What to do With Unused Pasture?

[badlander]

We have over 6 acres of pasture currently standing idle.

We really do not want to put up fence and graze stock on it but we want to make it produce SOMETHING for us that we can sell.

The land is slightly to very hilly in places. Flat areas in about 1/3 of the land. One person said that it is too hilly for beans, but once we get scrub trees, juniper and dead pine cleared from it, something could be planted on it that is harvestable.

We have debated about beans, alfalfa, maybe even wheat but in the end just don't know what to do with it to make it productive for us.

Any suggestions?

[Molly Mckee]

Six acres isn't worth buying equipment for, it will be years before you make any money. I would see if one of the neighbors is interested in using it, maybe on shares after it is ready to plant. There will be costs involved in clearing the land.

[mary,tx]

Sounds like you still have a lot of clearing work to do. The land will maybe "speak to you" as you do that and consider your options as you work.

[badlander]

Originally Posted by Molly Mckee

Six acres isn't worth buying equipment for, it will be years before you make any money. I would see if one of the neighbors is interested in using it, maybe on shares after it is ready to plant. There will be costs involved in clearing the land.

We already have a tractor and DH is looking for an upgrade so we can clear the land ourselves. We wouldn't necessarily do the tilling and planting ourselves but rent the land to one of the precision planters in the area. We worked with one of them before and it paid well on a property that we sold two years ago. The question is WHAT to plant or even consider planting if anything at all or continue using the land for haying as we have done the past two years. Only problem with that is that we have very little profit in it basically trading the hay for mowing the pastures for us and a few bales to use for our dogs in the winter when they are outside.

We would like to find something that would maybe make enough to pay the taxes for us every year, which given MO tax rates, isn't all that high. We have had offers to rent the land for grazing but we use the land for recreation also and would hate to loose that use for it as we have well established trails and paths that we could modify for a crop but wouldn't be able to use if there was stock present with gates and fences present.

[texican]

Hilly to Very Hilly?

Imho, if you 'clear' the land, be careful that whatever topsoil you have doesn't disappear down the hill, into a stream, and off your property, after the first rain.

If your going to plant something, I'd think some serious terracing, to save that soil runoff, would be necessary. You could lay your brushpiles/wood perpendicular to the slope, to try and hold moisture/soil.

I'm thinking the only thing I'd want to plant on any kind of a slope would be orchard trees, maybe grapes.

Some places (very hilly) just aren't suited to agriculture.... without lots of manual labor being applied. Thinking of the terraced rice fields going up mountainsides in Asia.

[Molly Mckee]

If the 6 acres is fenced, be sure you can turn a combine or large equipment before you plant something that will have to be harvested by a combine. Having trails in the field that you don't want plowed down is going to reduce it's value. A small field like that there often more cost in time and gas moving equipment than there is value for a farmer to rent it. I would see if the neighbors are interested- the closer they are the better. A tractor is a good start but you will need other equipment, and if you can't maintain it yourself another expense.

[Maura]

Could you put fencing up and grow lambs on it over the summer?

[badlander]

Good point Texican. Hadn't given that a thought. The land was over grazed for years and we have let it recover. The result is shoulder high grass, too thick to walk through. We had it hayed last year and this year also just to get it under control but erosion is a consideration on our ridge property.

[am1too]

Originally Posted by badlander

We already have a tractor and DH is looking for an upgrade so we can clear the land ourselves. We wouldn't necessarily do the tilling and planting ourselves but rent the land to one of the precision planters in the area. We worked with one of them before and it paid well on a property that we sold two years ago. The question is WHAT to plant or even consider planting if anything at all or continue using the land for haying as we have done the past two years. Only problem with that is that we have very little profit in it basically trading the hay for mowing the pastures for us and a few bales to use for our dogs in the winter when they are outside.

We would like to find something that would maybe make enough to pay the taxes for us every year, which given MO tax rates, isn't all that high. We have had offers to rent the land for grazing but we use the land for recreation also and would hate to loose that use for it as we have well established trails and paths that we could modify for a crop but wouldn't be able to use if there was stock present with gates and fences present.

Sounds like to me you should plant it in pasture mix and forget it except mowing maybe once a month to keep weeds and tree sprouts down.

[agmantoo]

Pet cemetery!

[badlander]

Originally Posted by agmantoo

Pet cemetery!

I think that is one of the funniest things I've read in ages!

Seriously. We call our Homestead 'Badland Farm' for a reason. The Amish homesteader that we bought if from had a motto. If you have livestock you have dead stock and brother did he know how to kill off animals. Every time we clear out a fence, ditch or explore the timber, we find the skeletal remains of some poor animal that died under his watch.

Pet Cemetery? We already have that!