I recently became fully responsible for my family farm after the death of my dad in August. I have been exploring regenerative farming practices and appreciate your videos. My dad was a great farmer, but I'm very interested in finding more cost-effective and efficient ways of doing things while still honoring the legacy he worked so hard to build.
Josh, you sure articulate well the science of Regenerative agriculture. I would like to see the condition of the soil ten years from now. You are doing a great work!
I'll tell you Josh your farm looks so great from what it was when I started watching this channel I've been doing the things that u teach others to do on my property and its been great my lawn has never looked as good as it does now thanks Josh for all you teach can't wait to come learn on your farm and get my hands dirty
Very interesting video I worked on my great uncle's farm as a teenager (many years ago now ) He had about 20 head of cattle each year Grew acres of hay which we cut and put up in the barn every September but cattle were rotated from field to field all summer He farmed about 100 acres so there was plenty of spaces for the cattle to graze for the whole growing season To my recollection never planted any 'crops' to harvest but he may have When we did haying we filled the top of the barn as full as possible This gave the cattle insulation and feed for the winter months when they were in the stable 24/7 He or we milked the cows twice a day all year long and sold what he did not use himself He was never as far as I know a rich man but he owned his farm Sent his son to College and still was able to sell the farm buy a house in the city close to him paid cash and managed live the rest of his life not ever having owed a penny to anyone This is all an old fella's rambling in order to say sometimes the old ways are better than what we have today What you said makes a whole lot of sense Keep the video's coming
Brother you are not only doing what you love but giving back to everyone with awesome and engaging educational content! God bless you for all your doing!!
Thanks for the video! Just read Dirt To Soil by Gabe Brown which compliments your video nicely. Last May we purchased an abandoned 48 acre farm and have plans on bringing it back with regenerative agriculture. We currently have 5 cows which are bred for the spring the spring along with several goats, bred also. I'm soaking up as much I can - keep the videos like this coming!
Thank you so much for this explanation! I grew up on a small beef farm back in the late 60's-mid 80's. I'm learning so much from farmers like yourself on UA-cam. Seriously, thank you. Makes me look at my 2 acre yard totally different.
I REALLY do admire what you are doing... I am a generation older than you, and grew up mainly on western ranches, but on farms too... I am among the last of the cowboys to sit a horse and ride herd. The last to go up to drag em down out off the range to winter in the bottoms... I have spent a good portion of my time where Big Ag has never gone, and could never go. And how that wild land responds to those cattle has always been an amazement compared to the feedlots and small operations that are running too heavy on the land and making it up with chemicals. You're really on to something here. Not something new... but rather something very old - Something that was there before agribusiness became corporate. And it is a sight to see.
Yes , going back to the ways farming was done before the big agrigo companies & chemical fertilizer, fungicide & weed killers were invented & used. Going back to organic when everything was organic, there wasn't any other way. Going back to the natural old ways. Many knew what worked. They just didn't know the science of why like we are now learning about in recent years
Josh, I applaud your attitude! I grew up in the "Get big or get out" mindset of the 60s and 70s, and no one thought of the way the soil was formed, because, if you needed a boost for crops, just add fertilizer! Glad to see you follow the "Joel Salitin method" of mob stocking, since that was the way the prairie grasslands of the great plains were formed, thanks to millions of buffalo over eons! Having discovered you, Mike Morgan and others here, I'm glad that I'm not the only one that feels to get back to a more natural way of farming! Farming is hard, but there is a certain type of enjoyment from it that can't be matched any other way! Good luck with your adventure, and keep on farmin!.......Whooo!
Recently I setup a hydroponic fodder system to try to help save our lands regenerative farming techniques are a must do for our earth’s sake ! Great video keep em coming @stoneyridgefarmer!
Hi Josh, that was a great explanation and I agree with everything your doing to heal the land! Your methods really make sense (we only have 1 planet to work with) Your cows look very healthy and happy! I love watching them follow you around the pasture as you talk to us and show us how curious they are! Love your vids, really enjoy watching your variety of tasks and listening to your commentary, you are a natural in front of the camera!
Josh, Working on a vegetable farm in my youth, you are absolutely right about allowing the soil to regenerate without tilling/disking. Keep up the mission! Allan Savory and the Savory Institute first turned me on to regenerative farming. Who would have thought that cattle are so important to preserving/improving the soil.
Great episode. Thanks for sharing your perspective on regenerative ranching - totally agree with the approach, the common sense, the real science that confirms it, and most of all the results.
This is awesome! Glad to see a Regenerative Farmer! Have you ever heard of putting wood ash on your pasture? I guess it promotes grass growth. I've never tried it. But I might try it this year.
I love the organic regenerative land recovery, I will be watching you guys grow your farm and recover the nutrition to the plants. Great information bud
Josh this is my 2nd time to watch this video. I watched it before probably when you posted it or soon after. This time I realized how educational it is, I Probabaly thought so then, but it really hit me this time. I love your videos & what you bring to educating others about farming. Keep up the good work. Love those cows!
Awesome information and congratulations on the weight loss! This is probably my favorite video you have put out yet sir. Working on building soil that is very clay rich, on the side of a hill and spongy. This is year three and we finally got chickens to help, plus a good pile of compost for this year. Going to expand our flock of 13 layers to start raising meat chickens a this year (job permitting) and eventually get into a small herd of goats for land maintenance, meat and milk.
CONGRATS DAVE.... suggestion if you don't mind; MAKE SURE YOU WATCH THE VIDEOS ON UA-cam OF THE REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE EXPERT MR. GABE BROWN!!! Incredible farmer from N. Dakota and turned many catastrophes into a profitable farm-ranch! He now consults to farm owners with OVER 22 MILLION ACRES IN AMERICA!!! Watch his videos ASAP and contact his organization for tips, advice etc Amen Retired, Veteran
Save soil, toil and oil. Back in my photo journalistic days I was working as an assistant for a national news magazine in the 90s and we did a story on the newest No-Till revolution and controversy. Spent months on several different farms, some going no-till since the 1940s. Gotta tell you what a difference in soil composition and made me a believer! Faulkner was right in The Plowman's Folly that plowing helped build dustbowl conditions and destroyed topsoil with depletion and erosion. Loved the vlog Josh. Wooooo!
There is a great book for Australian based situations called "Call of the Reed Warbler" which is based on re-gen farming where the Reed Warbler had not been seen for decades because it was poorly managed and after some re-gen farming it finally returned to the area.
AND DON'T FORGET TO WATCH THE UA-cam VIDEOS OF THE EXPERT IN REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE FROM GABE BROWN! HE CONSULTS TO FARM OWNERS FOR OVER 22 MILLION ACRES IN AMERICA... A TRUE GENIUS AND "DOWN TO EARTH" TYPE OF GUY.... you'll love him! His principles work anywhere in the world... and he's traveled the world giving advice. Contact his organizations for help, tips etc. Amen Retired, Veteran
Josh, man that was most informative, yep I heard every word. One more thing, you are so right, over graze that grass, the grass blade goes away and the roots have little nourishment, little exposure to the sun to make chlorophyll, the plant will turn brown and either grow sickly or perish. There goes the pasture. Good video.
