Clearing land for pasture/ag

[PulpFaction]

So...I have found a 38-acre plot in basically my ideal location in North Mississippi, but, the problem is that it's all wooded.

I like woods, and trees and the like, and like the potential for having a never ending supply of wood for fuel, but have no experience in turning in turning wooded acreage into the gently rolling pastures dotted with cows or goats or sheep of my dreams.

The land is priced out at $1900 an acre which is a good price for the area, but due to what I actually want it for (agricultural uses as opposed to hunting) I'm wondering if it's a sound buy for me.

Can someone explain the process and costs involved in turning wooded (mostly smaller hardwoods,) land into cleared land? Even after it's cleared and all, how long does it take to recover enough to put livestock on it without causing erosion.

Alternatively, how difficult is amending the soil after clearing it for gardening? I'd imagine the process might strip a lot of the decent topsoil right off.

[agmantoo]

For each acre you plan to covert to pasture budget $600 for land prep and $400 for lime, fertilizer and seed. Plan on waiting at least to the end of the second year after conversion before grazing. You will still have to fence and address water needs.

[HomegrownAcres]

Of course, you can raise pigs there in the meantime...they do well in the woods.

Brian
Homegrown Acres
HomegrownAcres.com

[PulpFaction]

I was thinking of unleashing a massive heard of goats and seeing what happened. Can pigs and goats run together? They both have much more demanding fencing needs, though, don't they? Do they actually help the clearing process at all? Pigs are one thing I've never raised and never had much interest in in close proximity or intensive kinds of feed pens. A pig pasture however...

Thanks.

[KudzuJoe]

If you're not totally opposed to the idea of herbicides, you might check with a forester about using some kind of "hack and squirt" system. Basically, you hit a tree with a hatchet, spray a product like Arsenal into the cambium, and the tree dies. The chemical is contained in the tree's vascular system, so there's no broadcasting of it over the whole area. A couple of people can easily do a few acres per day like this. But again, this may not be an option if you're opposed to herbicides. Girdling the trees with a chainsaw might also work but you'll get root sprouts.

Once the trees start to die out, more sunlight will reach the forest floor, and you'll have brushy species that goats will feed on.

Of course, goats will have quite a bit of browse in a semi-forested area, so you can get nice goat land without removing all the trees.

[TurnerHill]

I'm with agmantoo. I wish I could get clearing done for that price, but for N. Mississippi it may well be fine.

I would encourage, and I know that there are some who will disagree, that you assume that this is a situation where bigger really is better. Get someone in with the really big guns. They'll cost more per hour, but get a lot more done.

The ground will be a mess afterward. Do you have a tractor?