Making Pasture out of Forest (Simple Ways) - The FHC Show, ep 22
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ก.พ. 2025
- In episode 22 of The Farm Hand's Companion Show, Pa Mac demonstrates simple, timeless, and inexpensive methods and tools to clear land and turn forest into pasture for the small farm or homestead. And it can be accomplished by partnering with the very livestock (milk cow and other cattle, goats, sheep, horses, hogs, chickens, and geese, etc.) that will eventually benefit from a healthy, fertile pasture and hay meadow! Pa Mac also explains how all sizes of trees and brush can be put to good use to benefit soil fertility, as well as providing solutions for heat and homemade lumber needs.
Be sure and subscribe to the Farm Hand's Companion channel to keep up with the progress as Pa Mac takes an undeveloped piece of property and turns it into a small subsistence farm. Watch for new episodes as often as Pa Mac can crank 'em out and still run a small farm. (As long as he's alive and kicking, he's most assuredly farming and filming!) Also visit www.farmhandsco... to find articles, posts, photographs, and encouragement for today's self-sufficient farm, homestead, or permaculture lifestyle. (And be sure to check out the General Store for Pa Mac's books or DVDs at www.farmhandsco...) And if you enjoy the show and want to gain a little more knowledge, insight, and inspiration for "farmin' ways", become a supporter of The Farm Hand's Companion Show by going to the FHC Patreon page here: / farmhandscompanion
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Thank you for your support and for watchin' Farm Hand's Companion!
First found your videos about 3 years ago…. Still today are the BEST things on TH-cam.
This is by far the Greatest Thing on TH-cam, the pole barn series was life-changing!
Well, that's a kind thing to say, Aaron. Thanks for watchin
Best channel on the tube hands down! Lots of great information/knowledge, humor, homemade music, Bible Verses and all that together just reminds me of times gone by while I forget about the rat race world for just a few minutes! I ALWAYS feel much better at the end of your video than I did just before I got the notification and for that I thank you Pa Mac!
You're always so kind, Happilyretiredmark. Thank you so much!
Thank you for this wisdom. We live in a world where you are lead to believe you must spend thousands on heavy equipment to clear land then thousands on soil amendments, seed and fertilizer. We have forgotten the lore of patience and persistence.
Love it. This is how my son is clearing to expand our pasture. It's amazing how fast sheep and goats can clear.
Waking up and finding a new video from FHC is like waking up Christmas morning as a kid to find Santa came during the night! YAY!!!
Merry Christmas, Larry.
Story time for adults, love it when you have an episode. Thanks
Pa Mac, you’ve got the best channel on TH-cam. Made me start collecting hand tools, building wood sheds and growing gardens. You’re an inspiration to us all.
I appreciate that, Jesse.
FHC makes me yearn to own some acreage. I've seen a lot of how-to small farm TH-cam videos, but I swear, my confidence that even I too, a city boy for life, could pull it off by seeing every step of the way you do things. I think FHC doesn't skip any of the steps involved to get things accomplished given raw land. Most of the other videos have so many gaps in the many-step processes that it takes and that doesn't lead to a lot of confidence that it can be done. With FHC, I see and you explain very well the continuum from raw to finished. Thanks, Pa Mac. Keep a churnin'.
I appreciate you, Cassian YHVH
Thank you for the encouragement. My husband has a brush hog on a tractor and is mowing the areas he is able to get to. Then like what yiy did , he will cut down smaller trees then larger trees . Its a satisfying endeavor . Thanks for shareing.
Patience, persistence and ingenuity. This is so much more respectful and sound than bringing in heavy equipment in a seek and destroy mission as we see too often with reclaimed fields.
Wow, the before and after pics here are really striking! They really manicured those woods for you!
Brilliance always seems to go hand in hand with simplicity !
Awesome as usual! Love your fireplace too😃
Thank you, Tamara!
I watched this before going out to do more chores in the snow, ice and mud that we still have here. Made me long for spring. This video was just the right length, it ended as I took my last sip of tea. You make the best videos on you-tube, thanks for sharing.
Thank you Kevin
A common sense approach to small agriculture. Glad I found you.
I'm glad you did, too, Mark!
Guy...... this was a great motivational video for myself. Here I was trying with a huge quote to clear land and I find your video. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful, MrManic52001
I just loved this delightful and instructive production. My hubby and I just purchased our 4 acre, mostly wooded retirement situation. Going to be tapping your brain!! Thanks
As you said - proper motivation is the key. Well done!
Noticed new critters on the homestead. I also like the hearthstone you have. I think u put more work into your videos than anyone lve ever seen.
Well now I am going to buy a few more goats , some chickens and a few cows to turn 3 acres of woods back into pasture like it was 30 years ago. Great video thanks for the info and motivation.
Always good to see you pa mac
Wow this was actually really good and funny too lol. A great way to clear your land as well as raise stock. The land benefiting the animals, the animals benefiting the land, meanwhile both are benefiting you. :)
Oh yes, dream then act.
Then dream again,!
Thanks!
Grandpa Quaker John in England 😊
Another video so soon! AWESOME!
