Preaching Under the Trees
April 17th, 2008 by Northern Farmer
After the comments on the last post I figure that its time to put in my two cents worth. Reestablish some things around here on this old blog. The comments were excellent on the last thread. Some might sound like moaning and groaning but rest assured they ain’t. The state of agriculture today is absolutely no different than the rest of society. To put it bluntly, you want to play the modern game of farming and you’ll be sucked in and be nothing more than a serf, and that’s about it. I was thinking today about this. Most folks that read this know that we farm a pretty good sized family farm as far as our area goes. I’ve seen so many changes through the years it boggles the mind and imagination, but the one disturbing thing about most of these changes is that they were for the worse.
Today I went and stopped in a at a neighbor’s place, had to see him about pasture for this summer. He’s in his eighties and still in good shape and farms some hogs, not many, just enough to keep him out of trouble. But it would have been a nice operation thirty years ago. Now its just laughed at by the bigshots, those folks that are in debt up to their eye balls. But there’s hard times at the neighbor’s place, besides modern agriculture leaving him in the dust, age and time have taken their toll. His wife had a stroke last November and just came home a few days ago, because their Medicare ran out and the only other way to keep her in for help would be to sell off the farm. And I listened politely today and it tore me apart. Work your whole life to loose everything you ever worked for.
Years ago people didn’t lose their farms when one family member was down. Now the system bleeds it off so fast that even the farm sale would barely make a dent in the medical bills in a year or two. But we as a society think that we are so caring and are so advanced in keeping people alive, even if they don’t get well. We destroy families and farms and think nothing of this system that’s doing it. As in the last thread I believe that farmers are nothing more and nothing different than society as a whole today. I read farming blogs and they aren’t much different than what society wants, even if they think they’re getting more independent from it. They still rely totally on the system. This might cause a little stir, but the so called grass farming is one such example. When you get right down to it, its not anywhere near sustainable, let alone expandable and thriving. It takes heavy inputs through the years, inputs that are getting too expensive to even justify it. But grass farming has its very important place on almost every farm. It must be incorporated into a well diversified form like the prosperous farms of years gone by. Why such blasphemous thoughts? Well, a diversified farm can produce its own fertilizer, keep unwanted weeds down, and most importantly prosper a family, for generations. We Americans mostly only see a short time ahead. And even in that short time ahead there’s going to be changes that will stagger the imagination. And they won’t be changes like we have been used to for decades with the changes only being so called improvements in life. These will be shortages, prohibitive costs, and a person will be required to make their farm or homestead much more self sufficient if they even hope to stay on it. And that’s just the short term, we’re not talking multi generational here.
But deep within our minds is the prosperity teachings that we can live like the biggest heathens and still be considered a prosperous Christian. I disagree with everything I have! Prosperity on farms and homesteads will be measured much differently than what’s considered the norm nowadays. There will be no buying corn or feed for raising some grass fed chickens, those days will be gone. There will be no chickens running around on a “grass fed operation” to fertilize the pastures with nitrogen rich fertilizer to sustain the pastures because there will be no corn to be had. And any corn to be had will be from modern agriculture in its death throws still producing grains that animals can’t eat because of genetic mutations. Anyone getting this? These homestead movement and the Christian Agrarian movement had better think about this. Right now its popular to do may things a certain way and almost all of it involves farming not very much different than our industrial counterparts. A long while back I wrote a post called the Inner Farm or something like that. It touched on this subject and I’ll touch on this subject much more as time goes on. Its almost a warning, don’t get to comfy with the way things are going and homesteading by the book. The Lord smiles at diversified small farms, I do believe that! And also, this is not ripping into grass farming, just exposing some unprotected parts of it.
I believe with all my heart there’s going to be changes that are far greater than most of us imagined. We are just seeing the smallest beginning of it all. There’s nothing to back up the present society anymore. Energy stocks are not stable. We’re using far more than they are discovering and it won’t be long when that aspect of life will cease forever. At least in how we were always used to living and there will be no going back whatsoever. For now it’ll hang on like a drugged up person with a terminal disease, alive but not really living. So usually I write something Christian in almost every post and where does that fit in tonight? Well, to put it bluntly the modern church is failing miserably in all of this. When I read my Bible it all points to simplifying our lives. But the modern church wants us exactly the same as society today, no different except we should go to church and give our money to support a pagan lifestyle and we can praise the Lord as we go to hell. And we should prosper and live filthy rich and that shows that we have the blessings of God. Heck, get divorced as many times as you want, Jesus loves you! Get the picture here. Dead churches, a religion to be ashamed of. But I know that there’s a people who truly know God. Not a denominational thing, but a heart thing. There’s that remnant here and there that read the Bible and believe it! They’ve chosen family and simple living over the temptations of this society and are probably mocked for it, even by so called church people. But this remnant will spread the gospel and teach those who listen the simple things in life also. Most people are so disconnected from real life they have no idea how to do anything for themselves, but I can tell you there’s folks everywhere right now that would love nothing better than to do that if only they knew where to turn.
