Farm and Ranch life

[Baker]

It's planting time! Hopefully there is enough moisture from the rains a few weeks ago to get solid germination. As with the past few cycles I'm using cows to terminate summer forages following immediately behind them with the drill.

AS a foundation I'm planting this in all the plots
Cosaque black oats
Elbon rye
radishes---think by getting the radishes in early will have better results than past couple years
purple top turnips.


After that I will be including various combinations of clovers depending on soli type and whatever is already growing in the field including
Arrow leaf clover
La.-s 1
Persian clover---experiment but like what I've been reading about it

Also interested to see if the red clover planted last fall comes back . Had a terrific stand that lasted most of the summer.

I'm also going to experiment with about 10 acres of Kobe lespedeza

 

[Baker]

Creating a savannah for wildlife and cattle

 

[Turkish]

Whole pile of questions, sir. I’m just so enthralled with what you’re doing.

1. I believe you previously managed your timberlands with at least some commercial objectives. Seems to me a savannah is effectively reducing your timber income from that acreage to zero (not quite, but close). Do you feel like you’re forgoing timber income for livestock and game with this transition?

2. Do you think savannahs were common in your area long ago? I think of them less prominent in bottomlands but that could be a mistake of mine.

3. Why plant these newly daylighted areas vs promoting natives? Manage with fire? This could let you leave the stumps and save on removal cost. I suspect you’ve already trialed this in other areas and have learned from experience.

Amazing work! I’m sure I’ll think of some more soon.

 

[Baker]

Whole pile of questions, sir. I’m just so enthralled with what you’re doing.

1. I know you previously managed your timberlands with at least some commercial mindset. Seems to me a savannah is effectively reducing your timber income from that acreage to zero. Do you feel like you’re forgoing timber income for livestock and game with this transition?

2. Do you think savannahs were common in your area long ago? I think of them less prominent in bottomlands but that could be a mistake of mine.

3. Why plant these newly daylighted areas vs promoting natives? Manage with fire? Would let you leave the stumps and save on removal cost. I suspect you’ve already trialed this in other areas and have learned from experience.

Amazing work! I’m sure I’ll think of some more soon.

Thank you and I love your questions. Not many folks are interested in this type of work. I'll try to answer in order.

1) I'm starting with the worst damaged areas where the timber value was already severely compromised unlikely to yield meaningful returns in my lifetime. I still have areas where timber value will return and I will manage as such. Of the roughly 1000 acres of timber I swag I'll convert maybe 200-300 acres to savannah. This will dramatically increase available cattle stocking rate as well as increase deer carrying capacity. What you didn't ask which may have a significant impact on this program is cost. I'm estimating cost at around $1500/acre offset by some timber income. I'm doubtful increased cattle numbers will support this so I'll have to decide if the benefit to increased deer herd is worth it.

2) When I hired Dr. Allen Williams of Understanding Ag to help me initiate regenerative practices on the farm one of the first stories he told me was that La. was a savannah when first discovered. When the Spaniards arrived on the gulf coast their diaries chronicled their travels thru La. up thru Ark on to the north. Several hundred horse soldiers along with all the support infrastructure were able to travel 6+ mile a day. They described herds of grazing buffalo, elk, antelope etc grazing native forages in savannah type landscape. Mans mgt. practices have made the habitat what it is today. I'm hoping to approximate it again albeit using cattle as the grazing stock.

3) I'm planting these areas initially to encourage the cattle to bomb it. I want their impact ...manure, hair, saliva, hoof action ... to light up the micro biology of the soil. Thus I want intense introduced cultivars initially. From there my long term goal will be to see what responds from the native seed bank from increased microbial action and sunlight??? Would be delighted if native forages were adequate to maintaining the savannah landscape. The challenge is at least for the foreseeable future I'll need to be able to mow every year or two. Without mastodons, elk, and other large grazers tallow trees, gum trees , briars etc will rapidly take over again in the absence of anything eating them.Thus unfortunately occasional mowing will be necessary. Bushings and stumps don't get along.

Love your questions and am having a blast with this new habitat experiment.

 

[T-Max]

You should raise bison. That would be a lovely addition to your ranch.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Baker]

Video from last yr at ranch