We are doing regenerative farming as well but with sheep and chickens. The question always seems to be this - how do you plant your seasonal grasses (example- rye in the fall ) if your pasture is high and the seeds cannot get sunlight to germinate? How do you put down a summer cover crop of annuals if you have a high grass that you are not grazing low enough for the light to get in and allow for germination? Most would say spray and kill like many hunters do for food plots in the fall, but that is not an option for us. Even with a drill planter, you still need enough room for the new seedlings to grown and not be smothered. What methods do you use to combat this?
The pasture’s look great rolling the hay out like that and spreading the black gold is definitely doing what you predicted. I am looking at investing in 50 acres to start my own farm. As soon as I can talk the wife into it.
Mark Shepherd has written a great book called Restoration Agriculture. It is highly informative for anyone looking to learn more. Gabe Brown has done many UA-cam videos on the topic as well. This is a fascinating topic. Keep up the good work. We can save our farmlands and our environment with these methodologies.
You and farmers like you are the future! I live in the suburbs and have a regenerative garden. just the fact that our food in not as nutrient rich as it was in the past should be a wake up call for society.
When you have time we would love to see side by side in depth comparison and best uses for etc between T25, T394, T474… Seen many videos over each on their own. To see them side by side fully explained would help me and very sore others decide which model is right for them. Thanks in advance
Well, I can tell right off you are a great student of Joel Salatin and Greg Judy! I am a fan of them too. I agree 100% with regenerative farming and that's what I'm putting together on our farm. Josh, I think most of the naysayers are the folks who do raise corn, soybeans and other grain crops. These guys have a bunch of money in tillage equipment and my gosh, a combine is about a quarter million bucks! Monster tractors and having several hundred acres how would you possibly do regenerative farming there? I'd like to know that myself. I had a father-in-law in Southern Illinois who farmed 1000 acres of corn soybeans and milo. Every year the same, borrow money from the bank buy tanks of chemicals buy gmo hybrid seed and they were no till drilling last I heard. However, the seed was Round up ready! Then from where I grew up tobacco was king. I am not a fan of anything to do with tobacco. I lost my dad and a sister to lung cancer. Both smoked heavy. We had tobacco when I was a kid. I never saw the use in growing things you can't eat. But these old farmers would darn near fight about it. 'Bacca money paid for this truck boy! Good grief. Well, I leave with this, keep on preaching it man. You got a serious following. Pretty good entertainment too! God bless and take care.
Gabe Brown is an expert on regenerative farming. It is an eyeopening experience to watch his videos. His organization Understanding Ag is a great educational organization that teaches & helps farmers/ranchers to change how they farm. He goes all over the world teaching & gives seminars on regenerative farming practices & how they can change the environment, & be more profitable for the farmer. But Big Agriculture. & governments are fighting against this movement. Watch his videos & others you will be led to in the process if you want a real education in how regenerative farming works!
Awesome video again at Stoney Ridge Farm. Love what Joel Salatin of Polyface farm, and Jamie Elizondo of Real Wealth Ranching and what you're doing ...God Bless!
My Dad was a gardner and in the little town we lived in the city use to go around and use its sweeper trucks to go on certain roads and sweep up the leaves that would fall and cover drainage. My Dad found out that they use to just dump the leaves in a big mulch pile outside of town. They were happy to let my Dad get a truck bed of it and spread all over his garden and till it in. That garden would grow like no other and the soil was so soft
Hey Josh thank you for the video I enjoyed it and I'm happy that you do make videos like this because I really do enjoy them specially when you explained things like you did todaythat was very detailed what I was looking for so I did learn some more things from you today that way when the time does come for me to purchase my landI can always go back and watch your videos and do it the way that you do it there to woo😁😁
I have never read anything about regenerative soil farming. I think everything you have explained is logical and factual. It's on the basis of crop rotation and not burning out all the nitrogen and nutrients in the soil. But your method uses the natural resources of the animals and manages those steps throughout the seasons. A very interesting topic.
Most "consensus science" believers haven't been interested in learning more than the fart -- the methane gas that cows, sheep are contributing to "global warming". They might be surprised that implementing a grazing program, might actual be "saving the planet"; that by maximizing photosynthesis, that energy from the Sun is converting carbon INTO the soil rather than heating up the atmosphere.
I think a “sit down” type discussion with a “conventional” farmer would be a great idea. See the pros and cons of both systems and almost work out how to make regeneratIve farming more accessible/cost effective.
yep....I see it for sure. I talk to alot of hay farmers around here....who spend spend spend every season...driving up the cost of hay and simply hay sits in the fields. It's very tough to eek out a living as a row crop farmer...and I understand why they use fertilizers. Cheap food comes at a cost...the cost is environmental destruction in some cases
Good work Josh! I'm not sure if I missed it however, part of the complications growing crops is the removal of micronutrients because of the lack of rotation of crops. So only one particular crop Robs the nutrients. From the soil. What do you think about the farmers who spread their manure around? I'm sure it would be a liability but it would be more natural versus manufactured chemicals.
That was a great video!! Greg Judy also has mob-rotating videos that people may be interested in. Funny that I don’t raise cows, but I could watch them all day! Your cows look healthy and strong! Thanks for sharing!
yep...me and greg are good friends as well as others like Joel Salatin....I'm taking what everyone else is doing and putting my twist on it...testing different pastures
Missouri in some areas isn’t that great. My farm has been overgrazed for many of years. It has taken me 4 years to fix some of my problems. Now I have to start ripping and moving chickens and turkeys throw out my pastures. Having hills and rocky soil like clay is hard.
Ma Nature has had a LONG time to discover what works and what doesn't. I believe that Regenerative Farming is the future of Agriculture in this country. In the long run it will be better for the land, the animals on the land, and the people that consume the animals.
Great narration on regenerative farming. Do you make a plan for your paddock moving, if so how many days on average does your cattle stay in your paddocks? I am guessing that, like my paddocks on my farm are all not the same size. So I understand the unit number plays into your rotation of the paddocks and size on how long the cattle stay in the paddock. I sat down over winter, on one of the colder days and put together a plan for my paddocks. I reached 210 days in western PA last year so I am hoping to add on another 30 days this year. Of course weather will play into reaching that goal. I was curious, did you do a soil test on your pastures. I apologize if you did a video on soil testing, I didn't see it. I agree with you about keeping the ground alive, topside and underside. Thanks for sharing, farmer rod
once the full water system is in place I'll move the cattle daily to a different paddock..the goal is 24 hours on each acre...maybe even move them twice a day eventually as I get the grazing operation up and running efficiently
I couldn’t stop listening to you talk about your operation cycles. I couldn’t help think of living web farms channel on pasture management as well as Joel Salatin and his rotation grazing systems that naturally breaks parasite cycles and keeps grasses growing at their fastest to best maximize the spaceand running poultry in after the cows… numerals others as well…my wife and I recently bought 4 acres of tropical rainforest ag land that used to be sugar cane fields…by Hawaii volcanoes national park. We are thinking of how we are going to be self sufficient on the land but also how to develop it to back to a healthy future It will be a huge change from southwestern pa but I know the process is the same.🍄😃🌈🤙
Enjoy your content. I have learned a lot. In this segment, you mentioned dragging your fields to spread manure. I watched a short video last year that featured Dr. Alan Williams. He was teaching on healthy soil. He mentioned that having a thick thatch of dried grass is very beneficial. It keeps the soil cool plus retains moisture. Dragging reduces thatch. I looked for the video but couldn't find. Something to think about.
