Hackerson - Huntington, MA silvopasture update - silvopasture2024-03-28T20:54:43Zhttp://silvopasture.ning.com/forum/topics/hackerson-huntington-ma-silvopasture-update?commentId=6457695%3AComment%3A13101&feed=yes&xn_auth=noI am very new to this discuss…tag:silvopasture.ning.com,2016-03-16:6457695:Comment:129072016-03-16T09:39:03.817ZDave Manninghttp://silvopasture.ning.com/profile/DaveManning
<p>I am very new to this discussion group, but we live in Northwestern Pennsylvania, Warren County. We have tackled this very same project beginning two years ago. We will be finished cutting this summer and seeding has been interesting. I had great luck with a mix of 20% annual rye and 80% non-endophyte fescue last year. I simply took our old Massey Ferguson 35 tractor with a broadcaster and weaved in an out of stumps. It was tough, but there was no incorporation other than rain. The…</p>
<p>I am very new to this discussion group, but we live in Northwestern Pennsylvania, Warren County. We have tackled this very same project beginning two years ago. We will be finished cutting this summer and seeding has been interesting. I had great luck with a mix of 20% annual rye and 80% non-endophyte fescue last year. I simply took our old Massey Ferguson 35 tractor with a broadcaster and weaved in an out of stumps. It was tough, but there was no incorporation other than rain. The grass exploded on the seeded areas. We did two test strips last fall and have seeded about 10 acres this spring. That is just beginning to come on, but the weather has been good for germination. My intention for this area is to create stockpiling grasses for fall/winter cattle feed. </p> Last spring Ross did seed [wi…tag:silvopasture.ning.com,2016-03-13:6457695:Comment:128052016-03-13T11:23:17.370ZJeff Jourdainhttp://silvopasture.ning.com/profile/JeffJourdain
<p>Last spring Ross did seed [with the help of my teenage son] most of the area harvested the previous winter/fall. They walked around with a over the shoulder broadcast seeder. Results were variable but that had as much to do with weather - dry when it went down and then heavy storms moved a lot of seed. I know this year there was talk of doing some frost seeding earlier - now that it looks like the weather has already turned, I'm not sure if that will happen. </p>
<p>I think seeding in…</p>
<p>Last spring Ross did seed [with the help of my teenage son] most of the area harvested the previous winter/fall. They walked around with a over the shoulder broadcast seeder. Results were variable but that had as much to do with weather - dry when it went down and then heavy storms moved a lot of seed. I know this year there was talk of doing some frost seeding earlier - now that it looks like the weather has already turned, I'm not sure if that will happen. </p>
<p>I think seeding in many places is needed if the goal is to get grass particularly in areas not adjacent to existing pastures. I'm not sure what the most efficient way to get that done given stumps and slash after logging and at least around here the ubiquitous rocks. In most areas ATV or even farm tractors just aren't going to be able to get the job done. Hand spreading seed on 20 acres is a project. That's what Ross is looking at now. I know bale grazing and busting bales is planned in some areas. </p>
<p>Skidders/forwarders/logging equipment aren't set up for a 'passenger' to ride safely especially one trying to spread seed. I wonder if there is an economical way to fit and run a tractor sized broadcast spreader to a skidder. After all these are the machines designed to go where we want the seed to go. I'm going to talk to a couple of my 'fabrication wizard' friends and see if they have any ideas. If not Jake will be home from college around seeding time and Ross will have hundreds of pounds of seed waiting for him. </p> After the logging we did this…tag:silvopasture.ning.com,2016-03-03:6457695:Comment:129042016-03-03T02:27:13.988ZBrett Chedzoyhttp://silvopasture.ning.com/profile/BrettChedzoy
<p>After the logging we did this summer, I realized that it would be too difficult to get much beyond the main skid trails (which were left graded and relatively free of logging debris) with our ATV and broadcast seeder. So I dropped ~ 100 lb sacks of winter wheat off along the skid roads, then sent our three teenagers to the woods with 5-gallon pails to sling seed wherever they could by hand. They eventually got it done with minimal griping. But to do it over again, I would try to spread the…</p>
<p>After the logging we did this summer, I realized that it would be too difficult to get much beyond the main skid trails (which were left graded and relatively free of logging debris) with our ATV and broadcast seeder. So I dropped ~ 100 lb sacks of winter wheat off along the skid roads, then sent our three teenagers to the woods with 5-gallon pails to sling seed wherever they could by hand. They eventually got it done with minimal griping. But to do it over again, I would try to spread the seed just ahead of the logging when there's less slash to deal with on the ground and so that the logging disturbance can help to incorporate the seed.</p> Seeding the intended silvopas…tag:silvopasture.ning.com,2016-02-27:6457695:Comment:131012016-02-27T21:29:20.308ZMaryanne Reynoldshttp://silvopasture.ning.com/profile/MaryanneReynolds
<p>Seeding the intended silvopasture area is an issue for us. I'd be interested to hear how Ross does his seeding. </p>
<p>Recently, NRCS piloted an Aerial Cover Crop practice. This news made me wonder whether aerial seeding could be an option for silvopasture projects (forest to silvopasture)??? It is probably cost prohibitive for my farm on its own, but might it be a viable option if multiple farms in proximity joined forces??? Just a thought. </p>
<p>Seeding the intended silvopasture area is an issue for us. I'd be interested to hear how Ross does his seeding. </p>
<p>Recently, NRCS piloted an Aerial Cover Crop practice. This news made me wonder whether aerial seeding could be an option for silvopasture projects (forest to silvopasture)??? It is probably cost prohibitive for my farm on its own, but might it be a viable option if multiple farms in proximity joined forces??? Just a thought. </p> Is Ross seeding anything on t…tag:silvopasture.ning.com,2015-10-28:6457695:Comment:121692015-10-28T18:02:07.719ZBrett Chedzoyhttp://silvopasture.ning.com/profile/BrettChedzoy
<p>Is Ross seeding anything on the bare ground, or just letting nature take its course? We spread about a ton of winter wheat in late-August on the sites that were logged on our farm in June and July. It looks like it took pretty well on the areas where the soil was still "fluffy" enough, despite not much rain until late September. We're hoping that it'll provide enough green and edible "stuff" for the cows to eat next spring to draw them into the slash and help prime the understory…</p>
<p>Is Ross seeding anything on the bare ground, or just letting nature take its course? We spread about a ton of winter wheat in late-August on the sites that were logged on our farm in June and July. It looks like it took pretty well on the areas where the soil was still "fluffy" enough, despite not much rain until late September. We're hoping that it'll provide enough green and edible "stuff" for the cows to eat next spring to draw them into the slash and help prime the understory transition process. </p>