Christian Agrarian, that’s a term I will not try to define, I’ll save it for people with bigger brains than me. Where I’m coming from is its our responsibility to spread it around to those who are truly longing for a better life. In this community there’s many different denominations represented, but all have a common goal. Most differences are minor although some folks can sit all day and dig themselves into a pit arguing over absolutely unimportant doctrine while in the meantime there’s a world going to hell even though a Saviour suffered and died for it. This Christian Agrarian thing can be looked at just like the church. What truly changes peoples hearts in the church, is it the big modern popular churches, I’d say no. They just please the people’s carnal desires. But you take someone preaching the simple old fashioned gospel, unchanged from the Bible, and there will be people swept into the Kingdom, for real. On this blog it’ll be the truth thrown out and if it offends, well, then there’s a problem isn’t there? Because folks, is happening faster than we can imagine and even I have to shake the cobwebs out of my head, the world creeps in and a person doesn’t even realize it. Before I end this post I want to explain the picture on top. Just some old fashioned preaching out in the rural areas. Fire and brimstone, not the ear tickling mush that’s popular today. And with spring coming around here that’s when I wake up out of my slumber and get revved up again. The cabin fever is gone and there’s time to think allot working out in the pastures and the fields. We’re very busy with church and with the farm. Preaching the gospel is what I do very regularly nowadays and it might show a tad bit on this old blog. Can’t help myself.
April 18th, 2008 at 6:56 pm
Fire it up Tom! I’ve been looking forward to this kind of talk coming from you! As I was shoveling silage today I was thinking of what a mess we had gotten ourselves into by following the Organic specialization route with our dairy. In truth it wrecked us just as quickly as a non-organic approach would have when we got into tough times. We had wandered off the time proven traditional diversifed family farm path, now we struggle to get back on track. I was also thinking about the need for family farmers to retake center stage from the industrial farm model. We don’t need to be “family farm defenders”, small farmers (just like Bible believing Christians) have allowed themselves to shoved to the sidelines of agriculture. We say things like “We just milk 30 cows” or “We just have a 120 acre farm”. How ’bout we drop the “just” and say “We milk 30 of the darn nicest Jerseys on grass around here! You should taste our milk!” It’s obvious to me that the low-key, trying-not-to-be-noticed stance we’ve taken has been a big mistake. We’ve allowed ourselves to be stomped all over by the government, the schools and the media. Small diversified family farms are the hope of the future, just like the neighborhood liitle church where The Word is both preached and lived is the hope of our salvation!
April 18th, 2008 at 9:37 pm
Well Said, Brent!
I might add that the various state Dept’s of Ag, and the Extension service in practically every state is now talking about local food, organic, small farms, etc… While this may have the appearance of assistance, it really works against the kind of independent entrepreneurial thinking and action that its going to take to be successful.
Best milk you’ve ever tasted!! I love it!
I couldn’t agree more…
GFJ
April 18th, 2008 at 9:42 pm
Tom,
I gathered one little tidbit of information today. I talked with relative who works for Cargill. He told me when he first started at Cargill about 10 years ago, Cargill’s yearly profits were $300 million. The first quarter of this year Cargill’s profits were $1 billion. Reminds me of Isaiah 5:8 “Woe to you who add house to house and join field to field till no space is left and you live alone in the land.” I agree that we should have many small diversified farms.