Stoney Ridge is at the early stages of the Regenerative process. I am not a farmer, but I think he drags the fields after laying down hay and manure to better bed the seed. Gets the seed down closer to the ground and lightly disturbs the soil to give the seed better chances for germination. I could be wrong.
Have no thatch here my brotha....however....let's think about this...dragging the pastures spreads the manure...creating a bed of nutrients on the land....if I'm dragging over thatch....the bed of carbon is still there...it's just spread more evenly on the land
Don’t know if you’re aware of a similar operation in Yanceyville, NC, Baldwin Family Farms. They raise Charolais cattle and also have a huge chicken operation with which they fertilize their fields. Plus, there is a Bison ranch in Yanceyville whose bull is around 2200 lbs. Just thought you might be interested Your engraving neighbor in Eden
Lots of respect for what you are doing. Rebuilding soil won't happen overnight. It takes time. I follow another UA-cam... "Just a Few Acres" who raises 30 Dexter cattle on 45 acres, including his wood lot. I got interested by watching him take back the farm from a conventional farmer who had depleted the soil. Now he mob grazes and cuts most of his own hay for the winter feeding. Nice guy. Are you aware of him? You two should meet up. It would be a great video.
Hi Josh! Love your channel. It is informative and inspirational. I recently acquired a small 10 acre piece of land. The previous owner apparently used heavy equipment on the land while it was wet and caused lots of ruts. What do you suggest as the best way to remedy this situation? I am trying to prepare the land for a small number of cattle to start. Would appreciate some advice. Thank you!
SRF, you are nailing it! It is very much about the "Soil Biome" stimulated by root exudates energized by photosynthesis and the messaging from the plant as to what it needs. The vast fungal "network" not only sequesters carbon, but serves as the conduit for which the various microbes can make "unavailable" N, P, K and a host of locked-up minerals available to the plant. Even on your farm now supporting a living soil, were you to conventionally apply fertilizer -- sure the plants will slurp it up and be "happy". However, they will not produce those messages of need in their exudates and those nodules you referenced diminish. That is a sign that the Biome is no longer converting free diatomic Nitrogen (the millions of pounds of triple bonded N2 above every acre on the planet) let alone converting other elements into plant available form. I highly recommend searching webinars by Dr. Christine Jones if interested in learning more about the intricacies of the soil biome. I also recommend Dale Strickler's Books, "Restoring Your Soil" and/or "Managing Pasture". In addition to soil and ag science, he connects a decent number of the dots for those also interested in how "modern" farming practices formed history and influences a global environment.
great video Mate Really well explained Just starting out trying to recoup decent soil on a small property the has all the top soil ripped out .. Will definately be putting your thoughts into practice. All the best from the Victorian High County of Australia
I have to believe that rotation of land use is the best answer. Something like crop, animal, plant (nitrogen inducing like clover), rest, crop and so on…. Cannot focus on yield
Gardner Scott & I AM ORGANIC GARDENING are both very good channels on growing plants/gardening. Both have many years of experience in gardening. Both have experience in in ground & raised bed gardening. I don't know if what they teach is classified as regenerative farming, but it certainly is compatible in my opinion. I have been following both for a few years now & found their information helpful they led me to following regenerative farming videos.
Hello from VA. Love your content and enjoy learning from you. Are you at some point going to offer any type of classes at your place about framing. If so I would be very interested in attending. Have a great rest of your day.
Thanks for your education on regenerative agriculture. It's hard to imagine someone would put $20,000 onto a 15-acre block. But know it happens. Someone who, like Greg Judy says, "Has a big town job income".
$20k is a hiccup in the breeze my friend...it costs time and money to build up an old worn out piece of property. Probably have spend over $1000 per acre in improvements over this 150 acre farm...but we're getting where we need to be
Any field that has underbrush as dead and dry as that area shown during your video appeared to be would be equally at risk of fire. Especially this time of year when grasses/bushes/tree branches dry up in a winter dormant state.
I haven’t seen all your recent videos, but wood chips are a good waste product you can get for free. I’m not sure the best way for you to utilize it or how much it would block sunlight or if it would be worth it to spread a thin layer occasionally and store it in a huge pile but it has a bunch of uses some people put copper tubing on the ground and make a hot water heater out of the heat the microbes create. I don’t mean to run on and on but I’m a believer
The fastest way, maybe in just a year or 2 of completely broken land can be done for minimal cost and effort and even faster that animals alone is from a company called Advanced Eco Agriculture, they have many youtube videos. Mainly by adding sugars and, microbes and enzymes to start with. Combined with animals would be awesome. Very good compilation Stoney, you speak so well I can listen to you at 2x speed.
lol...love the 2x speed....now remember....I'm not selling ya anything here other than an alternative way to build your soil....save money and get it done right! So far it's working and takes no more infrastructure, money or time
sometimes you need to hit it with soil amendments to get yourself a kick start...especially if you don't have top soil. 10 acres should be easy to rehab..if you're not overgrazing
Thanks for education that’s awesome. I hope to get a few acres in the next 1.5-2 years. I want to eat my own beef I want to know where my meat comes from. Very informative thanks
Hey Josh, love the whole regenerative farming approach. I have a small 5 acre plot of land that is riddled with paspalum how would you deal with this weed please? I very much enjoy all the info you offer, thank you mate it all helps!
it's my experience that correcting the Ph and planting fescue will eventually push out Paspalum...I have some on the farm...the trick is to mow it before it goes to seed...sometimes it's necessary to do a "kill spray" to get rid of it...however if you graze it before the seeds come out you don't have to worry much about it's "stagger" affects on cattle in my experience
I am just speaking now about the grain farm side, but it is alot more complicated than that. Our farm and most all the rest near by went to no till years ago. That however has brought up other issues. The run off from the field now is clogging water ways streams etc. I agree that the days of moldboard plows has been hard on the ground but two of the last 5 years we had to take a track hoe and clean out ditches and around the bridge in the field. This is causing a worsening flood issue. Before some it's asked we bush hog off etc. to try to minimize.
@@StoneyRidgeFarmer not exactly. The normal rains in the spring are now not able to flow off because of all the left of over chunks of corn stalks etc. The water ways become clogged causing the water to rip through the middle of the fields. We have new swells that are 10 to 20' and 6' deep where the soil is removed. Then we have to hire a track hoe to clean out the ditches and near by creeks. I agree with your methodology for cattle farm but grain farming has different issues with build up of the waste.
Have you ever tried planting native grass species like switchgrass, big and little bluestem and Indian grass the root system will go down 10 feet or more breaking up the clay without tilling and lmproving drainage. That's what happened during the dust bowl all the farmers plowed under the native grass that had held the topsoil in place and built up the incredible fertility it had become. Just a thought
Do you know anyone who does this with horses? I have four horses on 6.5 acres and would love to know what to do to keep their pasture growing and not have to put commercial fertilizer on it. Is turkey or hog manure from those barns better?