I have the goats, I have the small trees, I have the "poor" soil. I have horses, and guineas (for ticks), and hope to have chickens and Muscovy ducks soon. I have been cutting my young mostly sweetgum and poplar trees, doing very much like you are. I'm afraid my little battery powered chainsaw can't handle the big stuff, but it is knocking out all the little stuff. Your goat "experiment" cracked me up! 😄 My goats don't seem to be too keen on the cedar, but love the pine.
Thanks for brightening my day. Now I need to get out there and get to work. 😜
I am so glad I found your channel. the wealth of information is amazing and is exactly what my wife and I want our little farm to emulate. Thank you for the well produced and simple to follow tutorials as well as the entertainment and abundant history sprinkled throughout.
You inspire me to go towards country life, thank you, there's no better reward than a simple life! Wish I could buy some property and start doing what you do!
You got the dream down, Javier. Now just start walkin toward it!
This is a beautiful video. My husband and I are hopeful to purchase a ten acre wooded property within a month if everything works out. Seeing you work your land, investing in permaculture, laboring so much for the land and animals you love is simply beautiful. Such a simplistic and wholesome life God has granted you. Thank you for sharing your efforts and knowledge. It's something our people have forgotten and lost sight of.
I pray more people can see the integrity and beauty that comes from working your land.
We currently own a five acre plot that was once farm land. The soil was raped and abused of it's nutrients and microbes. We have let it rest and worked with our goats, pigs, and chickens for the last 6 years to bring life back to this earth. We are so proud and honored to have worked this land.
Ha! That was very witty and educational at the same time, brilliant! Subscribed (from New Zealand fyi)
Were on a roll of farmhandscompanion videos now!
That's right, tractor b...I mean, LSUfan 8240!
Love your videos! Informative & fun. Our whole family enjoys watching!
Tell the family Pa Mac says "Hey!", and thanks for watchin
This is a very good video. I learned a lot. I’m only getting started and I found this video very helpful. Thank you
Awesome , I'm in the process of clearing about 3 acres for grass . I needed a little motivation to keep going.
Definitely have to share this one with a few folks. I think they will appreciate it. Great job and thanks for sharing with us.
Thank you, Old Dawg
One who tills the ground will be content with his bread, but one who chases vanities lacks sense. I love your videos, brother.
I appreciate that, Kyle
Awesome video. Fun to watch, and exactly the info I was looking for.
Fantastic video, very informative in a great package.
I love your videos, they always get me in a good mood and motivate me get out on the farm and finish projects thst ive lost motivation on
That's my master plan, Pete. Thank you for the feedback!
Very neat to see the farm coming together, Pa Mac!
Thank you, Lane, for watchin
Always surprisingly simple, smart and fun.
Another interesting and fun to watch video. More please.🙂
Comin' right up, Marcia! Thank you for watchin'
I used to miss the woods when I moved to the High Plains. Trees can be an asset in so many ways. But here's one place where they ain't. Thanks for making me feel better about living out here. Now if we could just do somethin' about this cursed wind...
maingun07
- "Now if we could just do somethin' about this cursed wind..."
Does "trees"
ring any bell?! LOL ;-)
On my neck of the woods in every spot that's windy or drier
, or simply scorched by the Sun. The best grasses are ALWAYS under the protection of the trees! Not a big surprise to be honest. Silvopasture as been going on in there for a few thousands years. ;-)
I just watched a short video with you on VOA News. I just wanted to say thank you. Its really fun and amazing to watch you do things you love. You learned me a great deal of things and Im greatfull for that. Definetly you infected me with your passion, just like you said.
Thank you for your kind words, Mateusz
Those slash piles can offer some great habitat for small birds. We usually have one or two for that.
I enjoyed this so much
Smart and efficient, love this.
The intro is a vibe 😂👍👍
I’d use some logs for mushroom spore inoculation too! And I like to burn brush piles from the top to produce biochar over ash! Thanks for sharing your process..
You Sir are awesome absolutely love you videos. God bless you and yours
You too, Heyyou Buddy!
As I live in N. Arkansas, I can so much relate. The one thing that grows great here, are rocks.
Always makes my day when I see a new video from you, thanks!
I sure enjoy your videos , i LOVE !!! life on the farm !!!
Me too, joyous five
Very inspirational, thank you!
Love the beginning scripture! One of my favorites. Yes sir I love trees too but I need grass, and lots of it! GREAT video and so glad to see you posting again. Keep up the good work!!! God bless y’all ❤️
I love your show! Look forwards to more! I know they’re a lot of work. We appreciate it!!
Our place looks very similar to your "before" pictures. Thanks for these great ideas on clearing land.
nice verse..the word is true😊😊love you brother
nice little video. makes me wanna shy away from over priced pasture land and go work on working the land over and have a shade canopy silvopasture style if i can get the grass to grow in it nice enough to have stock piles of rotational grazing.
One of my tools for those briars is a claw hammer. Down low the canes are strong and get themselves clutched into the claw all right. Then you can pull up on the handle like pulling a carrot and out comes a healthy bit of root. Much preferred to having the stubble up my pants leg. I do appreciate the tips on making pasture from forest. I am fat with the latter and lean with the former.