Jim V
April 18th, 2008 at 10:20 pm
Interesting comments. I was just talking with my Dad, and he was telling me about Grandpas old farm. It was very diversified. they seemed to have raised everything. I think one of the worst problems “Moderns” have, is the tendency to want to streamline everything down to the most “efficient” model necessary. The new “grass” farming is a good example. Grass farming has always been just part of the traditional farm. Real “grass” farming is ranching. Which is rather different in many ways from a traditional farm. I know, I grew up in ranching country. That poor old man and his ill wife. What a decision this stupid “economy” forces people into. In the old days, there would have been children, and relatives, and friends and neighbors to help. Now he can’t buy any. The Amish were smart enough to figure out what would happen, when Modernity, took over the world, and didn’t sign on to it. They, at least, don’t lose their farms when loved ones get ill. I am going to say something. I probably shouldn’t, but I hope she dies on the farm, before he has to sell it. Not if she has to end up in a cold lonely nursing home. She should die at home. Like I said, what a stupid “efficient” economy. I bet no Cargill executive has to chose between his beloved wife, and his love of his farm. If Cargill has it’s way, there will be one “farmer” sitting in his office, at headquarters, with his computer, farming America from coast to coast, via radio control. One giant GMO monocrop, from california, to virginia. And the greedy fools will still be trying to get more subsidies. To farm Hawaii, too.
April 19th, 2008 at 5:54 am
I don’t know what’s happening around here as of late but these comments are very, very good! And cover a wide range to boot so it’ll be difficult at 5:30 in the morning coving it all. But the basic theme is diversification and also not to follow the trendy trends. As the drought here trims my herd of beef cows down there will be gaps to fill when the rains ever return more steadily and I’m not refilling the gaps with beef cows again, it’ll be more into other small things, different critters. The main rules is to follow no modern rules and to get out of the cycle of modern ways farming before it sucks everything away from the farm with all the rising prices. I just heard on the radio yesterday morning the extension service talking about small farms, local food, organic and all that stuff. How they were getting into that but for some reason I have no trust in it. Just a gut feeling, stay away from it all, their advice that is. As more and more people realize and understand about farming and its way of life and get interested in it, the more big ag will start noticing and sending their cronies in to infiltrate and take back what the big ag hogs believe to be theirs. And Jim, that Bible verse will be always around this old blog from now on. You should have seen me last night before bed when I came in the house and did a quick glance at the blog. You had be gathering all the different Bible versions in this house seeing how that verse came out in each of them. Its a keeper for a blog like this let me tell you! Thanks for sharing it on here.
The story of an old couple that will possibly have to lose the farm just because of a stroke is probably the most shaking thing for me. It shows reality in this pagan culture. How people that if they’da had the same thing happen 40 years ago would never have worried about the farm. When I was a younger man it would have been rather rare not to go into a farm house and not have a elderly family member being taken care of by family, and the farms thrived! It was different then. This shows how the cancer of progress is in reality. Nothing but destruction of the family way of life from conception to grave. On our own farm there’s actually four generations. And the eldest, if they would be in a modern family could possibly be in a retirement home. But they’re not and won’t be either. Nothing makes me sicker to the gut that how folks are thrown away because the modern folks are so busy digging their own grave in this hell bound society. And another classic response that should be saved around this blog for a long time is, “I bet no Cargill executive has to chose between his beloved wife, and his love of his farm.” I have to agree. All those Mercedes driving farmers from cargill and Monsanto, are they worrying about losing everything they ever worked for because of illness? I highly doubt it. Meanwhile back in reality, out in the country the modern system is destroying, often brutally, the family farmers. And like I say, where is the church in all of this? Nowhere to be found. The modern church has been blended into the corporate manifesto. Let the corporate will be done, should be the prayer publicly. Good discussion folks, and it will keep going because my blood is boiling. Every tidbit in these comments is worth many posts that will be written. Thanks all!
April 20th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
Been a little quiet here, so I thoght I might add a thought or two before Tom adds another wonderful post. Didn’t get home from work until 1:30am this morning so have been running behind today including sinking my manure spreader (again) in a field that looked nice and dry (oh do I have a nose this year for finding the soft spots)! So now I’m back from running errands and napping (I’ve noticed that since I passed 50 a couple years ago that I take lots more naps) and am eating a bowl of ice cream before I head to the spreader with pitchfork and chains to pull it out. Here are a few thoughts I’ve had recently, maybe someone can comment?
1. When did Sunday stop being a day of rest and why is it so hard to get myself back in the frame of mind that I should be doing minimal chores on Sunday? Garnted, I work the equivalent of two full time jobs, and in years past I refused to do farm work on Sunday even though it often cost me big time during haying season, but now I struggle to even feel guilty! Have I slipped totally back into the pattern of the “mainstream”?
2. Gas here is $3.49 and diesel is $4.19, but all the mainstream ag stuff I read and hear is still talking about expanding to profit and almost all the equipment advertised couldn’t be turned around in a 10 acre field! Hello, hello, do people have their ability to think critically removed when they go to work in Ag Journalism?