I don't ...I'd venture to say you could do it with horses...however they are not producing any product other than manure.....but rotationally grazing your horses is a great start
Just purchased 50 acres of high desert propery in Eastern Oregon, ancient lake bed. For regenerative farming. Lots of alfalfa farmers around but are conventional. I'm thinking of goats a d pigs to start letting them do clear and cultivate. Am I heading g in the right direction?
if you're expecting the goats and pigs to clear the land for ya...well get ready to chase your animals lol. My suggestion is get good fences first..then go for it...you'll see progress I'm sure. Good fences are a must...as for clearing and cultivating...heck give it a try
I live in Vegas and am dealing with plain gravel and silt for my "soil" been putting chickens and ducks on the grass areas for years and tried doing the digging to get the ground loosened up for plants. It is IMPOSSIBLE. But when I finally got a hold of a tree trimming company and told them they could dump their chippings on my property and then I dumped the mulch in my bird pens, I noticed the ground was much softer. So instead of digging down, I think it is best to build up. Just pile more vegetable matter on the manure the animals provide and let the bugs process everything into fertile top soil. Plus it takes too much labor to till the soil for it to be worth it anyways. I have a suburban microfarm so getting huge farming equipment just isn't cost effective and thus everything is done by throwing my back out.
@@StoneyRidgeFarmer It takes water for sure. But my damn well goes out on me almost every year. Can you believe it broke down last year just before I was admitted to the hospital for COVID? But luckily I had filled up over 20 50 gallon drums with water ahead of time. Which remind me that I need to get on that again. It is almost a year later. Dang pumps don't last long as the water here is so hard and we have underground volcanic activity (hence why the road Warm Springs exists) and the caustic waters really ruin the submersible pumps. I doubt they are stainless steel, as the companies claim, but I'm not about to spend more than $300 at a pop for a pump that won't last over years. We have a 200' well with water level at around 150-130' below the surface.
I encourage everyone to check out Gabe Brown, he is perhaps the most famous regenerative agriculture expert in the country. He goes into depth about all these topics that Josh is talking about. Another person to check out is Ray Archuleta, another expert on this topic. Conventional Ag is destroying our soil and eventually there will be no top soil left. Hopefully with fertilizer prices the way they are maybe some people will look into better practices.
Josh I have been following SRF for a long time and have enjoyed your videos and the development of your farm. But you are sending two messages in this video. Yes we need to take care of our land and keep and protect our soil. I too raise cattle and follow a lot of the same farm management that you do. But not like you I raise and cut/bale hay for my cattle for winter feed along with their cubes or liquid feed. Now as a hay grower I have to use fertilizer on my fields to produce the high protein value in my hay that my cattle needs to get through our winters. I do graze my cattle on my hay fields during the winter months and take advantage of that “butt fertilizer” that you do. I have try raising hay with only But I want you to stop and think? Without those hay bail that I bet have been fertilized to keep their nutrition value high for the winter months, your cattle, my cattle would be skin and bones in spring. Farming is a balance of nature. Both methods work but sometimes we have to reach out to the left to keep the right balanced. Again I have really enjoy your channel.
totally get what you are saying brotha...now I want you to consider what you are doing in a mathematical and environmentally sound way. You and I both know that it costs money to raise hay and high quality forage....I'm not sure how many head of cattle you are running....but I'd like you to consider the financials (time included) in baling your own hay. From equipment, maintenance, fertilizer, lime, hauling, storage and time. Is your net cost zero v/s buying your hay? We most certainly can't rob hay or any other crop from our land without putting something back...you and I both see this....as we hit the land with lime in spring and fall and fertilize in the spring....ya see that hay jump up on the land and grow...but it's short lived. Is there a way to transition your property by buying hay from a grower...and building your soil with it so that you have higher quality forage throughout the growing season and into the dormant season? My math figures dictated that I buy my hay and roll it out...I have horrible soils on the farm for sure...your math may work out differently. I love cutting and baling hay! Love it!! But financially and enviromentally it makes more sense for me to buy it. No machines, no tires, no engines, belts, chains, storage, maintenance, fertilizer, lime......just buy it. Bring it to the farm and let the cows do the work...less diesel fuel burned....better soil and fat/happy cows. I don't have to spend 200 hours a year fooling with hay...just 1/2 hour per day for 80-90 days in the winter. I agree with ya...to make hay ya gotta put down fertilizer....but do the math and figure up how much you are saving....I'll bet you start looking for someone to buy your hay from soon. Please don't get me wrong....I know exactly what you are saying....I did it...and then moved onward and upward to building my soil. Hundreds of thousands of lbs of biomass coming to the farm every year! My soil has gone from dirt...to black rich soil! Takes time...but I think it's the right way
@@StoneyRidgeFarmer I guess this one we will have to agree to disagree. 🤣. I own all my equipment and bail only what I need for my cattle and and close neighbors. At most 4 days cutting and bailing per year with 3 hours to fertilize including driving to the plant and back. I only bail what my tractor can pick up and move. I’ve done my time picking up squares and putting them into the hay room. Now I pay someone to do that. Every year I send soul samples to Texas A & M for analysis. They keeps my soil balanced as needed. Again I love your channel and have been follow you for along time. We just farm alittle different on our first generation farm. I too started with wooded property with no fencing 29 years with almost 6000 stumps ground to make two nice hay fields. It’s hard work but you are doing an excellent job show people what it take to make something out of raw land. God bless.
Hello Stoney Ridge Farmer. Thanks for all you do. I recently got my small 13 acre ranch and trying to emulate you. Please keep it up.
I recently became fully responsible for my family farm after the death of my dad in August. I have been exploring regenerative farming practices and appreciate your videos. My dad was a great farmer, but I'm very interested in finding more cost-effective and efficient ways of doing things while still honoring the legacy he worked so hard to build.
Josh, you sure articulate well the science of Regenerative agriculture. I would like to see the condition of the soil ten years from now. You are doing a great work!
I'll tell you Josh your farm looks so great from what it was when I started watching this channel I've been doing the things that u teach others to do on my property and its been great my lawn has never looked as good as it does now thanks Josh for all you teach can't wait to come learn on your farm and get my hands dirty
Very interesting video I worked on my great uncle's farm as a teenager (many years ago now ) He had about 20 head of cattle each year Grew acres of hay which we cut and put up in the barn every September but cattle were rotated from field to field all summer He farmed about 100 acres so there was plenty of spaces for the cattle to graze for the whole growing season To my recollection never planted any 'crops' to harvest but he may have When we did haying we filled the top of the barn as full as possible This gave the cattle insulation and feed for the winter months when they were in the stable 24/7 He or we milked the cows twice a day all year long and sold what he did not use himself He was never as far as I know a rich man but he owned his farm Sent his son to College and still was able to sell the farm buy a house in the city close to him paid cash and managed live the rest of his life not ever having owed a penny to anyone This is all an old fella's rambling in order to say sometimes the old ways are better than what we have today What you said makes a whole lot of sense Keep the video's coming
Josh I enjoy ur videos they are kinda relaxing to me.. I've been around the farm for 73 years now and I learn something new all the time..
Brother you are not only doing what you love but giving back to everyone with awesome and engaging educational content! God bless you for all your doing!!
Thanks for the video! Just read Dirt To Soil by Gabe Brown which compliments your video nicely. Last May we purchased an abandoned 48 acre farm and have plans on bringing it back with regenerative agriculture. We currently have 5 cows which are bred for the spring the spring along with several goats, bred also. I'm soaking up as much I can - keep the videos like this coming!
Great stuff Josh, glad you are helping get this out there as it's the only way forward.
Keep up the good work mate.
Thank you so much for this explanation! I grew up on a small beef farm back in the late 60's-mid 80's. I'm learning so much from farmers like yourself on UA-cam. Seriously, thank you. Makes me look at my 2 acre yard totally different.
