Berkshire Duroc cross pigs
I bought some pigs from an Amish fellow a few weeks ago. I’ve been wanting to start a small pig enterprise for some time and it’s now a reality. I’m very excited! I am raising them as outdoor pigs with a deep bedded system to stay warm indoors during the cold fall and winter nights. […]
Oats and radish
We seeded 3 lbs/ac oats and radish early September and have had optimal weather conditions since then for germination and growth. The radishes are having a slower time but if the temperature sees 60 degrees this month, they will really grow fast.
Our first official cover crop
This late August we flew on our first cover crop into standing corn. We seeded cereal rye. Here’s a shot of the nice green blanket it created. We’ve had optimal weather for germination and growth.
Oat Harvest 2014 part deux
After cutting the oat stems near the tops of the alfalfa plants we waited a few days for them to dry out. Unfortunately, the weather has been uncooperative: Humid, cloudy, and hazy. With oats, what I’m learning is that they are quite delicate. They are sensitive to weather, that is why small grains aren’t so […]
Sustainable Ag Institute and Norman Borlaug Heritage Foundation
I went to an event in Cresco yesterday to see Dave Brandt, an Ohio farmer who has fully succeeded using cover crops and very little inputs on his 1500 acre farm. Also heard Blake Vince from Ontario Canada who had a similar philosophy on the brown revolution. It just reaffirmed my own beliefs and values […]
A PFI Listserve comment
This guy is so right on. I just had to post it and share with you his opinion on the topic of why cattle herds are slowly disappearing and the monoculture is gaining ground, literally. “The researchers have followed the industry and stopped looking at livestock as an investment to build wealth. Poultry and pork […]