3. I live in one of the most ag centered states in the U.S. but at the store today I only saw one item that was produced within 50 miles of here (cheese of course). The eggs come from Illinois for crying out loud!
4. The magazines at the checkout stands have articles on both the latest celebrity diets and the latest fashions in food. I didn’t see a single headline on any of the covers about people in Haiti eating dirt “pancakes” to keep from starving. Have we truely become a nation of “navel gazers”, so self-absorbed that we are ignorant of the rest of the world or of the issues that lurk on our doorsteps like wolves in the night?
5. When I speak to other farmers and mention publications like “Graze”, “The Milkweed”, “Small Farmer’s Journal”, and “Stockman Grass Farmer”, why do I get only blank looks? Have I missed something? Is Farm Journal some sort of KJV for farmers?
I’ve stalled enough, time to get the spreader unstuck, wish me luck, and, if you don’t mind, pray that I might find a suitable fellowship of Christians.
April 20th, 2008 at 7:13 pm
Brent,
Those are some good points, to say the least. Got me thinking when I read them, your sure doing that to me allot lately! Then I went outside to finish up anything that needs finishing up here and what you have been saying here lately is burning in me. Wished I had time to type a thousand words or two but am too wore out. I won’t go down the list point by point as I rest up a bit downstairs here. Calves are hitting the ground and I got on long, long row of taters planted before supper this evening. Who’da thought with a foot and a half of snow on the garden last Sunday, but things have changed here rapidly. If nothing drastic happens I will be starting to hit some fields this week.
As I say, your thoughts have been making me think and also they have been clearing up many things for me that I was hesitating and wondering about. I look at some of the answers that folks have for all of this and know that deep in my heart they will fail. Simply because they are retreating. And retreating Christianity always fails, in fact there really is no such thing as retreating Christianity. It’s just people following a false religion in the name of Christ. That should make me some friends in the Christian Agrarian community, but it’s true never the less. It works out good for folks that follow false religions made by man and don’t believe the Bible is the Word of God and will follow traditions of men and THAT is why we are where we are right now! Heathens in churches masquerading as Christians. Following blindly traditions of men. Jesus warned about them, condemned them right to their faces, but still they call themselves true Christians, distorting the Bible everywhere. And these heathens will always expose themselves by retreating! Always! But I’ll state here right now nowhere in the Bible does it say that’s what we’re supposed to do. Christian Agrarianism will never fly if left in the hands of the false Christian retreatists. They try to cover up and say their example will show the world, and I say no it won’t. The dying world will think they are nice maybe, like they think of the Amish. But you don’t see people rushing to become Amish because the Amish are basically closed and therefore are not following the great commission that Jesus gave the church.
So what does one do? What will be the only thing that will address every one of the points you brought up? Will it be the retreating cowardly religion of people acting out that they are setting up their own godly society? No it won’t because quite simply they are barely alive Christians. This is where I separate from many Christian Agrarian people because quite simply many are not following Jesus. And if they are not following Jesus nothing they do will have lasting affects. The world is dying Brent and the church is dying right with it. The Christian Agrarian thingy is following right along by allowing the world to do anything they want and retreating. But the blood will be on the hands of the retreating church. The retreating communities will have the blood of abortionists, the blood of the gay crowd, the blood of every abomination on their hands the same as anyone else. Because what ever happened to people getting the guts and the courage to send forth men and change these things! Where are the people standing up preaching against the modern industrial machine and its march to destroy families and farms? The retreating Christians are guilty!!
Like I say, I’ve been hesitating, I’ve been standing on the sidelines. I’ve read many things written on many blogs and I just get a sick feeling in my gut. Why is no one taking the message of the Gospel out into this sick world, the gospel that say to follow Jesus and to give Him glory? To carry the message of hope and to help people see the way to a better family and simpler living.
I’m not even scratching the surface here Brent and I’ll probably get allot of silence from this comment but it does shout out the truth! Can you imagine what could be changed with ten good men with a heart for Christ! Or a hundred that would go forth and start changing things? But nowadays there’s not many that would accept the command that Jesus gave to every believer. They’d rather go hide in church, trembling cowards. (My blood is boiling tonight!) The Christian religion was never designed to be inside of church walls and anyone that says it is, well that person is a liar! I’m about ready to almost drive over to Wisconsin right now and get something started with you over there! But if anything, you gave me the final boot in the butt and I can see clearly now what is needed, and I can see what the cause of the problem is. There’s the modern church which is right with the problem and living it to their delight, and there’s the retreating church of cowards that will come to nothing because the Holy Spirit cannot help people that refuse to obey Christ’s commands.
