sharing your method of pasture management. Your pastures look Wounderful .
"Fast food nation" is a good book . After covering our poor food choices. It covers solutions to redeeming our soils through micro farming. That's you, Peete . Great job , good videos .
You live in a little heaven on earth. It is truly a joy to see how you care for your farm.
Thanks, Pere. I could listen to you educate us, all day long. You really have your dodo together, and know what you are talking about!
Great video today! On a small scale we are replicating what you do over here on our small farm in Eastern WA. We love this kind of stuff. Very helpful and we appreciate it!! Keep it coming
Pete, I know nothing about farming and little about planting, and still found your video fascinating. Great job bringing your content to expert and layman alike!
Hey Pete..
Great video. Hearing you talk about your methodology in managing your pastures reaffirms what we do on our 10 acres in North Jersey! Thanks for the content and the enjoyment. 😊
Thanks Pete for posting this for us. We can keep learning even when you’re away. Remarkable!
It's been great having more videos now that the weather is getting nicer. Can't wait to see bossy pigs first litter
I figured the next video we would see would be your trip on saturday to the auction. But this is good as well! Have a great day Pete!
This was fantastic, in dept but easy to understand for every day person... Truly appreciate everything you do and share with us
Pete ! You prove beyond doubt. "The best fertilizer is the Farmer's Footsteps." Godspeed
Great information for us "non" farmers or homesteaders..........Always learn something new in our videos. Thanks Pete!!
Your videos provide the opportunity for me to learn new things...even at my advanced age. Who knew I would be interested in how to grow the best pasture grass! Thanks Pete.
Pete and this is just one more reason why I have enjoyed your channel. As a country kid who loved working the big garden we had (and all the canning done from the veggies and fruit trees), maintaining the fruit trees (meaning eating the fruit one at a time 😁) and the rabbits, chickens, ducks and turkeys and the sharing you do with your day to day life just brings back wonderful memories. Your common sense, doing things your way and by research, trial and error, note taking and the easy going way of how you explain things that makes it interesting.
B-E-A-utiful. What a mix of entertainment and education. 10/10🧐
My pet peeve in life is the "one size fits all" solutions, whether by well meaning individuals or governments. I very much appreciate your constant reminders that an individual has to work out for themselves the best actions based on their unique circumstances. When we bought our farm our fields were the end product of decades of corn on corn agriculture, with virtually no natural soil fertility. While nothing in nature is totally sterile, our fields were about as close to that as you get. Thirty years later they are very productive....but it has taken most of that time to get there. Your point on PH I think is the most important one. If you get the PH right, you can make lots of mistakes and still get a reasonable field. Get the PH wrong and a lot of anyone's efforts will be wasted.
Farming ecology 101. Perfect video.
You’re fortunate not to have hardpan. Fields that have been in production for 100+ years usually do.
The freeze-thaw cycles result in mud in the traffic areas, but they also mitigate compaction in the pastures.
Scientifically, your pasture maintenance is following the growth patterns of (cool season) plants. Life’s main biological purpose is to produce viable offspring. By harvesting using the various methods you describe before the flowers mature signals to the plants to try again, resulting in new growth.
Your insight is truly appreciated, Pete. We're always experimenting and learning.
It's good to see a farmer respecting and nurturing the land like this. Many could learn a thing or two.
Thank you, Pete. Well said, logical, methodical, with that perfect amount of Peteisms that appeal to us viewers. Your camera angles, the addition of past video clips, it all pulled together to give us a really informative and pleasant insight into what works for you, and how it might help someone else. I'm grateful to you for your efforts... thanks!
Love everything you share with us Pete and the way you are so thorough and funny and pleasant...I've told you that a million times but you always amaze me with the quality and laid back methods you use to make your videos. They're comforting and calming ....you're a good egg ! 🥚 the very best buddy ! 👍🙌
Thanks so much for this Pete. I am a raised bed gardener, and many of the principles of soil management apply equally for me. Work in partnership with the worms! Always appreciated when you share your wisdom. Thank you again.
Best. Liz in Canada (just over the fence )
Nice Jackrabbits shirt 😉
Go Jacks, National Football Champions last year, Frisco, Tx.
Great video Pete. Thanks for showing us your operation. Can't wait to see the new pig enclosure.
I hear you on the grazing methods, I use a combination of grazing methods depending on the time of year. My livestock seem to really love mob grazing. And I have done that for a few years now, but I tend to whole field graze early in the spring until I can get the legumes off in a first cutting hay. The moms really need that extra nutrition late in the pregnancy. Our legumes tend to go more dormant in the hot, dry times of July and August when the bluestem praire grass takes over. For me that's when mob grazing seems to work well.
Great video! We are starting the process of converting potato/ barley fields to pasture for cattle and sheep. Love the quality of the information on your channel.
For Pete, I can see that information is like manure. It needs to be spread around.
Ahhh yes the annual sit in the pasture video. 😂😂😂😂😂 Always look forward to these videos. 😊
Pete, you do what works for you, and that bedding pack. You look out for your animals.
This video is great Pete. I know you have said some of this before, but this is like an FAQ for your farm. People can just go watch this for the same ole questions. Maybe link to it in all your future vids... Or some of them... Have an awesome week!
Your tried and tested land management has certainly lead to some beautiful fields the cattle love. I live in a city but have learned and enjoy your videos. I wish I could live in the country.
Loved this video and it had the feel of some of the old USDA farmer education videos, so nostalgic as well.
Your delivery and production skills have really come into their own; well done! You're approaching professional quality.
Very informative. I'm not a farmer but I do enjoy learning. Thanks for what you do.
Nothing like starting the day with a great inspirational video. Appreciate the info
A flashback to the Small Farm Sundays
Love your technical videos. Looks like you have got it well sorted after ten years. Hope you have a great growing season. All the best 🇬🇧.