Hello Jane
I REALLY do admire what you are doing... I am a generation older than you, and grew up mainly on western ranches, but on farms too... I am among the last of the cowboys to sit a horse and ride herd. The last to go up to drag em down out off the range to winter in the bottoms... I have spent a good portion of my time where Big Ag has never gone, and could never go. And how that wild land responds to those cattle has always been an amazement compared to the feedlots and small operations that are running too heavy on the land and making it up with chemicals. You're really on to something here. Not something new... but rather something very old - Something that was there before agribusiness became corporate. And it is a sight to see.
Yes , going back to the ways farming was done before the big agrigo companies & chemical fertilizer, fungicide & weed killers were invented & used. Going back to organic when everything was organic, there wasn't any other way. Going back to the natural old ways. Many knew what worked. They just didn't know the science of why like we are now learning about in recent years
How does the wild land respond after cattle have been there and moved on??
Very interesting to thing things. So much to learn from it?
Amen!
Josh, I applaud your attitude!
I grew up in the "Get big or get out" mindset of the 60s and 70s, and no one thought of the way the soil was formed, because, if you needed a boost for crops, just add fertilizer!
Glad to see you follow the "Joel Salitin method" of mob stocking, since that was the way the prairie grasslands of the great plains were formed, thanks to millions of buffalo over eons!
Having discovered you, Mike Morgan and others here, I'm glad that I'm not the only one that feels to get back to a more natural way of farming! Farming is hard, but there is a certain type of enjoyment from it that can't be matched any other way!
Good luck with your adventure, and keep on farmin!.......Whooo!
Recently I setup a hydroponic fodder system to try to help save our lands regenerative farming techniques are a must do for our earth’s sake ! Great video keep em coming @stoneyridgefarmer!
Hi Josh, that was a great explanation and I agree with everything your doing to heal the land! Your methods really make sense (we only have 1 planet to work with)
Your cows look very healthy and happy! I love watching them follow you around the pasture as you talk to us and show us how curious they are!
Love your vids, really enjoy watching your variety of tasks and listening to your commentary, you are a natural in front of the camera!
Josh, Working on a vegetable farm in my youth, you are absolutely right about allowing the soil to regenerate without tilling/disking. Keep up the mission! Allan Savory and the Savory Institute first turned me on to regenerative farming. Who would have thought that cattle are so important to preserving/improving the soil.
Great episode. Thanks for sharing your perspective on regenerative ranching - totally agree with the approach, the common sense, the real science that confirms it, and most of all the results.
This is awesome! Glad to see a Regenerative Farmer! Have you ever heard of putting wood ash on your pasture? I guess it promotes grass growth. I've never tried it. But I might try it this year.
I love the organic regenerative land recovery, I will be watching you guys grow your farm and recover the nutrition to the plants. Great information bud
Josh this is my 2nd time to watch this video. I watched it before probably when you posted it or soon after. This time I realized how educational it is, I Probabaly thought so then, but it really hit me this time.
I love your videos & what you bring to educating others about farming. Keep up the good work. Love those cows!
awesome! Good to hear!
Awesome information and congratulations on the weight loss! This is probably my favorite video you have put out yet sir.
Working on building soil that is very clay rich, on the side of a hill and spongy. This is year three and we finally got chickens to help, plus a good pile of compost for this year. Going to expand our flock of 13 layers to start raising meat chickens a this year (job permitting) and eventually get into a small herd of goats for land maintenance, meat and milk.
CONGRATS DAVE.... suggestion if you don't mind; MAKE SURE YOU WATCH THE VIDEOS ON UA-cam OF THE REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE EXPERT MR. GABE BROWN!!!
Incredible farmer from N. Dakota and turned many catastrophes into a profitable farm-ranch!
He now consults to farm owners with OVER 22 MILLION ACRES IN AMERICA!!!
Watch his videos ASAP and contact his organization for tips, advice etc
Amen
Retired, Veteran
Keep going Josh.. I’m doing the same thing when I retire.. I’ve gotten a ton of info and inspiration from watching your videos!
Save soil, toil and oil.
Back in my photo journalistic days I was working as an assistant for a national news magazine in the 90s and we did a story on the newest No-Till revolution and controversy. Spent months on several different farms, some going no-till since the 1940s. Gotta tell you what a difference in soil composition and made me a believer! Faulkner was right in The Plowman's Folly that plowing helped build dustbowl conditions and destroyed topsoil with depletion and erosion. Loved the vlog Josh. Wooooo!
There is a great book for Australian based situations called "Call of the Reed Warbler" which is based on re-gen farming where the Reed Warbler had not been seen for decades because it was poorly managed and after some re-gen farming it finally returned to the area.
Wonderful to hear the warbler returned! Totally believe in regenerative farming!🦋
Yes. That book inspired me also. Watching this I was wondering if Josh had read this book as he was intune with it. Hi from Australia.
AND DON'T FORGET TO WATCH THE UA-cam VIDEOS OF THE EXPERT IN REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE FROM GABE BROWN!
HE CONSULTS TO FARM OWNERS FOR OVER 22 MILLION ACRES IN AMERICA... A TRUE GENIUS AND "DOWN TO EARTH" TYPE OF GUY.... you'll love him!
His principles work anywhere in the world... and he's traveled the world giving advice.
Contact his organizations for help, tips etc.
Amen
Retired, Veteran
Josh, man that was most informative, yep I heard every word. One more thing, you are so right, over graze that grass, the grass blade goes away and the roots have little nourishment, little exposure to the sun to make chlorophyll, the plant will turn brown and either grow sickly or perish. There goes the pasture. Good video.
We are doing regenerative farming as well but with sheep and chickens. The question always seems to be this - how do you plant your seasonal grasses (example- rye in the fall ) if your pasture is high and the seeds cannot get sunlight to germinate? How do you put down a summer cover crop of annuals if you have a high grass that you are not grazing low enough for the light to get in and allow for germination? Most would say spray and kill like many hunters do for food plots in the fall, but that is not an option for us. Even with a drill planter, you still need enough room for the new seedlings to grown and not be smothered. What methods do you use to combat this?
The pasture’s look great rolling the hay out like that and spreading the black gold is definitely doing what you predicted. I am looking at investing in 50 acres to start my own farm. As soon as I can talk the wife into it.
Mark Shepherd has written a great book called Restoration Agriculture. It is highly informative for anyone looking to learn more. Gabe Brown has done many UA-cam videos on the topic as well. This is a fascinating topic. Keep up the good work. We can save our farmlands and our environment with these methodologies.
Josh I really appreciate the good information you just put out on this video. God bless you my friend and as always amen
You and farmers like you are the future! I live in the suburbs and have a regenerative garden. just the fact that our food in not as nutrient rich as it was in the past should be a wake up call for society.
amen! What we are getting in the grocery store is cardboard chemical garbage!!
When you have time we would love to see side by side in depth comparison and best uses for etc between T25, T394, T474…
Seen many videos over each on their own. To see them side by side fully explained would help me and very sore others decide which model is right for them.
