Wednesday, May 15, 2024 We’ve had a few “almost springlike” days and it feels so nice. The big task ahead is repairing the pasture that had been over grazed and over used for 20+ years. Local farmers with cattle and horses seem to be able to move their animals from one spot to another with ease, but for all the years the alpacas were here, this was their one and only home, and there was nowhere else to put them! As a result, some areas were over grazed and over pooped on! lol It’s all fixable, we just need to get ‘er done. In the past, Farmer Ed and I have raked and reseeded, covering our labors with leftover hay to keep the moisture in and rejoicing once we saw green, but guess who was also rejoicing for those fresh new tasty shoots of grass! The alpacas! We did try rearranging fencing a few times to keep them off the worst areas, but it was the entrance to their shelter as well as their favorite place to hang out, so eventually we just gave up. We’ve talked to a few local farmers as well as the local ag office people and we think we’ve come up with a plan. We sent in soil samples and borrowed a homemade “drag” from neighbor and it’s amazing how efficient that system is. Our neighbor made this out of a heavy steel bar, some chains and old tires. Watch the video to see how efficiently it smooths the pastures spreading the old alpaca beans and clumps of compost that I moved out last fall to other areas and leveling out the lumps as it goes. Next step, amending any soil problems and reseeding. Eventually we’d like to have hay to cut.
The hungry humming birds have returned, the orioles are finishing cups grape jelly every day and the frogs serenade us with their sweet croaking. Dare I say spring is finally here? We’ve had snow in June before so I won’t put the snow shovel away yet, but it looks hopeful.
Have a good week and as always thanks for checking in.
Video of the day: Way to go Farmer Ed! Our tractor did not have enough horse power to pull it but the Polaris worked fine.
Welcome hummers!
The hummers seemed to arrive a bit late this year, but the Orioles were right on time and had to deal with the white fluff for a few days last week.
Gigi Caito
Even without your beloved alpacas, pasture management is always there! Enjoy spring!!
Linda
So true! Thanks Gigi, nice to hear from you. 😊
Lana
Fixing pastures is a never-ending job. We have been able to rotate, but still there are spots that were overgrazed and weeds have come in. Great idea to turn your pastures into hay fields!!
Linda
Thanks Lana, I’m hoping growing hay won’t be too much of a challenge. We plan to do a lot of mowing early on to discourage any weeds from settling in. Fingers crossed!