It is the feel for the land. Thanks Pete!
Your pasture maintenance sounds great. As far as chickens are concerned. Have you ever thought about creating an aged compost area for your feathered friends? Not only will your chickens love getting down and dirty, but their "dig" will help to aerate the manure and bedding and speed up the composting process. Plus, you can toss in all sorts of organic materials and scraps, making it an eco-friendly solution to chicken waste management. And with plenty of natural food sources to be found in the compost, your chickens will be in poultry paradise while doing their part for the environment. So why not give your feathered friends the ultimate backyard retreat?
Thanks Pete for the videos you do. Likely the best farming videos on TH-cam. Great content and you farm close to how my dad and I did 30ish years ago. We brought our cows in the barn, tied up, for the winter. Let them go twice a day to go to the brook for water. Fed hay, grain and vegetables if we could find some. We had pasture that was just pasture and after the hay was made we’d let the cows on those fields once the after growth of the grasses got to around 8 inches. At that time the cows had the run of all the fields TIL barn time in the fall. Dad still keeps a few head, mostly for the love of it. He’s always had a team of oxen, nowadays I think he has oxen just to look at. Lol
Pete, I dought you know how much of your knowledge is soaked in by us. Thank you for your free courses. Look forward to all of your videos. It doesn't matter what the content is. There is always something to be learned, and they're just plain enjoyable.
Agreed, Pete, sharing what works is good, trying to tell someone they have to do it like this... not so much with a lot of life's tasks. Give Patty a swat, she deserves it. LOL
Pete this was absolutely the most in&ormative video I have ever seen you made all sound so clear. I have enjoyed you for years great job
Your videos are incredibly educational for the new and aspiring farmer. Thank you!
Really great information. You provided information for folks who want cattle and what goes into starting a herd for grazing.
I love all of Pete’s videos, but I’ll be damned if I don’t get excited when there’s notes involved because we’re about to get learned on.
Answered ALL my questions about pasturing in one amazing video! Thanks!
Taking care of the land is the best anyone can do.
Pete, I love everything you put out on your channel. Thank you!
I love how you have managed your farm and pastures. We are from Central Texas and our pastures are managed a different way, but that doesn't make your way wrong. We have different soil types, grass types, and climate. Every region has it's own different methods of management. Some methods will carry over and some won't. This is where the scientific experimentation kicks in so you can make educated decisions about what works in your area.
Once again, another awesome educational video. Love it, just love it. It's always interesting to follow your process with your land and livestock. Keep up the great videos please. They add joy to my life. For all you do, thank you.
Great video pete nice to know your method of caring for your fields work smarter not harder and it looks like you are in front of the line when it comes to caring for your pastuers thanks for sharing pete and keep up the smarts .
There are not enough or big enough like buttons for this video (or any of your others to be truthful) Thank you so much for sharing your pasture care. I bookmarked this one for my records to look back on. Have a better day. ❤ 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Thanks, Pete. Common sense in a non sensical world.
HI from NZ. That was a master Class in balanced pasture management. Thank you so much for taking the time to make this video and explain your processes, conclusions and remedied!
Nice video Pete. We're having the joy of dealing with Horse Nettle in the orchard.
I'm not a farmer, but I sure find your experiance interesting. Thank you,
My dog and I love to watch your videos! This is our Annabelle watching you now - she loves you, lol! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for this presentation. Especially for addressing that what works for one person or location doesn't mean that it will work for everyone, everywhere. Here in Idaho, it can vary from one side of the ranch to the other. And most of the so-called "perfect solutions" don't work at all.
Thank you Pete. Like I have said before, "there's more than one right way".
Bloody Well Done Pete....
Cheers from San Francisco
Pete it’s no wonder why you sell out at the farm market you raise the best products nature can provide it’s nice to see how what we eat is based on all natural no byproducts in those steaks and the best chops and sausage and eggs is making me hungry time to make breakfast keep up the great work you farmers do like your channel
I am a small time cattle farmer in southern Illinois. I turn to Pete’s knowledge all the time to help my farm. Thank you, Pete.
Very well presented Peter, your a very accomplished speaker.
Frolicking in the grass - great life Pete!
Thanks Pete!
I watch you for your methods in a different climate from mine. It gives me ideas to try on my farm.
The wonders of UTUBE!
Stay healthy.
Keep Smilin!!!!
Dandy lions are great aeration plants and they bring nitrogen from deep in the soil you do a great job on your farm and I love watching your videos
Hello Pete, in addition to being fun, your videos provide new knowledge and management practices. Congratulations for your channel!!
Thank you for helping me figure out my grass pastures!👍
I loved this video Pete!!! I could sit and compare stories with you all day on this subject. Because of climate, soil composition, livestock volume, acreage, weather, and MANY other variables; I was making mental notes of what works for me and my conditions in Tennessee verses what works for you and your conditions in New York. We do a lot of the same things with some differences of course. The one field that appears to be the toughest to resolve is the poultry field. You have your work cut out for you on that field. Most people don't realize how brutal chickens can be on pasture land. Good Luck! Murfreesboro TN
That was very informative. Perhaps I can apply some of this technique to my dilapidated lawn.
Thank you for the how-to's on your grass. It inspires us to do a better job of scientifically working on our pastures.
So wish I could pick the dandelions! I could dry enough for the whole winter in one picking to make tea or add to salads. Enjoy the cows, who enjoy your pastures. Thanks for all you share. It helps many I'm sure. 😊
With slight variations in grass type for our climate, we do essentially the same thing on our small livestock farm of 300 acres here in Georgia. We have Angus here, but no chickens in the fields since
2010 (heat).
I love your channel, because you don't beg for money like everyone else does God bless you and your family