Thanks in advance
Well, I can tell right off you are a great student of Joel Salatin and Greg Judy! I am a fan of them too. I agree 100% with regenerative farming and that's what I'm putting together on our farm. Josh, I think most of the naysayers are the folks who do raise corn, soybeans and other grain crops. These guys have a bunch of money in tillage equipment and my gosh, a combine is about a quarter million bucks! Monster tractors and having several hundred acres how would you possibly do regenerative farming there? I'd like to know that myself. I had a father-in-law in Southern Illinois who farmed 1000 acres of corn soybeans and milo. Every year the same, borrow money from the bank buy tanks of chemicals buy gmo hybrid seed and they were no till drilling last I heard. However, the seed was Round up ready! Then from where I grew up tobacco was king. I am not a fan of anything to do with tobacco. I lost my dad and a sister to lung cancer. Both smoked heavy. We had tobacco when I was a kid. I never saw the use in growing things you can't eat. But these old farmers would darn near fight about it. 'Bacca money paid for this truck boy! Good grief. Well, I leave with this, keep on preaching it man. You got a serious following. Pretty good entertainment too! God bless and take care.
Gabe Brown is an expert on regenerative farming. It is an eyeopening experience to watch his videos. His organization Understanding Ag is a great educational organization that teaches & helps farmers/ranchers to change how they farm. He goes all over the world teaching & gives seminars on regenerative farming practices & how they can change the environment, & be more profitable for the farmer. But Big Agriculture. & governments are fighting against this movement. Watch his videos & others you will be led to in the process if you want a real education in how regenerative farming works!
Awesome video again at Stoney Ridge Farm.
Love what Joel Salatin of Polyface farm, and Jamie Elizondo of Real Wealth Ranching and what you're doing ...God Bless!
Thanks. Glad more people are getting vocal about going back to the beautiful basics.
My Dad was a gardner and in the little town we lived in the city use to go around and use its sweeper trucks to go on certain roads and sweep up the leaves that would fall and cover drainage. My Dad found out that they use to just dump the leaves in a big mulch pile outside of town. They were happy to let my Dad get a truck bed of it and spread all over his garden and till it in. That garden would grow like no other and the soil was so soft
Hey Josh thank you for the video I enjoyed it and I'm happy that you do make videos like this because I really do enjoy them specially when you explained things like you did todaythat was very detailed what I was looking for so I did learn some more things from you today that way when the time does come for me to purchase my landI can always go back and watch your videos and do it the way that you do it there to woo😁😁
You are the topic of the video I’m putting out tomorrow
All good things
right on brother tag me in it!
Always learning from you Josh ! Great information !!
Gold Shaw Farms up in Vermont does Reganitive Farming with ducks, geese, and Chickens, and this passed year added Scottish highlander cattle.
I have never read anything about regenerative soil farming. I think everything you have explained is logical and factual. It's on the basis of crop rotation and not burning out all the nitrogen and nutrients in the soil. But your method uses the natural resources of the animals and manages those steps throughout the seasons. A very interesting topic.
Most "consensus science" believers haven't been interested in learning more than the fart -- the methane gas that cows, sheep are contributing to "global warming". They might be surprised that implementing a grazing program, might actual be "saving the planet"; that by maximizing photosynthesis, that energy from the Sun is converting carbon INTO the soil rather than heating up the atmosphere.
I think a “sit down” type discussion with a “conventional” farmer would be a great idea. See the pros and cons of both systems and almost work out how to make regeneratIve farming more accessible/cost effective.
yep....I see it for sure. I talk to alot of hay farmers around here....who spend spend spend every season...driving up the cost of hay and simply hay sits in the fields. It's very tough to eek out a living as a row crop farmer...and I understand why they use fertilizers. Cheap food comes at a cost...the cost is environmental destruction in some cases
Good work Josh! I'm not sure if I missed it however, part of the complications growing crops is the removal of micronutrients because of the lack of rotation of crops. So only one particular crop Robs the nutrients. From the soil.
What do you think about the farmers who spread their manure around? I'm sure it would be a liability but it would be more natural versus manufactured chemicals.
That was a great video!! Greg Judy also has mob-rotating videos that people may be interested in. Funny that I don’t raise cows, but I could watch them all day! Your cows look healthy and strong! Thanks for sharing!
yep...me and greg are good friends as well as others like Joel Salatin....I'm taking what everyone else is doing and putting my twist on it...testing different pastures
Great Job Josh been subscriber for a while you are on the right track my friend, its all about the soil. Great video...
Missouri in some areas isn’t that great. My farm has been overgrazed for many of years. It has taken me 4 years to fix some of my problems. Now I have to start ripping and moving chickens and turkeys throw out my pastures. Having hills and rocky soil like clay is hard.
I am doing the same thing, but with food plots for deer and wildlife. No more discing tearing the ground up.
Ma Nature has had a LONG time to discover what works and what doesn't. I believe that Regenerative Farming is the future of Agriculture in this country. In the long run it will be better for the land, the animals on the land, and the people that consume the animals.
Great narration on regenerative farming. Do you make a plan for your paddock moving, if so how many days on average does your cattle stay in your paddocks? I am guessing that, like my paddocks on my farm are all not the same size. So I understand the unit number plays into your rotation of the paddocks and size on how long the cattle stay in the paddock. I sat down over winter, on one of the colder days and put together a plan for my paddocks. I reached 210 days in western PA last year so I am hoping to add on another 30 days this year. Of course weather will play into reaching that goal. I was curious, did you do a soil test on your pastures. I apologize if you did a video on soil testing, I didn't see it. I agree with you about keeping the ground alive, topside and underside. Thanks for sharing, farmer rod
once the full water system is in place I'll move the cattle daily to a different paddock..the goal is 24 hours on each acre...maybe even move them twice a day eventually as I get the grazing operation up and running efficiently
Thanks Josh for share this! Your channel reaches more people than most!
It is a very informative program. A very good education presentation, we learned a lot after watching htis. Thank you.
The most informative video you have done. Thanks, Josh
Hello from Richland. WA. Regenerative farming is very interesting. I do look forward to all future videos on the subject.
This was great Josh!
I couldn’t stop listening to you talk about your operation cycles. I couldn’t help think of living web farms channel on pasture management as well as Joel Salatin and his rotation grazing systems that naturally breaks parasite cycles and keeps grasses growing at their fastest to best maximize the spaceand running poultry in after the cows… numerals others as well…my wife and I recently bought 4 acres of tropical rainforest ag land that used to be sugar cane fields…by Hawaii volcanoes national park. We are thinking of how we are going to be self sufficient on the land but also how to develop it to back to a healthy future It will be a huge change from southwestern pa but I know the process is the same.🍄😃🌈🤙
Love your videos they are very formative Great job Stoney Ridge Farmer
Enjoy your content. I have learned a lot. In this segment, you mentioned dragging your fields to spread manure. I watched a short video last year that featured Dr. Alan Williams. He was teaching on healthy soil. He mentioned that having a thick thatch of dried grass is very beneficial. It keeps the soil cool plus retains moisture. Dragging reduces thatch. I looked for the video but couldn't find. Something to think about.
Stoney Ridge is at the early stages of the Regenerative process. I am not a farmer, but I think he drags the fields after laying down hay and manure to better bed the seed. Gets the seed down closer to the ground and lightly disturbs the soil to give the seed better chances for germination. I could be wrong.
Have no thatch here my brotha....however....let's think about this...dragging the pastures spreads the manure...creating a bed of nutrients on the land....if I'm dragging over thatch....the bed of carbon is still there...it's just spread more evenly on the land
exactly....we'll have much more on this in some future vids this spring
Don’t know if you’re aware of a similar operation in Yanceyville, NC, Baldwin Family Farms. They raise Charolais cattle and also have a huge chicken operation with which they fertilize their fields.