It pretty much came together for me tonight Brent and I hope this don’t bother you all to much. I see what’s needed, I know what has to be done and not many people would want to do it in what’s called Christianity nowadays. Us people that believe what God said sure can get in trouble, eh! More to come, gotta finish up here a bit.
April 21st, 2008 at 11:53 am
Tom, please, please keep writing! This has become a most important place for me to come and see that there are others out there thinking along the same lines I am! I too appreciate much of what is coming out of the Christian Agrarian movement but also feel that it sells itself short when folks get some goats, a few chickens and a pony and then go hide “off the grid”. Hiding your light under the basket is no way to inspire others or to start a movement for God and farming that would threaten to start “tiping the dominoes” of the worldly church and industrial ag. Maybe I’ve got a ‘bad spirit’ here but I am not content to hide in the cracks and crevices of this world, I want to kick some rears and get folks to shake their heads and take a new look at things!
Enough of this, I need to go service my equipment, it’s time to get the disc going and get some oats in soon.
April 21st, 2008 at 12:20 pm
Brent,
Going discing eh? Would you believe its in the seventies here now at noon??!! I was just out checking a field and I think I’ll attempt hauling a dozen loads of manure or so this afternoon, doesn’t even make a dent in the supply but gotta get restarted somewhere! I was thinking this morning about what you wrote and now this new comment and I’m really glad we’re on the same page in all of this. I see many weak points in the Christian Agrarian thing that will make it fail and I can’t help myself to shout out. My favorite is when some one self appoints themselves an “expert” and hasn’t hardly the foggiest idea how to make it through the day in all of this. And I love when folks start and really try, but I think you know what I mean.
You know, I’ve often wondered what I’m supposed to do in the service of the Lord. Do allot of stuff for our little church and I love it very much, but I think I’m seeing clearer now a calling of some sorts. Because I just come alive when things like this are talked about! There’ll be things to do in the near future after this spring crush gets worked through! Funny how you can spur me on Brent, but that’s good to say the least. Good luck over your way and I’ll try not to bog down the tractor and spreader this afternoon
April 21st, 2008 at 12:36 pm
Wow!! I leave for a while, and you guys start writing some awesome stuff!! I’ll just say AMEN! to all you’ve written, and continue learning from y’all!
Seeded my first field of cowpeas this spring…hopefully I planted them correctly and they’ll germinate and grow so that I can put them back into the soil and see if I can get some biology and nitrogen into it! It’s almost dead according to the soil sample!
Since we don’t have all that fancy machinery, we hand broadcasted the seed, after coating it with the innoculant. We had a great time! Think daughter is going to make us a seed bag to put over our shoulders like they used to do it!!
April 21st, 2008 at 12:44 pm
Oops, had forgotten my main thought earlier, now I came back in for some coffee (which fuels me like gas fuels the tractor) and wanted to add just a bit of news I saw this morning. I check out Drudge Report every day ’cause it includes lot’s of foreign news, but what I saw today was from a New York paper. The article was about shortages and rationing of rice, flour and cooking oil, and not overseas but on the west and east coasts of the US! Take a look if you are curious, it was printed in the New York Sun.
Christine, those bag seeders are pretty neat, I’ve used ours for frost seeding clover before. Get some real exercize marching back and forth on a 10 acre field! Try Lehman’s, they may have bag seeders. Good luck.
April 21st, 2008 at 5:22 pm
I have a question about seeding… Like Christine we are hoping to start putting some fertility back into our long unused ground. I know virtually nothing so pardon if this is a very foolish question. The goal is to plant a small orchard with a variety of fruits and berries and from what I’ve read it seems like buckwheat would be a good thing to grow over the summer because of the bulk that there will be to till in as green manure. Can I just broadcast it on top of the ground once its tilled or does it need to be covered to grow? And if it does, can I just rake a little dirt over it with a leaf rake or what? Not much equipment around here either!
April 21st, 2008 at 7:37 pm
Christine,
Oh, another thing, the reason I bag seed instead of pulling the planter out. I can seed a field of five or so acres faster by hand than going through all the work of dragging a seeder out and getting it all ready, burning fuel and all that stuff. Plus it sure is nice to watch the acres go by and no noise to be heard but the natural sounds!
