Assessing pasture land

[Deb862]

We have started looking into buying a parcel of land recently and after looking at several already have found we know a little like getting good sun exposure, looking at different plants, trees, etc., drainage, and the like, but we are at a loss when it comes to assessing pasture vs. tillable land. We looked at a 50ac piece today that was basically 3 huge fields with tree lines around the outside and a small patch of forest near the middle and the back (about 30% total). The land had good southern exposure and gently sloped south and no real wet areas except one small area of ferns which we thought might (?) indicate that area was somewhat moister than surrounding areas. The pastures looked good to us but very overgrown and weedy but other than that we really don't know what we should be looking for/at to determine if it is just pastureland and what quality of pasture it is. I don't think we would be looking to doing any major tillage on the land but who knows in the future.

[agmantoo]

Deb, Land that will not grow weeds will not grow a crop, be it pasture or field crops. The taller the weeds the better!

[Alice In TX/MO]

What kind of soil? Are there lots of rocks? Go to the feed store and get the coffee drinkers started talking.

[Deb862]

Don't know what kind of soil. Is there a way to find out? We were wondering if it was rock not too far under the soil also and it is on side of a large hill. And, yup, the weeds were pretty thick! so that must be good! We liked the land (but then again, we love all land! ) but found out that there are several other parcels available on the same road that have been for sale for over a year with no takers. Nobody's sayin' why, tho.

[Maura]

Go to the Equalization Dept. at the county. They should have soil maps. Ag land is assessed based on what type of soil it has. It will be number 1, 2, or 3, with 1 being the best. This does not mean it might not need ammending. Different fields may have different ratings. The wooded areas are probably naturally wetter, which is why they have been left to trees (and for wildlife). Also, go to the county extension office and find out what crops have been in it and any other information they have.

[Windy in Kansas]

How soon we forget. This link for soil survey maps was posted several months back. You should be able to find information there.
http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/

I would also pull up satellite views of the parcel. Many times a lighter colored soil will be poorer in quality, and would probably agree with the soils map.
http://www.earth.google.com is my favorite and seems to have more up to date views than some of the others.

[Deb862]

Thanks!

[Mountaineer]

Now I don't have a list but maybe someone keen into weeds will. But if you go out and identify the weeds in the field it will tell you a lot about the field.
I'm NOT yet too informed on pastures but I'm studying up on it.
Some weeds only grow in wet spots, some only in dry spots, some only in crappy soils, etc etc. It's quite intersting actually.
Seems most grasses and clovers are a good sign.
Canary reed grass can be a huge pain. It grows 8' tall really fast and gets too course for grazers.

If anyone knows of a list like this please post it!

[palani]

Lease it with an option to buy. Gives you several years to check it out.

[thedonkeyman]

We are lucky but our neighbors have Sulphur and up the creek there is Arsenic, so you might consider the quality of the WATER.
thedonkeyman ... from Oregon.

[Deb862]

Water quality is definitely an issue for us, especially here in central/western NY as there is a lot of sulphur and 'orange' water as I call it. However, the property we looked at (and most we are looking at) is bare land and has no well currently. We have thought about checking to find out about others well quality in the area, tho, definitely. Wow, I;ve heard of sulphur, minerals, iron, magnesium, and such in water but arsenic?? Wow, that sounds a little scary!

[Maura]

Talk to the well drillers in your area. They will be able to tell you if the water is in a stream, or if there is basicly a lake under the land. They will have some idea of how deep the well would need to be, and what type of water you will get.