Plus, there is a Bison ranch in Yanceyville whose bull is around 2200 lbs. Just thought you might be interested
Your engraving neighbor in Eden
thanks!
Lots of respect for what you are doing.
Rebuilding soil won't happen overnight. It takes time.
I follow another UA-cam... "Just a Few Acres" who raises 30 Dexter cattle on 45 acres, including his wood lot. I got interested by watching him take back the farm from a conventional farmer who had depleted the soil. Now he mob grazes and cuts most of his own hay for the winter feeding. Nice guy. Are you aware of him? You two should meet up. It would be a great video.
it really does....folks want this to happen overnight....when you have land like this you must be patient for sure
wow.... Never heard of that before thanks for your sharing genius farmer, all I thought of that the plants are fruiting.... I love to hear that 👍👌🙏
Your doing a great job the money is in the grass. It's going to only get better with time. Keep unrolling those bales..
That's the plan!
Good information Josh. Enjoyed you sharing the knowledge and appreciate your passion for doing what you are. Wooooo!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Hi Josh! Love your channel. It is informative and inspirational. I recently acquired a small 10 acre piece of land. The previous owner apparently used heavy equipment on the land while it was wet and caused lots of ruts. What do you suggest as the best way to remedy this situation? I am trying to prepare the land for a small number of cattle to start. Would appreciate some advice. Thank you!
SRF, you are nailing it!
It is very much about the "Soil Biome" stimulated by root exudates energized by photosynthesis and the messaging from the plant as to what it needs. The vast fungal "network" not only sequesters carbon, but serves as the conduit for which the various microbes can make "unavailable" N, P, K and a host of locked-up minerals available to the plant.
Even on your farm now supporting a living soil, were you to conventionally apply fertilizer -- sure the plants will slurp it up and be "happy". However, they will not produce those messages of need in their exudates and those nodules you referenced diminish. That is a sign that the Biome is no longer converting free diatomic Nitrogen (the millions of pounds of triple bonded N2 above every acre on the planet) let alone converting other elements into plant available form.
I highly recommend searching webinars by Dr. Christine Jones if interested in learning more about the intricacies of the soil biome.
I also recommend Dale Strickler's Books, "Restoring Your Soil" and/or "Managing Pasture". In addition to soil and ag science, he connects a decent number of the dots for those also interested in how "modern" farming practices formed history and influences a global environment.
great video Mate Really well explained Just starting out trying to recoup decent soil on a small property the has all the top soil ripped out .. Will definately be putting your thoughts into practice. All the best from the Victorian High County of Australia
I'm curious, how would one apply the principles of regenerative agriculture to plant farming? It seems interesting.
I have to believe that rotation of land use is the best answer. Something like crop, animal, plant (nitrogen inducing like clover), rest, crop and so on…. Cannot focus on yield
Gardner Scott & I AM ORGANIC GARDENING are both very good channels on growing plants/gardening. Both have many years of experience in gardening. Both have experience in in ground & raised bed gardening. I don't know if what they teach is classified as regenerative farming, but it certainly is compatible in my opinion. I have been following both for a few years now & found their information helpful they led me to following regenerative farming videos.
@@edwarddouglaspierce also rotate in peas as they fix nitrogen too
Hello from VA. Love your content and enjoy learning from you. Are you at some point going to offer any type of classes at your place about framing. If so I would be very interested in attending.
Have a great rest of your day.
Could you give some specific numbers as to cows per acer, time on each plot, minimum of land needed, ect. ?
that is such a variable number my friend.....if you live in Nevada v/s North Carolina V/s Australia...it's a tough vid to make
Right on, Josh. In the movie Biggest Little Farm diversification was a key theme. I recommend that movie.
Hey buddy, you did a really good job putting that in layman's. Good video dood!
Thanks for your education on regenerative agriculture. It's hard to imagine someone would put $20,000 onto a 15-acre block. But know it happens. Someone who, like Greg Judy says, "Has a big town job income".
$20k is a hiccup in the breeze my friend...it costs time and money to build up an old worn out piece of property. Probably have spend over $1000 per acre in improvements over this 150 acre farm...but we're getting where we need to be
Great video Josh! Hope there aren't too many acres of dead grass/weeds around your farm. Looks like a huge fire risk.
why would it be any more of a fire risk than any other field or forest my friend?
Any field that has underbrush as dead and dry as that area shown during your video appeared to be would be equally at risk of fire. Especially this time of year when grasses/bushes/tree branches dry up in a winter dormant state.
Enjoyed the video. Hope to see the progress.
Wow there's a lot to it interesting I really like the organic all natural approach bloopers is cool too great video
You do such great educational videos...
Have a good evening 🌱🌱🌱
Great video brother 💯✌🏻💚🌱
I haven’t seen all your recent videos, but wood chips are a good waste product you can get for free. I’m not sure the best way for you to utilize it or how much it would block sunlight or if it would be worth it to spread a thin layer occasionally and store it in a huge pile but it has a bunch of uses some people put copper tubing on the ground and make a hot water heater out of the heat the microbes create. I don’t mean to run on and on but I’m a believer
watch tomorow's vid....we harvest some chips!! Awesome!
Now I know what to do with all my old hay bales! Thanks!
I have noticed that you tend to avoid anything political , and that’s rare ............keep doing what you’re doing
shew...I sure try
Thanks Josh. I’ve learned a lot from your videos.
Excellent presentation! 👍🏼
The fastest way, maybe in just a year or 2 of completely broken land can be done for minimal cost and effort and even faster that animals alone is from a company called Advanced Eco Agriculture, they have many youtube videos. Mainly by adding sugars and, microbes and enzymes to start with. Combined with animals would be awesome.
Very good compilation Stoney, you speak so well I can listen to you at 2x speed.
lol...love the 2x speed....now remember....I'm not selling ya anything here other than an alternative way to build your soil....save money and get it done right! So far it's working and takes no more infrastructure, money or time
@@StoneyRidgeFarmer You ask for other ways, just another tool in the box. I love Greg Judys ways but also check out or call Advance Eco
Thank you . Josh I have 10 acres horses and goats. I am trying to keep good pasture without chemical fertilizers but it is tough.
sometimes you need to hit it with soil amendments to get yourself a kick start...especially if you don't have top soil. 10 acres should be easy to rehab..if you're not overgrazing
@@StoneyRidgeFarmer Than you.
Well explained Josh!
Thanks for education that’s awesome. I hope to get a few acres in the next 1.5-2 years. I want to eat my own beef I want to know where my meat comes from. Very informative thanks
Enjoyed today’s video
Hey Josh, love the whole regenerative farming approach. I have a small 5 acre plot of land that is riddled with paspalum how would you deal with this weed please?
I very much enjoy all the info you offer, thank you mate it all helps!
it's my experience that correcting the Ph and planting fescue will eventually push out Paspalum...I have some on the farm...the trick is to mow it before it goes to seed...sometimes it's necessary to do a "kill spray" to get rid of it...however if you graze it before the seeds come out you don't have to worry much about it's "stagger" affects on cattle in my experience
I am just speaking now about the grain farm side, but it is alot more complicated than that. Our farm and most all the rest near by went to no till years ago. That however has brought up other issues. The run off from the field now is clogging water ways streams etc. I agree that the days of moldboard plows has been hard on the ground but two of the last 5 years we had to take a track hoe and clean out ditches and around the bridge in the field. This is causing a worsening flood issue. Before some it's asked we bush hog off etc. to try to minimize.
so your topsoil is washing away due to these major weather events?
