# no till biodiversity crop for environmentalist city guy



## hillside hay (Feb 4, 2013)

I have a city guy in my area that bought a 120 acre farm. He is an avid animal rights and global warming and whatever else the cause of the week is type of person. He bought the farm so that game animals would have a refuge during hunting season. The problem he is having that he hasn't grown a crop of any sort or bush hogged or done maintenance of any sort on the land resulting in a lack of feed for the animals he is trying to "protect". Hey, to each their own right?

Now he sees the need to regularly plant maintain harvest crops to draw animals in. I've been tentatively approached as being "entrusted caretaker" to bring back the game. There are of course some limitations as to what practices can be employed on his land. No till no herbicide no pesticide no gmo.

Currently the land is a pure stand of goldenrod with some thornapple and scrub apple thrown in for good measure. In anyones opinion is there a way to effectively no till this and control the weeds as well as attract a wide variety of game animals without herbicides.

I'm thinking about ARG cut and ensiled before the goldenrod heads followed by sorghum/sudan then winter rye and groundhog radish. Is this the right track? Normally I wouldn't consider it but I'm kinda curious and it might be a good research project.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

hillside hay said:


> I have a city guy in my area that bought a 120 acre farm. He is an avid animal rights and global warming and whatever else the cause of the week is type of person. He bought the farm so that game animals would have a refuge during hunting season. The problem he is having that he hasn't grown a crop of any sort or bush hogged or done maintenance of any sort on the land resulting in a lack of feed for the animals he is trying to "protect". Hey, to each their own right?


Oh goody, one of those.

I take it he has ZERO ag background whatsoever other than what he's read in his lefty tree hugging leaflets?

To be honest I'd run the other way, I've dealt with a few like that, nothing is quite good enough as it's not the way he read it's supposed to be done, then he'll most likely trash talk you if he ever does get in town.

People like that really need to go hungry for awhile until bambi and thumper starts to look pretty tasty.

Hopefully he'll be the first ate when the zombie apocalypse goes down.


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## NewBerlinBaler (May 30, 2011)

One straight-forward way to turn weed fields back into grassland is to simply brushhog it. No need for chemicals, plowing, etc. Of course, it will need to be done regularly. At least 3 or 4 times per year to prevent the weeds from reaching seed stage. Is the entire 120-acre tract in fields? If so, you'll need a couple of tractors with a 20' batwing mower on each one.

Gary


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## ontario hay man (Jul 18, 2013)

RUN the opposite direction from this clown. People like these are a PITA. I dealt with a few and they might have something to do with my receding hairline. I had one lady wanted her farm cleaned up so I bushhogged etc sprayed it and plowed it then grew hay. We were supposed to split the hay as she paid me to clean it up plow and seed it. So I cut the hay and bale it then start hauling my half home. She comes running out saying she needs it all. I pulled out and sent her a bill for cutting and baling but I needed the hay more then the money. Point is no matter what you do for people most wont be happy. If I was you I wouldnt touch it with a 10 foot pole.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

one year to seed, 7 to weed. gonna take a lot of bush hogging before any crops could be planted. Might be mighty tricky getting rid of the sod so you can plant if he wants strict no till and no herbicides.


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## hillside hay (Feb 4, 2013)

Thanks for input guys. Kinda reinforce the gut feeling I had. Maybe I'll just give him a quote for the bush hogging and tell him if he wants amber waves of grain he'll have to live with a lil roundup. Thanks again


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## hillside hay (Feb 4, 2013)

NewBerlinBaler said:


> One straight-forward way to turn weed fields back into grassland is to simply brushhog it. No need for chemicals, plowing, etc. Of course, it will need to be done regularly. At least 3 or 4 times per year to prevent the weeds from reaching seed stage. Is the entire 120-acre tract in fields? If so, you'll need a couple of tractors with a 20' batwing mower on each one.
> 
> Gary


Yes it is all tillable with the exception of a phenomenal(potentially) sugarbush. Roughly 105 acres just from my intial walkthrough glance. 3 fields separated by hedgerows. It is perimeter fenced with gates"for the deer" If I could convince him to crossfence it I could throw heifers over there if he could move the fence for me every other day. :lol:


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## Hugh (Sep 23, 2013)

Bring in bales of hay just before hunting season. Scatter the hay around the center of the property and put up no hunting signs. Make sure there are trees to give some cover to the deer. Also plant some native berry bushes and some apple trees - some things that come to mind. Get your money up front - after all, humans are evil and you have a profit motive.


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## aawhite (Jan 16, 2012)

Controlled burn.That's how nature would have jump started it anyway. But I think the earlier advice was better: run away.


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## Fossil02818 (May 31, 2010)

If he is patient and you are reasonably compensated for your time and equipment there are strategies that will get him closer to what he might be dreaming about. Regular and consistent brush hogging or controlled burning will certainly help. He will still need to have someone collect soil samples and determine what PH and nutrients are there now. Lime/wood ash or other amendments are probably expenses he isn't prepared to purchase.However, if he will pay to have that work done and then pay for overseeding clover, brassicas and grasses he could get a reasonable foodplot for wildlife in a few years.I still think the suggestion to just bring in goats, cattle or other ruminants to rotationally graze the fields would be an appropriate solution if the fields aren't too far gone.


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## hillside hay (Feb 4, 2013)

Hmm. You may be onto something Fossil. Although I get the impression he is looking for the magic pill approach. If he could be convinced to have a more "all of the above" approach. Now that you mention it there are a couple pretty nice non profit operations around that maybe I could show him. I'm not sure how much hands on he's willing to be as he wants to outsource the whole deal. I know he'd get a lot of satisfaction out of doing it himself once he started. I think I'll have coffee with him and kind of see where exactly he wants to go with it. To be honest I'd rather just show him how to run a few basic pieces of equipment and turn him loose on his own land.


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## Fossil02818 (May 31, 2010)

Hillside, I agree he would likely enjoy seeing the results of doing it himself. We have brought back some pastures that were ignored for many years and the satisfaction of watching our livestock graze on them today helps me forget just how much work and patience was required!


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