Stories from the Farm

Amazing what a little sun, a little rain, and a few weeks can do…

before…

and after 🙂 

In just 17 days! 

Can you hear the excitement in my voice? 

The sheep have been locked off the pasture and I have been feeding a lot of hay.  With the rain and warm weather we have had, the grass in the big pasture was finally tall enough to turn the sheep out – I’m not sure who was happier, me or them.  A very good thing!  In addition to having green grass growing in the big pasture, my husband has been reworking a few of our smaller pastures.  It has been on the ‘to do’ list for the last couple of years, but moved up in priority thanks to this stuff…

foxtail. 

A horrible, vile plant that has slowly been taking over our place.  It isn’t palatable for the sheep – but worse than that, it can work into the skin of animals and cause large abscesses.  We have to mow, mow, mow to keep the foxtail low and out of the sheep’s eyes.   It is also horrible for the fleeces – hard to pick out and very pokey.

I have been a little apprehensive to start…tearing up the ground just seemed scary!  Luckily, my husband didn’t have those feelings 🙂  He started by plowing.  Seeing the pasture like this really scared me!  I just stayed inside and knew it would be ok. 

The boys were happy because they got to borrow the neighbor’s big tractor!

After plowing he tried disking it, but the result wasn’t what he was looking for.  So, he rototilled it and that helped a lot.  The foxtail’s roots were so thick and entwined, that it looked like a 5 inch thick piece of root felt.   

After plowing, rototilling, and disking – he drug it – a very dusty job!

Finally it was time to spread seeds – good seeds, seeds that are aggressive and can outgrow the foxtail.  We planted chicory, annual ryegrass, white clover and a pasture mix with fescue, orchard, and ryegrass in it. 

The weather cooperated and it started raining a couple days after the seed was spread.  Little sprouts are so exciting!

And look at it now!!!  The sheep are going to have to stay off for awhile to let it get established, but the idea of having GOOD grass for them to eat next year is AWESOME!

Magoo agrees 🙂