@@StoneyRidgeFarmer not exactly. The normal rains in the spring are now not able to flow off because of all the left of over chunks of corn stalks etc. The water ways become clogged causing the water to rip through the middle of the fields. We have new swells that are 10 to 20' and 6' deep where the soil is removed. Then we have to hire a track hoe to clean out the ditches and near by creeks. I agree with your methodology for cattle farm but grain farming has different issues with build up of the waste.
I do definitely enjoy your videos.
Back in the '50's and '60's the big thing was crop rotation to keep your soil healthy.
back in the 1500s it was too! And in biblical times
Very informative, enjoyable vlog. I agree with the comments and teaching
Have you ever tried planting native grass species like switchgrass, big and little bluestem and Indian grass the root system will go down 10 feet or more breaking up the clay without tilling and lmproving drainage. That's what happened during the dust bowl all the farmers plowed under the native grass that had held the topsoil in place and built up the incredible fertility it had become. Just a thought
absolutely....and alot of the seed in these bales are native grasses
Do you know anyone who does this with horses? I have four horses on 6.5 acres and would love to know what to do to keep their pasture growing and not have to put commercial fertilizer on it. Is turkey or hog manure from those barns better?
I don't ...I'd venture to say you could do it with horses...however they are not producing any product other than manure.....but rotationally grazing your horses is a great start
Just purchased 50 acres of high desert propery in Eastern Oregon, ancient lake bed. For regenerative farming. Lots of alfalfa farmers around but are conventional. I'm thinking of goats a d pigs to start letting them do clear and cultivate. Am I heading g in the right direction?
if you're expecting the goats and pigs to clear the land for ya...well get ready to chase your animals lol. My suggestion is get good fences first..then go for it...you'll see progress I'm sure. Good fences are a must...as for clearing and cultivating...heck give it a try
Thanks btw I have put a perimeter fence up first and will get electric fencing up b4 the animals arrive
nice work!
I live in Vegas and am dealing with plain gravel and silt for my "soil" been putting chickens and ducks on the grass areas for years and tried doing the digging to get the ground loosened up for plants. It is IMPOSSIBLE. But when I finally got a hold of a tree trimming company and told them they could dump their chippings on my property and then I dumped the mulch in my bird pens, I noticed the ground was much softer. So instead of digging down, I think it is best to build up. Just pile more vegetable matter on the manure the animals provide and let the bugs process everything into fertile top soil. Plus it takes too much labor to till the soil for it to be worth it anyways. I have a suburban microfarm so getting huge farming equipment just isn't cost effective and thus everything is done by throwing my back out.
you live in the desert my friend....I don't know how ya do it
@@StoneyRidgeFarmer It takes water for sure. But my damn well goes out on me almost every year. Can you believe it broke down last year just before I was admitted to the hospital for COVID? But luckily I had filled up over 20 50 gallon drums with water ahead of time. Which remind me that I need to get on that again. It is almost a year later. Dang pumps don't last long as the water here is so hard and we have underground volcanic activity (hence why the road Warm Springs exists) and the caustic waters really ruin the submersible pumps. I doubt they are stainless steel, as the companies claim, but I'm not about to spend more than $300 at a pop for a pump that won't last over years. We have a 200' well with water level at around 150-130' below the surface.
I encourage everyone to check out Gabe Brown, he is perhaps the most famous regenerative agriculture expert in the country. He goes into depth about all these topics that Josh is talking about. Another person to check out is Ray Archuleta, another expert on this topic. Conventional Ag is destroying our soil and eventually there will be no top soil left. Hopefully with fertilizer prices the way they are maybe some people will look into better practices.
yeppers...I know Gabe Brown for sure.
Going to work on regenerative gardening. No till to build soil.
Josh I have been following SRF for a long time and have enjoyed your videos and the development of your farm.
But you are sending two messages in this video. Yes we need to take care of our land and keep and protect our soil. I too raise cattle and follow a lot of the same farm management that you do.
But not like you I raise and cut/bale hay for my cattle for winter feed along with their cubes or liquid feed. Now as a hay grower I have to use fertilizer on my fields to produce the high protein value in my hay that my cattle needs to get through our winters. I do graze my cattle on my hay fields during the winter months and take advantage of that “butt fertilizer” that you do. I have try raising hay with only
But I want you to stop and think? Without those hay bail that I bet have been fertilized to keep their nutrition value high for the winter months, your cattle, my cattle would be skin and bones in spring.
Farming is a balance of nature. Both methods work but sometimes we have to reach out to the left to keep the right balanced.
Again I have really enjoy your channel.
totally get what you are saying brotha...now I want you to consider what you are doing in a mathematical and environmentally sound way. You and I both know that it costs money to raise hay and high quality forage....I'm not sure how many head of cattle you are running....but I'd like you to consider the financials (time included) in baling your own hay. From equipment, maintenance, fertilizer, lime, hauling, storage and time. Is your net cost zero v/s buying your hay? We most certainly can't rob hay or any other crop from our land without putting something back...you and I both see this....as we hit the land with lime in spring and fall and fertilize in the spring....ya see that hay jump up on the land and grow...but it's short lived. Is there a way to transition your property by buying hay from a grower...and building your soil with it so that you have higher quality forage throughout the growing season and into the dormant season? My math figures dictated that I buy my hay and roll it out...I have horrible soils on the farm for sure...your math may work out differently. I love cutting and baling hay! Love it!! But financially and enviromentally it makes more sense for me to buy it. No machines, no tires, no engines, belts, chains, storage, maintenance, fertilizer, lime......just buy it. Bring it to the farm and let the cows do the work...less diesel fuel burned....better soil and fat/happy cows. I don't have to spend 200 hours a year fooling with hay...just 1/2 hour per day for 80-90 days in the winter. I agree with ya...to make hay ya gotta put down fertilizer....but do the math and figure up how much you are saving....I'll bet you start looking for someone to buy your hay from soon. Please don't get me wrong....I know exactly what you are saying....I did it...and then moved onward and upward to building my soil. Hundreds of thousands of lbs of biomass coming to the farm every year! My soil has gone from dirt...to black rich soil! Takes time...but I think it's the right way
@@StoneyRidgeFarmer I guess this one we will have to agree to disagree. 🤣. I own all my equipment and bail only what I need for my cattle and and close neighbors. At most 4 days cutting and bailing per year with 3 hours to fertilize including driving to the plant and back. I only bail what my tractor can pick up and move. I’ve done my time picking up squares and putting them into the hay room. Now I pay someone to do that.
Every year I send soul samples to Texas A & M for analysis. They keeps my soil balanced as needed.
Again I love your channel and have been follow you for along time. We just farm alittle different on our first generation farm. I too started with wooded property with no fencing 29 years with almost 6000 stumps ground to make two nice hay fields. It’s hard work but you are doing an excellent job show people what it take to make something out of raw land. God bless.
I've got temendous results with deep root vegetable/green farming, ie *double digging* with added chicken manure/limestone/dried blood to 2.5-3 feet .....
Farmers and hunters are the greatest conservationists simply because of the reliance on the land
I farm conventionally FOR THE CHANNEL only. It's a tribute to the old Farmall/International tractors and equipment.
Really interesting stuff. Thank you!