Preparing pasture for raising beef - help please!

Filson, if you are going to top seed, go down to the feed store or Big R and buy a copy of The Capitol Press newspaper. In the back, in the classified section, the grass seed growers advertise and you can buy pasture grass seed direct from the grower.

They might all be sold out this time of year, but later in the summer, you can get the very freshest seed at a reasonable price.

Thanks for all the replies, everyone!

I don't plan on getting any steers to raise this year, and am thinking more in the 2-3 year range. That gives me some time to fix up the pasture, fencing, and the time to do other stuff around the farm (not to mention time to learn a bit).

The big issue right now, is that we do not have a tractor yet. I am active on tractor forum learning about things there before making a purchase. I've already realized that due to the things I want to do with the property with a tractor, the size of land (may be buying the neighboring 20 acres as well), and so on, that I will eventually need more tractor than I can afford any time soon. That's fine, I don't mind saving up a bit, but for now, we'll be picking up something that will get us by on the cheap.

Once we get a tractor, I'll mow the field to chop those weeds down. If I top seed - what all equipment would I need to get? Sounds like it would be pretty helpful.

As for keeping the meat - I'll need to check the chest freezer we have down in the cellar to see how cold it can keep things. Thanks for the input! Makes me feel better that meat will last longer than I was thinking.

I'd get a 3pt sickle bar mower. You'll find you get faster regrowth using a sickle mower vs a brushhog mower. If you are making hay you *could* use the sickle to cut and then need a rake and a baler. In my neck of the woods a field ready sm. square baler is about 2500, rake probably around 1500-2500 unless you go with a rotary rake and you're more like 5k.

I'd look for about a 70hp tractor IMO.

If you're really concerned about the weeds, you could throw a few goats out there and they'll eat up all of the weeds over the course of the summer. You could then sell them again, keep them, or even eat them.

I've top seeded 40 acres with just a 5 gallon bucket and my hand, to hand broadcast the seed.

It is more fun with a tractor and a seed spreader, but it can be tossed out there by hand. With a little practice, you can get a nice even coverage by hand broadcasting.

In fact, I can get a more even coverage with hand broadcasting than I can get with a spreader. It's just that it involves a lot of walking and swinging of your arm. Builds character, as they say.

You are more of a man than me!

I use a 50 hp tractor that has 3pt hitch, pto driven broadcaster. The kind of broadcaster you get at the Tractor Supply for $400.
I fertilize and seed with the spreader.



If you are going to hand broadcast get the 'Earthway' over the shoulder spreader. I have had one for several years and it is much better than others I have had. You can cover a lot of ground with this and it is not much money.

Oregon Woodsmok makes a very valid point. Where there is a will there is a way. And it doesn't have to be expensive or complicated.


One other thing OP, if you bought 40 acres and are looking to acquire 20 more then how can buying a tractor not have been built into the plan. Or is land really that cheap where you are? You can get a good used tractor in our area for $2500 that would do all the pasture work you want.

Filson;
Planing ahead as you are doing is great. That will give you lots of time to get it just the way you want.
b u t
A pasture with no livestock will take more mowing than one with livestock.

Once your fences are secure I agree with the goat comment. They will choose broadleafs over grasses and will do a great job cleaning up the weeds. My best pastures are those that I am able to run the goats in after the cattle are moved out.

Man oh man, ton's of great replies, thanks guys!

Oregon woodsmok - Thanks for the info, I'm not sure I could stomach doing it all by hand lol, but I'm sure I could figure out a way.

Wadefisher - the biggest concern by far was wanting to get some elbow room (original reason for moving in the first place). We physically looked (a lot of it was just pulling up to the place and looking at it from the driveway) at over 80 properties throughout Idaho and Washington. We originally made an offer on another place in the area that had 20 acres and a new house on it, and they seller was completely unwilling to budge from their original asking price (even our realtor told us this before making an offer, but we thought we'd try after doing a walk-through and liking it).

Anyway, we didn't get it which turned into a blessing in disguise. We found this place, absolutely fell in love with it, fell in love with the land and the house (and the 40'x40' shop haha) We bought this place with the 40 acres, and the neighboring 20 acres was up for sale too. The neighboring 20 acres sits at the top of the hill where the field is, and we were concerned with someone buying the property to build a house up there for the view. That'd definitely put a crimp in our elbow room that we just managed to get, so we went for it.

On a strict personal preference level, I'd be fine not buying a tractor at all for awhile if it means being able to buy the land. Land first, tractor and such later. The land can sit for a few years unused until I get a tractor and am able to start working on it to get it in shape.