Hey, long time eh! Hope all is going well down your way! Soil building, a very important thing to say the least. That’s what I do here in the beginning of a rotation. Make sure the ground is well limed for legumes that will bust up the soil, build organic matter and place nitrogen for grass or corn. At least a person can afford lime yet and it’ll be good to produce all of our own nitrogen through legumes and manure. I’ve hand broadcast allot of seed in my days and also use the bag seeder. I’ll do up to ten acres on foot. Have the girls at either end of the field for markers, you wouldn’t believe how far off a person can stray seeding on foot. Guess I have a slight side pull
We got our bag seeder a few years ago in a farm supply store locally, they still have them. Make sure they’re stored away from mice or your bag might get eaten
Brent,
I like taters!
I’d better not tell the wife that I heard there’s a rice shortage or she’ll have me pick her up a truck load, hmm, mum is the word. Of course I can only hope that the rice shortage will get severe in MN
Seriously, this is some news, something we aren’t used to hearing. And I’ll bet its only the beginning. Keep an eye out and let me know what developes as time goes by!
Angela,
I never planted buckwheat, although I’ve combined it for the neighbor years ago. So I’ll assume its a top planted seed or at least very shallow seeded. Anyone can correct this, jump right in. When I plant grasses or alfalfa and clovers by hand or with the bag seeder I sometimes do a lite drag over it. Barely disturbs the soil. And sometimes I don’t, depends on my mood and how busy I am. To tell you the truth I’ve never noticed a difference with alfalfas or clovers planted either way. My best advice would be to lightly rake it to be sure, and also minimize loss to birds if you have the time. Again I’m not quite sure with buckwheat but if its a super shallow seed I wouldn’t see any problem.
April 22nd, 2008 at 7:57 am
We went to check out the cowpeas last night. The are sprouting!! Woohoo!! But I’ve already learned a lesson!! Need to prepare the seedbed better. The only seeds that have sprouted are the ones that got covered..the seeds laying on top of the soil aren’t doing anything (at least not yet). As for the seedbed, I need to farrow it to breakup the clumps. I don’t have a farrow so I didn’t do it!!
I think I also didn’t broadcast enough seeds. Even with the ones that didn’t sprout, it doesn’t look like its enough. The field is about 2 acres, and I seeded 2 50 lb bags, as recommended by the seed coop.
Tom,
I didn’t use any lime on the soil. Ignorant question, but why should I have added lime to the soil for the legumes? My soil’s pH is about 6.5. Guess I should have asked you before I seeded!! Can I broadcast lime now (it’ll be messy!) or just wait and see what happens? I’ll be spraying some compost tea on it next week that has lime in it.
What do you use to drag after you seed?
How do you know you’ve planted enough seed, ie seeds per acre?
How much is the bag seeder at your farm supply store? Mine doesn’t carry any.
April 22nd, 2008 at 10:36 am
Christine,
A soil ph of 6.5 is pretty good, where do you live and is there limestone under your soil? We have a lot of natural limestone (plow it up pretty regular) and our soil runs between 6.8 and 7.2 ph without additional lime. I’ve never worked with cowpeas but I do plant field peas for plowdown, harvest or green chopping (depending on the year). I plant the peas at a rate of 100# per acre, a lower rate of 50# I would use if I was also planting oats in the mix. We use a grain drill with a cultipacker behind to make a nice seed bed. If you look around you might find an older 8ft cultipacker for cheap. If you are really limited on funds you could use an old bedspring dragged behind a tractor or 4-wheeler as a clodbuster or there are plans out there for a drag made out of old tires bolted together. Also, just for future reference, winter rye is a great soil builder. You plant it in fall (at about 2 bu an acre), it suppresses weeds and can be grazed and then plowed down in spring (the seed is usually cheap too), just be careful in spring it can grow out of hand quickly!
April 23rd, 2008 at 7:00 am
Brent,
)
Thank you! I live in SE Texas. I’m not sure if I’ve got limestone under my soil- I’ll have to look into that. I do know I’ve got very salty soil so I have to be careful that I plant less salinity sensitive crops (doesn’t that sound like I know what I’m talking about!!
I did seed winter rye this past winter and it did great! I also seeded some vetch and learned that over here it doesn’t germinate until our early spring. I did let the rye be grazed and then tilled it into the soil when I got the pasture ready for the cowpeas.
Thanks for the advice about cultipacker and drag- I’ll look into it.
April 26th, 2008 at 10:12 pm
Great perspectives. Living Truth is not necessarily living an easy life but it is a free one. You may enjoy commenting on “How Free Are You” on http://www.thedailylily.com. And by the way, thanks for being a farmer.