Great to hear from you, Lolita's Garden! Hope you all are doin fine
Good job. God Bless you
Thank you, Illinois Buggy
I’m at the WEED EXPLOSION point and I think the weeds are winning. Awesome video my fellow Arkansan.
Good to hear from y'all, Hoot & Nanny; hope you're doin well
I didn’t want this video to end
Very educational. Thanks.
You're welcome, Lavrenti
thanks for the great info. I think this method will take some time but will yield better results...or so I am guessing. We just moved from the gulf coast of Texas (Feb 2021) where everything will grow just about anywhere...to NW Arkansas where there's more rock than soil in some places. We also just bought 19 plus acres that has been neglected for the past few years and is overgrown. I figure we will start out with goats then maybe move up to a few head of heritage cattle along with chickens and guineas to keep bugs down!
Good episode. Like the natural way, not clear cutting
that was awesome my family of 6 is moving to minnesota and this video helped alot thank you very much for your hard worker and videos to show afterwards i wasnt going to do cattle just chickens pigs and goats but after video i will add 3 or 4 dispite i only want the meat and offspring not milk so much
My best to you and your family and the big move. May God bless you all.
Alabama loves fhc show. Alright got mysef just what l need. Get ready to laugh lm sure. Thanks my friend.
Thank you Bobby!
@@farmhandscompanion no thank you very much. Early this morning l saw a video of you an your family. Im very impressed with it all. An my wife an l think you've got a very nice family. An such a great sense of humor. GOD really blessed you. Thats why FHC show is so great. I bet he likes it to.
wow great explanation and funny too. subscribed
Another great video, thanks for sharing it and I can’t wait for the next one. Take care.
Thank you, Sneak 66, and everyone else for your kind words!
Thank you for this video glad to see you again hope you're doing well
Always love the videos! Please give an update on the things you have done in the past. The barn interior, the chicken coop and especially the fruit trees!! I would love to see how they came out.
Will do, Steve
Excellent video as always!
It’s been awhile since I caught an episode. It dovetails well the the homestead shows that I follow.
Thanks you renewed my hopes for the same here
Awesome video style!
Some beautiful work with beautiful land as a result ! 😍
Good work man!
Keep the videos coming. We love it
Just found your channel last night. I love your content! Looking forward to more :)
I love your videos!
Excellent! You always do such a great job.
Why, thank you, young man.
Great job on your own Farm Film Productions!
@@farmhandscompanion Thank you!
outstanding job.
First video that I've come across. Informative and very entertaining. You've put plenty of time into this video and it shows. Anyone, who puts out quality content like this more than deserves a sub from me. Well done.
I'm looking for land to buy to start a homestead and this is great information.
Thank you, Thomas
Thanks for making these videos!
Thank you for watchin, Scott
Always like your videos, hopefully by years end I'll be beginning this process myself making some good useful land out of scrubby brush and popples. Keep up the great work.
Muito top o seu trabalho, tá de parabéns...👏👏👏👍👍👍💪
What type of fencing do you use for your livestock when clearing the land?
electric wire with homemade insulators; cheap, simple to install, and effective...providin' you train the animals to it well
nice video. are pigs better or goats better for clearing out undergrowth in forest?
Always informative’n entertaining
Absolutely concur on goats!
Really good content. How much variety of grasses do you have in your “finished” fields? I use Hamilton Native Outpost to get some seeds and info on getting a wide variety of Native grasses and forbes. Thanks for sharing your work!
Phillip,
Peace of Earth Farmstead
Love this channel
We are in SW Va. and have a similar "pasture. Love all your videos!
Thank you Richard, and thanks to everybody else for the kind comments!
Great video. Ty vm
Just found your videos! Love that your here in Arkansas!
love all your vids!
I moved to the coast of Maine and bought some acreage that I will clear this spring and summer. The soil is loamy though. Yet, I see fields around here. I suppose I must work on the soil and mix in organic matter.
That is an EXCELLENT VIDEO!!!!!! You have some smarts to ya, as well as a sense of humor. I would be interested in how long it took each type of animal to do their part of the clearing and the total time from start to finish. I like your videos, I shall be watching many you have done already. I look forward to your future videos. I too am starting with raw land and turning it into a homestead/farm. GOD Bless.
I wish you the best on your farm, David! Thank you for watchin
I've been watching your videos for months since moving to our property in east tennessee. Its an old pine tract we clear cut 2 acres. Ive been moving pigs and chickens but its still mostly card clay and weeds. Any advice on seeding to grow pasture quicker? We want a family milk cow in the spring? Hope you see this and God bless.
If I were you, I would look around to see what other types of pasture grasses are predominate in your area. Chances are, those native grasses will establish themselves in coming years, perhaps not as quick as you'd like. Your option would be to buy some of that kind of seed and help it along. In the meantime, you can sow some clover (the white dutch variety) in late spring without even disturbing the ground; you can also throw a bit of clover seed in the cow's feed and it will end up germinating throughout the pasture. The clover will be a secondary grass to whatever's eventually gonna grow there. Keeping the weeds and pasture mown regularly will give it the best chance of gettin' established on it's own. I hope this helps somewhat.