The 20 acres will also increase our field size from roughly 13 acres to about 24 acres, and increase our woodlot by about 9 acres as well. I'll have just as much forest to manage as pasture.

As for the tractor itself, I'll probably start looking for an 8N or similar to start with (I've seen them for $1500-1800 around here). But will be looking to replace it with something bigger down the road.

I think goats are definitely in order, sounds like a great plan!

Thanks again everyone, for all the help!

I am in Stevens county and just arrived.to do the same as you with an overgrazed pasture. This. Photo coold be my land. It looks the same with weeds. Glad for all of this advice. Best of luck to you and keep us posted

Cool deal, where you located in the county? We're out on HW 25

395 south of colville. Was over in rice yesterday buying sheep to help with the weeds. Beautiful drive. Got a letter last week from the weed board to inform me i had weeds i guess in case i didn't know

Did you at least send Captain Obvious a reply letter thanking them for letting you know?

Yeah you were right in our area, we're right off the Addy-Gifford road, just a few miles from HW 25.

I just came inside from talking to the neighbor that is letting his cows out on the rest of his land (borders ours). We need to get our fence fixed up so they don't work their way down on our property and get on our already over-grazed pasture. I think I have more work to do, sooner than I thought lol.

I don't think anyone has mentioned it yet. Many farmers with 40 acres do not invest in tractor and equipment. On the rare times that they need a tractor, they hire a custom farmer. (in the PNW, at least)

For a pasture with some cattle, you won't need a tractor all that many times in a year.

Yeah, I don't think I'll need it nearly as much as a full-time farmer or anything. But it'll be seeing a fair bit of use, probably in the 10-20 hours a week range.

My neighbor offered to compensate us if we'd let his cattle in our field for awhile. He didn't say how much (I don't think it'd be much). And with our field already so burnt out and over-grazed, I just politely declined.

Still haven't signed on the dotted line for the adjoining 20 acres yet, but it's getting there. I'll keep you all posted when I find out more.

Whatever you end up doing with this and the (hopefully) additional 20 acres, you've got a lovely place and it will get even better! Please keep taking photos to share here.

Thank you. I really do feel blessed/lucky to be here. My wife grew up in the suburbs of Seattle and always wanted to be out in the country. I grew up in a somewhat rural area north of Seattle (where her family ended up moving to when she was in her early teens). We ended up meeting in high school, and became fast friends. We each used to talk about how we'd like to move to some place actually "in the country" with great weather (both summer weather and proper winter weather lol). We used to describe our own versions of "paradise" and it was pretty close to the same dream. We had a lot in common and ended up hitting it off in high school. =)

The one thing my wife and I did not like growing up in the Puget Sound was never really having 4 seasons. We were tired of the cloudy days and the 4-7 days a week of light rain from October through May (after having kids we liked it even less, as it made it difficult to get out and do much with the boys).

Anyway, as the years went on, we eventually found our way to Boise by following the in-laws. We liked the better weather, but missed the mountains and trees, and we both wanted a solid 4 seasons. After driving throughout all of Idaho and a good bit of Washington and NE Oregon, we found our place here and it instantly felt like "home". We knew we found our paradise.

We also wanted more elbow room, and going from just over an acre to 40, we found it. Things are looking really promising on the other 20 acre parcel too, though I won't let myself get too excited until we actually sign lol.

We also got news last night, that my wife's parents have decided to move from Boise up to this area. I think that'll help the family dynamics a bit, though I hope they don't end up just down the street.

Anyway, I didn't want to bombard the thread with pics, but if you'd like to see more, I'll throw some up below. Thanks!

Wow, even better than the first batch. And you have a helper!!!

The reason I mentioned checking with the extension service in a previous post is that the agricultural extension agent's office is usually experienced in providing advice and direction for your specific goals and can point you to the right people or agencies to help you with water issues and how to protect them, fencing, pastures, etc. Washington State University Extension looks like a fairly large organization. I hope you'll get in touch with them if you have not already done so; getting started early in the season will jumpstart your plans.

House and garden area are just lovely and offer a glimpse of what your future livestock have in store for them on the rest of your acreage. Envious of your views and opportunities! I think you'll do very well with it!

Thanks for taking the time to reply! I actually have not contacted my local extension office yet, nor the WSU extension. I'll definitely need to do that soon.

I have an appointment with the local DNR guy to come walk my woodlot with me to help me make up a forest management plan. I have tons to do out there too, never mind working on my shop and stuff down around the house lol. Gettin' busy!