How To Operate Sprinkler System

“Fescue stockpiling is simple,” Bates says. Put the chill on your winter feed expenses by planting cool-season forages for your livestock. “When you look closely and walk through the fields in other countries where rotational grazing is truly effective...

In theory, the project is simple: Wafter will always flow downhill, so if you can dig a slightly downhill ditch leading to a low area away from a puddle, the puddle will drain on its own with no further effort on your part.

When you think of perennials, you probably envision flowers rather than flies, yet both appear with the onset of outdoor warmth and moisture. While an array of fly species exists, harassing man and beast alike, two are most problematic to small-farm owners:...

The additional benefit of no-till farming approaches is that compaction of the soil is greatly reduced. The unique properties of each site need to be taken into account. These are usually pre-existing paths that the wildlife has created to traverse to...

Christmas trees need to be well composted at high heat if they were treated with herbicides, otherwise the herbicides could still be active and damage your garden plants. The branches turn slightly upward and have good retention of their dark blue-green...

Basically, this is a member-owned store, where the collective buying power of the members gets lower prices on ag-related items commonly purchased by its members. It is also a way mitigate or share risk when large investments are necessary.

The good news is that finely textured soils, like clay, actually have the ability to contain much more organic matter than sandy soils due to the electrochemical bonds found in clay particles.

Store hay where it's accessible. Keep the hay away from trucks, machinery, or any type of heat source and fire accelerants, like gasoline, kerosene, oil and aerosol cans. Make your hay harvest last with these tips for efficient hay storage.

Bringing the Forest Home Before you do anything, learn what you've got. Some people use birch bark to make baskets. Ask lots of questions! As you learn, record the important biological and landscape features of your forest in your farm journal to help...

If you've ever seen a pig root out a mouse nest, you'll understand how this inclination can be beneficial, especially considering the animal's proficiency at clearing soil of grubs, grass, roots and rhizomes.

Wading birds tend not to be able to wade far, raccoons are also thwarted by the pond depth, snapping turtles, whilst a problem, can't eat enough to jeopardize the harvest.However, in the case of freshwater prawns, they stress very easily, are territorial...

To wrap your head around the construction of an aquaculture pond, use the diagram below to jog the pond-construction thought process. Then pick up the November/December 2011 issue of Hobby Farms for more complete information on starting an aquaculture...

While we view forest treats as supplemental to the rations we provide, we're also very happy to shave down the feed bill when our animals add pounds walking the woods. “Supplemental” is the key word regarding acorns because oaks yield wildly inconsistent...

This will allow the corn to outcompete the beans and not get overtaken. Your yields may vary depending on season and variety, but you will almost certainly get two crops for the price of one.

You'll have fewer soil-borne diseases because the early blight attacking your tomatoes might be confined to a small area of your garden, and your soil nutrients will increase because the cover cropping you're doing in between food crops are boosting fertility.

The nine preparations—numbered 500 to 508—used in Biodynamic agriculture are derived from herbal and mineral sources meant to aid organic-matter fermentation. When approached by a group of farmers who saw a decline in soil health and farm productivity,...

Choose The Fencing While your animals are being kept in the sacrifice area, you need to pay extra close attention to their needs. Maintain The Area Sacrifice areas are designed to help keep your pastures healthy, yet they still require some attention...

The system maximizes the use of the land while helping conserve the natural resources and is a widely practiced agroforestry system most anywhere that cattle and trees can be grown together.

I savor crisp, organic salad every day for nearly a week, sure that my body and the Earth are just a bit healthier for it. Converting your farm from conventional to organic-farming methods is an important decision.

Managed, intensive grazing requires constructing temporary fencing and moving animals to new grazing areas, but the effort results in better use of manure nutrients than allowing uncontrolled grazing.

Sherry Maddock runs 4th Street Farm, a rich and diverse urban farm in Lexington, Ky. She has mulched, planted, weeded and cared for her farm for the better part of a decade, turning it into a food-producing oasis.

Mow Rotationally To reduce grassland-bird mortality, mow fields and pastures outside of nesting season, which runs from April to August for most species. Grassland birds are a cornerstone of Great Plains ecology.

Trough Management Basics Of course, the easiest way to keep your animals water clean is through prevention. Now, take that with a grain of salt. First, dump out the water and use a high-pressure sprayer nozzle for your hose to knock off the surface debris.

So when my family of five moved to a central Kentucky farm with two empty horse pastures, the next step felt obvious: We drove a few hours south to pick up two black Dexters (the smallest non-miniature cattle breed), a pregnant cow and a steer for the...

For example, if you have a breeding farm, you'll have all of the regular farm-management duties plus stallion management, care of foals and assisting in foaling. Career options span the world.

The same is true with pumpkins: Miniatures and varieties less than 6 pounds are fine on the vine and heavier varieties needing sling support. Water Conservation Because plants are more densely concentrated in a smaller area, you decrease runoff and eliminate...

Appearing like large Clydesdales, their feathering make them good for transport and carting, but not as good for field work. Costs Of Using Draft Horses The studies done on the economic differences between a tractor and draft horses are either inconclusive...